People
Botticelli Painted Simonetta Vespucci’s Face a Decade After She Died
Simonetta Vespucci, the real woman behind Botticelli's Birth of Venus, died of tuberculosis at twenty-two — years before the painter…
11 Things to Know About Cleopatra’s Children — and Their Fates
Cleopatra had four children by Julius Caesar and Mark Antony — only one survived into adulthood, paraded in golden chains…
Philip II Built the Army and Empire Alexander the Great Conquered With
Alexander the Great's father, Philip II of Macedon, built the professional army, invented the sarissa phalanx, unified Greece, and launched…
Cleopatra’s Coins Show a Plain Face She Chose to Project as Power
Cleopatra VII's coin portraits show a sharp nose, strong jaw, and unremarkable features — and the evidence suggests she chose…
Young Napoleon Triumphed at French Military School Despite Mockery
Arriving in mainland France at age nine with a thick Corsican accent and a scholarship his family could barely qualify…
The Samurai Who Refused to Kill His Prisoner and Reshaped Japan
When rebel warlord Murashige Araki refused to execute his prisoner Kanbei Kuroda during the 1578–1579 siege of Itami, he defied…
One Scottish Weatherman’s Forecast Gave D-Day a 36-Hour Window to Save Europe
On June 6, 1944, D-Day's success depended not just on Allied firepower but on one RAF meteorologist's narrow weather window…
Belisarius Reconquered Half the Roman Empire — Then Justinian Destroyed Him
Belisarius was arguably the greatest battlefield commander between Caesar and Napoleon, reconquering half the lost Roman world for Emperor Justinian.…
Eleanor of Aquitaine Ruled Two Kingdoms and Outlasted Every King
Eleanor of Aquitaine inherited the richest duchy in France at fifteen, became queen of both France and England, rode to…
9 Biggest Myths About A Tale of Two Cities and the French Revolution
From its setting to its historical accuracy, A Tale of Two Cities has inspired surprisingly stubborn myths. Here are 9…