Who was Pythagoras? Why did he become so important?

Who was Pythagoras? Why did he become so important?

Pythagoras was a multi-faceted genius who made contributions in various fields. he was Greek, but settled in Southern Italy and founded the school of Pythagoreans. He is regarded as one the greatest of Greek philosophers. However, his early works were based on the knowledge of the ancient world, which he reintroduced to his own times. He made a great discovery in music, in which he determined that an octave has eight notes. The Pythagoras Theory that he expounded has made him a house hold name even today. This famous mathematical theorem was evolved from a study of the ancient Egyptian engineers who constructed right angled triangles with sides in the ratio 3:4:5. With the aid of Mathematics, Pythagoras also proved that the earth is sphere.

Legend of Rome

Legend of Rome

There are two legends related to the founding of Rome. One says that the founder was Aeneas, the Trojan warrior. But the more popular and colourful one, featured the twin brother, Romulus and Remus, who wee brought up by a she wolf.


The legend says that the date for the founding of Rome was fixed in April 753 BC. As was the custom, fires were lit and every man leaped through it to cleanse himself of evil. Then Romulus harnessed a white cow and a bull and ploughed a furrow through the lines of where the walls of the city were to be. Such lines wee considered sacred, and men could cross it only at the points where the gates were meant to be. But Remus, leaped over the furrow, exclaiming, ‘Will such defences as these keep your city’? Romulus struck Remus down for his disrespect and said ‘So let it happen to all those who pass over my walls’

When was Rome founded?

When was Rome founded?

Around 1000 BC, a wave of invaders crossed the Alps and occupied parts of Central and Southern Italy. Coming from the Indo-European stock, they were made up of four tribes – Samnites, Sabines, Umbrians and Latins.


The Latins settled in Central Italy in small villages that they built for themselves. By 753 BC, when forty such villages came being, they decided to build a city and chose a site on the banks of the River Tiber. While they were at this work, they faced constant threat from their neighbours, the Etruscans, who were settled on the north of the Tiber. The Latins realized that their enemies could cross the river at only one point and that the Palatine Hill overlooked this point. Hence, they chose that as the site for the new city that came to be known as Rome. Seven kings ruled Rome until it became a republic in 509 BC

Victory of the first woman at the Olympics

Victory of the first woman at the Olympics

In Ancient Greece, only freeborn male citizens could take part in the Olympic Games. Women were forbidden, on penalty of death, to even see the games. One woman the mother of Pisidours, did successfully defy the death penalty. She continued the training of her son after his father died. She attended the Games by disguising herself as a man. She was not recognized until she shouted with joy over her son’s victory. She was pardoned, and in time, women were allowed in the Games

How did dinosaurs become extinct?

How did dinosaurs become extinct?

Paleontologists believe that dinosaurs became extinct over 65 million years ago. But no one is sure how these great creatures vanished.


One theory explains the extinction of dinosaurs by saying hat an asteroid 10 km wide struck the earth. As it struck this asteroid sent dust and steam into the atmosphere, causing huge forest fires and tidal waves. It probably eliminated all sunlight, for at least six months. Without sunlight and plant life even the gigantic dinosaurs were unable to survive.


Other scientist believe that climate change caused the extinction of dinosaurs. According to them, sudden cold temperatures destroyed the plants that herbivorous dinosaurs ate, causing them to die of starvation, which in turn affected the meat eaters.


Another theory says that it was a series of volcanic eruptions that caused such mass destruction. When volcanoes erupt, they send huge clouds of dust, sulfuric acid and poisonous gases into the air. Dinosaurs could never have survived such a hostile, environment!


It has been suggested that disease was the killer of the dinosaurs. With the passage of time, more land bridges started to appear on Earth. Oceans dried up, and dinosaurs were able to walk across new landmasses. As they searched for food, they came into contact with other dinosaurs. The dinosaurs may have carried diseases that they were immune to, but which infected and destroyed new dinosaurs to the area.

How were the earliest Olympic Games held?

How were the earliest Olympic Games held?

The modern Olympics were revived in 1896. But they were originally held more than 2500 years before that. The original games were held in the ancient city of Olympia in Greece. They took place once in every five years during the first full moon after the summer solstice. Olympia was situated at the foot of the Kronos where the holy grove or the altis soon became surrounded with temples. Near the altis was the stadium in which nearly 45, 000 spectators could watch the events. During the festival month of the Games, a truce of peace was in force all throughout Greece. Accordingly, no one going as spectator or competitor was allowed to carry arms

Why are the Phoenician voyages important?

Why are the Phoenician voyages important?

The Phoenicians who lived along the Mediterranean coast, around 1200 BC were the greatest seamen of ancient times in outlook. They wee ahead of their times in outlook. They built ships and sailed across the Mediterranean and through the Straits of Gibraltar. They navigated their ships, looking at the Pole star for guidance and the position of dawn and sunset. The continent of Europe probably gets its name from the Phoenician word for ‘sunset’, Ereb

Code of Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi

The code of Hammurabi is a collection of laws and edicts of the renowned Babylonian King Hammurabi. It is the earliest known, complete legal code. In 1901, a team of French archaeologists at Susa, Iraq, unearthed a copy of the code, engraved in a block of black diorite. Nearly 8 feet in height, the block was broken in three pieces. It was restored, and is now in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Where was the greatest city of the Ancient World?

Where was the greatest city of the Ancient World?
Babylon, meaning the ‘Gate of God’ was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. It was situated in Mesopotamia, a fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates River, 90 kms south of Baghdad, Iraq.


Hammurabi was the most famous of Babylon’s kings. He is believed to have ascended the throne in 1792 BC. During the reigns of Hammurabi and his son Samsu-iluna, Babylonian civilization reached the heights of its cultural development and political power. The world’s first standing Army was raised by Hammurabi. Rival cities were attacked and conquered, one by one. In time, he became master of the whole Mesopotamia. The laws codified by Hammurabi have won great fame

When did people first work with iron?

The Iron Age began at the time of Hittites, a fierce nation of Aryans. They extended their boundaries in all directions, and proved, practically quite unconquerable. This was because they had a major advantage on their side – they had strong weapons made of iron, which was infinitely superior to the ‘softer’ bronze.


The Hittites had discovered the art of refining iron ore. They first heated the iron ore till it melted into a paste-like mass. Then, as it cooled, the beat it into shapes of weapons and implements.