http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/ancient Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sun, 09 Aug 2026 04:58:36 -0400 Sun, 09 Aug 2026 04:58:36 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1892/the-eumenides-antigone-and-the-nature-of-objective-justice By Patrick F. Sheils - Justice in The Eumenides is established as an objective entity and it is in The Eumenides that it is solidified as a concept which has causal power over the material world. This metaphysical abstraction seeks to gain purchase through interpersonal relationships and inner-psychological longings. In Antigone, this meta-concept is personified in the material existence of Antigone as a solitary individual. Justice exists as an underlying substructure in both the abstract and the material and can only be instinctually known through its manifestation in human action. This concept is best displayed using... Tue, 30 Mar 2021 09:46 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1892/the-eumenides-antigone-and-the-nature-of-objective-justice http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1882/penelope-helen-and-the-ancient-greek-spectrum-of-femininity-observations-of-womanhood-in-the-homeric-epics By Jenn Beardsley - Although most Ancient Greek literature focused on male characters, a literary analysis of Homeric poetry reveals an inquisition of femininity, motherhood, and what it meant to be a woman in Ancient Greece. Throughout the epic The Iliad and its sequel The Odyssey, the Homeric poets created a spectrum of ideal versus unideal femininity, with notorious Helen on one end and faithful Penelope on the other. Dissection of each epic unveils an exploration into this spectrum of femininity through the use of motifs, or the repetition of a theme throughout a narrative. Specifically, the poets utilized the... Fri, 26 Feb 2021 02:40 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1882/penelope-helen-and-the-ancient-greek-spectrum-of-femininity-observations-of-womanhood-in-the-homeric-epics http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1866/material-nostalgia-in-classical-and-early-modern-drama By Marnie J. Monogue - The inescapability and influence of the past becomes most discernable with homecoming. A particularly powerful sense of nostalgia concentrates in textiles, especially when these objects purposefully invoke the past. More often than not, theatre uses textile props and clothing as the primary representative medium, enhancing storytelling capacity. These symbolic fabrics and costumes can best be characterized as Shakespeare’s “trappings and suits of woe,” as they function as both physical and psychological traps, but also allow for outward expression of “that within which... Thu, 21 Jan 2021 11:38 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1866/material-nostalgia-in-classical-and-early-modern-drama http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1837/goddess-in-the-sheets-prostitute-in-the-streets-examining-public-and-private-divisions-of-gender-in-mesopotamian-cities By Georgia H. Vance - This paper explores the spatial expression of the female gender in early Mesopotamian cities from c. 2334-1595 B.C.E. Gender in Mesopotamia has been widely studied socially but not spatially, and here I aim to provide a consideration of gender through the framework of a public/private divide. Predominantly, a sensory archaeological methodology is applied to the urban environment as reconstructed by both textual and archaeological sources. This method employs Shepperson’s ‘archaeosensorium’ from Sunlight and Shade in the First Cities (2017) to study identifiable gendered spaces... Tue, 17 Nov 2020 08:08 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1837/goddess-in-the-sheets-prostitute-in-the-streets-examining-public-and-private-divisions-of-gender-in-mesopotamian-cities http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1709/persianization-and-intimidation-investigating-discord-in-the-court-of-alexander-the-great By E. M. Suazo - A subset of Alexandrian scholarship which has garnered long-held fascination does not center upon a success, but rather a failure: that is, the divide in his court which emerged during his Asiatic campaigns. Such a divide, though incited by a number of grievances, was notably influenced by Alexander’s efforts to mimic, assimilate to, and integrate elements of the Persian court and military into his Macedonian empire. Biographers from Plutarch to Green have attempted to unearth Alexander’s objectives with this Persianization, and to varying success: some claim it was a unified empire... Wed, 29 Nov 2017 10:09 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1709/persianization-and-intimidation-investigating-discord-in-the-court-of-alexander-the-great http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1541/identifying-a-developing-christian-culture-in-the-fourth-century By Andrea C. Hanna - To briefly set the scene, the fourth century was a complex period for Christianity. It moved from being a persecuted sect to being supported by a new Christian Emperor, to vying with Constantine’s successors over