Ancient History 45

Release: August 2023

Theme: Conspicuous consumption

Wealth, luxury, and inequality have been issues facing societies since antiquity. The culmination of these issues is conspicuous consumption. As wealthy members of society dressed in expensive clothing, ate exotic foods, and constructed vast monuments, they broadcast their wealth and power to their peers, engaging in elite competition, and to the poor, reinforcing their status as community leaders (regardless of their ability to lead). How this phenomenon manifested and how societies dealt with it has varied throughout history. Issue 45 will explore aspects of luxury across different societies, as well as how these societies tackled the difficulties wealth inequality created.

Ancient History 46

Release: October 2023

Theme: Oracles and divination

The gods were omnipresent in the ancient world. The ancients believed they controlled every aspect of people's lives, from the weather to whether a fisherman had a good or bad catch that day. The ancients also believed they could learn what they needed to do — where to fish, what day to travel — to achieve the best result by asking the gods. How the ancients contacted the gods and what they might ask them is the subject of Ancient History issue 46 — divination!

Ancient History 47

Release: December 2023

Theme: Greeks and Scythians

In the seventh century BC, Greek ships landed on the northern shore of the Black Sea to found new colonies, as many had done so before throughout the Mediterranean. There, they met a people unlike any they had ever met - the Scythians, nomadic pastoralists who wandered the Eurasian steppe from the Danube to the Altai mountains. In this issue, we will explore Greco-Scythian cultural relations, from their first meetings to Greco-Scythian art to the enigmatic Amazons.

Ancient History 48

Release: February 2024

Theme: The Hunt and Hunting in Antiquity

Hunting in antiquity was commonly conceived of as a passtime of high esteem, an elite activity. However, how people thought about the act of hunting was different for each and every culture. Some, such as the ancient Greeks, saw hunting as a part of military training. Others, such as the Romans, saw hunting purely as a sport, erecting vast game reserves and hosting mock hunts in gladiatorial games. This issue will explore the act of hunting and how it was perceived in many different cultures throughout the ancien world, from Bronze Age Egypt to the Iron Age Celts.