The Birth of Ovid
Writing from exile, the Roman poet Ovid revealed his birth date as 24 March 43 BC. But on the cause of said exile, he was unusually reticent.
Volume 74 Issue 3 March 2024
Political Graffiti in Georgian Britain
The 18th century was the age of graffiti, when the writing on the wall turned political.
The Death of Einhard the Historian
Charlemagne’s biographer Einhard died on 14 March 840, his modesty in stark contrast with the story of greatness he wove for his king.
Reforming England’s Divorce Law
Reforms to divorce law inevitably prompt moral panic as they did in Victorian England. It has not yet proven to be justified.
‘Sparta and the Commemoration of War’ and ‘The Killing Ground’ review
Two very different volumes, Sparta and the Commemoration of War and The Killing Ground: A Biography of Thermopylae, grapple with the myth of Sparta.
‘The World at War’ and the Holocaust at 50
‘Genocide’, the Holocaust episode of The World at War, was pioneering when it first aired. Does it stand the test of time?
Keeping Blinded Veterans in View
To support ex-servicemen injured during the First World War, charities like St Dunstan’s found creative ways of fundraising.
‘Revolusi’ by David Van Reybrouck review
Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World by David Van Reybrouck brings Southeast Asia’s ‘invisible revolution’ into the light.
Was the Trojan Horse Real?
Did the Greeks really trick their way into Troy inside a gigantic wooden horse?
Beware the Lides of March
March is the loudest month. The late survival of a dialect name – Lide – for the month poses a medieval puzzle.