unorthodox beliefs, to being persecuted by Julian the Apostate, and finally being declared the official state religion by Theodosius. So, with context in mind, this essay will attempt to identify if, by the end of the fourth century, a Christian culture had become distinctive, in and of itself, as well as more distinctive than the pagan Roman culture into which it originally emerged... Wed, 22 Feb 2017 10:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1541/identifying-a-developing-christian-culture-in-the-fourth-century http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1492/how-democratic-was-the-roman-republic-the-theory-and-practice-of-an-archetypal-democracy By Zachary S. Brown - In Federalist No. 34 Alexander Hamilton, arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution, claimed that the Roman Republic had “attained to the utmost height of human greatness.”[1] The Roman Republic, at least an idealized version, was explicitly the model that the founding fathers looked to when developing their own democratic constitution. By and large, this model has succeeded in establishing a stable democracy. American success and the subsequent global proliferation of democratic regimes in the twentieth century have made the triumph of democracy, with its roots... Sun, 06 Nov 2016 05:57 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1492/how-democratic-was-the-roman-republic-the-theory-and-practice-of-an-archetypal-democracy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1234/re-understanding-pompeii-a-history-of-our-interpretation-of-the-lost-city By Annelies Van De Ven - The catastrophic demise of the Oscan-Roman city of Pompeii in 79 A.D. left its mark on our collective psyche. Its remains have long been a staple of archaeology and ancient history curricula while its demise is described in countless books and has served as inspiration for artists since ancient times. Two motifs that recur in discussions of the ancient city are those of mortality and sexuality, both themes that oscillate between the realms of fascination and taboo. This paper will use cognitive methodologies within archaeology to analyse the layers of semantic baggage that have been loaded onto... Fri, 16 Oct 2015 10:21 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1234/re-understanding-pompeii-a-history-of-our-interpretation-of-the-lost-city http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1206/the-dichotomy-of-gender-in-euripides-bacchae By Hayley E. Tartell - In Euripides’ Bacchae, careful examination of the character Dionysus illuminates discrepancies in action based on gender. Ultimately, Dionysus’ effeminate nature compounded with his subversive measures toward women and male proclivities suggest an inherent duality. Dionysus’ vacillation between masculine and feminine tendencies characterizes him as a heteronormative embodiment of both males and females, in essence, a community or civilized society. However, since his duality also represents a loss of identity, one can deduce that the play advocates a pre-communal state of existence... Mon, 12 Oct 2015 09:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1206/the-dichotomy-of-gender-in-euripides-bacchae http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1049/ancient-greek-women-and-warfare-building-a-more-accurate-portrait-of-ancient-women-through-literature By A. H. Aghababian - The present study explores the portrayal of women in ancient Greek literature within the context of warfare. More specifically, this work focuses on Classical Period Greek literature, particularly between 450 and 350 BCE, written by Athenian men. The genres studied include tragedy, comedy, philosophical works, and histories. As a highly elusive and largely unexplored subject, the lives of the women of antiquity are often generalized by modern scholars. Feminists and classicists tend to recombine all the information they find, regardless of genre or context, attempting to produce a well-supported... Tue, 16 Jun 2015 08:58 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1049/ancient-greek-women-and-warfare-building-a-more-accurate-portrait-of-ancient-women-through-literature http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/955/the-classic-maya-collapse-the-importance-of-ecological-prosperity By Katrina Armstrong - The relationship between humans and their environment is a heavily debated, multi-disciplinary discussion that has raised awareness about urgent issues, such as climate change. Earth’s booming population encourages globalization, greed, and over-consumption and has changed the basic composition of the planet, causing humans to continually possess a distorted view of their relationship to nature. This idea can be applied to the Classic Maya, as their success as a thriving civilization rested on their access to the resources around them. Around 900 CE, many of the heavily populated Maya cities... Tue, 30 Sep 2014 04:37 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/955/the-classic-maya-collapse-the-importance-of-ecological-prosperity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/841/mythology-and-astronomy-as-manifestations-of-ancient-greek-culture By Paul Hay - However, it is imperative to remember the human element in both of these pursuits. Stories do not exist without storytellers, and astronomy cannot be studied without astronomers to do it. No matter how much evidence exists showing that the Trojan War really happened, still it is Homer who made the myth what it is today. Similarly, even if a cluster of stars looks exactly like a horse, it takes an astronomer to give it the name Pegasus. Both mythology and astronomy are thus profoundly affected by the cultures of which the mythmakers and the astronomers were a part. The Greek hero Perseus provides... Thu, 19 Dec 2013 04:54 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/841/mythology-and-astronomy-as-manifestations-of-ancient-greek-culture http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/710/how-everything-fits-together-on-knowledge-and-ancient-understanding By Gregory T. Groppoli - That is, all matter that exists is derived from one thing: water. The earth is made mostly of water, everything contains some water in some form, and everything needs water in order to survive. Heraclitus had a similar view for a much different reason. He believed fire to be the physis. He saw the world as ever changing much like a fire transforms fuel into heat, color, and smoke (Hergenhahn, 2009). Since everything was in constant motion, nothing could truly be understood for certain. This is the basis to his famous statement: “It is impossible to step into the same river twice” (... Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:39 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/710/how-everything-fits-together-on-knowledge-and-ancient-understanding http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/705/yue-feis-different-goals-and-ideals-in-the-chinese-song-dynasty-960-1279 By Alexander E. Hopkins - Perhaps the preceding dynasty can offer clues to this unusual turn of events. Prior to the Song dynasty, the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was a militarily powerful dynasty that expanded China’s geographic territory to roughly the same extent as the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 CE). Unlike the Tang, however, Song leaders focused more on expanding their domestic economy, which favored the arts and educated scholar officials. Yue Fei’s military background, coupled with his insistence on conquering enemies and expanding the Song territory, was more akin to the preceding Tang dynasty. Since the main... Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/705/yue-feis-different-goals-and-ideals-in-the-chinese-song-dynasty-960-1279 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/687/lucius-sergius-catalina-villain-or-victim-the-famed-cicero-as-a-violent-aggressor By Lauren E. Raubaugh - Catilina was of a patrician birth, of a family much more established than Cicero’s own bloodline, but something – whether his incurred debt, strong personality, or rumors of his many indiscretions – kept him from finding success in his campaigns to become consul. A more direct reason for this failure, at least in 65 and 66 BCE, was a charge of extortion, illegally amassing wealth for himself while propraetor in Africa from 67-66 BCE. He was likely guilty, but such a charge is a far cry from the eventual accusations of murder – and, of course, of conspiracy. Regardless,... Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:01 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/687/lucius-sergius-catalina-villain-or-victim-the-famed-cicero-as-a-violent-aggressor http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/649/much-ado-about-nothing-examining-the-curse-of-tutankhamun By Sujay Kulshrestha - In the early part of the 20th century, the world experienced tumultuous change. At the turn of the century, advances in technology linked humans around the world like never before, political borders changed in the aftermath of one of the deadliest wars known, and the world began to settle into a period of prosperity. In the Valley of the Kings, the early part of the 1920’s brought immeasurable fame with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Howard Carter’s opening of a nearly intact tomb in 1922 revived the popular appeal of ancient Egypt and the history it contained. However,... Sun, 10 Jun 2012 05:15 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/649/much-ado-about-nothing-examining-the-curse-of-tutankhamun http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/556/taweret-an-untraditional-egyptian-goddess By Candace A. Reilly - They would keep the amulets in their homes which would create their living surroundings into domestic shrines. The popular household deities that represent fertility are Bes, Hathor and Taweret, and their placement in homes were prominent due to the danger pregnancy and childbirth had on women in ancient Egypt (Robins 87-90). The dead used the amulet in the tomb for the purpose of gaining one preferential notice with a particular deity and protection in the afterlife. “These objects were endowed with magic powers and that where magic is concerned mystery and obscurity of meaning only add... Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/556/taweret-an-untraditional-egyptian-goddess http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/392/the-effect-of-troys-rebirth-on-aeneass-transformation-in-the-aeneid By Sujay Kulshrestha - In the Aeneid, Virgil depicts the struggle of the newly displaced Trojans to find a new home, under the leadership of Aeneas. The Trojans, having only recently lost the Trojan War to the Greeks, travel in search of a new home, eventually settling in Italy−to the dismay of some of the Italians. The motif of Troy’s rebirth plays a major role in the Aeneid in that it is intertwined with Aeneas’s personal destiny; the two domains are so intertwined that Aeneas both prevents his own happiness and alters his own personality to successfully create a new Troy. Over the course of the... Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:34 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/392/the-effect-of-troys-rebirth-on-aeneass-transformation-in-the-aeneid http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/384/the-relationship-between-gods-and-humans-in-aias-and-the-poetry-of-sapphos By Sujay Kulshrestha - Reading Greek plays provides valuable insight into the relationships between gods and humans. While both gods and humans have fairly similar personalities Greek gods have a certain amount of power that, given motivation from an arrogant mortal, they are all too willing to manipulate for their own entertainment without regard to the consequences for others. In Aias, Sophocles begins by telling the story of Ajax some time after the events in Homer’s Iliad. Over the course of the play, Sophocles relates that Ajax feels slighted, because he was not awarded the now-deceased Achilles’s armor... Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:14 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/384/the-relationship-between-gods-and-humans-in-aias-and-the-poetry-of-sapphos http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/286/women-in-ancient-japan-from-matriarchal-antiquity-to-acquiescent-confinement By Mallary A. Silva - These spiritual attitudes can be found in the literary works of the time. The thirteenth century Buddhist morality tale The Captain of Naruto emphasizes the concept of female submission and male dominance. In the tale a wife of a captain is the object of the emperor’s desire.[xv] The captain orders his wife to go to the emperor and she agrees, illustrating an act of submission. The Tale of Genji also provides examples of Buddhist values. Genji imitates the Buddhist credence of the time, Heian Japan, by stating, “If they were not fundamentally evil they would not be born a woman at... Wed, 15 Sep 2010 06:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/286/women-in-ancient-japan-from-matriarchal-antiquity-to-acquiescent-confinement http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/191/gay-marriage-in-antiquity-how-far-have-we-come By Nicole Holmen - This should be explained. First of all, for a Roman man to marry another man would mean that one of the two would have to “be the woman.” This defies the Roman idea of viri, or manliness (Williams, Chapter 5: 163). Secondly, the definition of Roman marriage was strictly between a male and a female. The Latin verb matrimonium signified Roman marriage as “an inherently hierarchical institution structured around the pervasive power-differential between freeborn Roman men and everyone else, in this case women” (Williams, Appendix 2: 247). So, much like our current society,... Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:16 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/191/gay-marriage-in-antiquity-how-far-have-we-come http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/175/examining-greek-pederastic-relationships By Nicole Holmen - The ideal pederastic relationship in ancient Greece involved an erastes (an older male, usually in his mid- to late-20s) and an eromenos (a younger male who has passed puberty, usually no older than 18) (Dover, I.4.: 16).  This age difference between the erastes and the eromenos was of the utmost importance to the scheme of the ideal pederastic relationship.  The power dynamics involved in such a relationship, with the erastes always in control, ensured that the erastes kept his dignity as a fully-functioning member of Greek society, while the eromenos grew up under the tutelage of such... Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:12 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/175/examining-greek-pederastic-relationships http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1696/brief-review-the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-by-samuel-taylor-coleridge By Sandra L. Meyer - After the Mariner kills the Albatross, it is hung around his neck so he can understand the seriousness of his act, but he is incapable of realizing the full implications at this time.  The bird was of no danger to the Mariner or the men on the ship, and in fact, was a spiritual guide to safeguard the crew on their excursion.  The murder was committed on a whim, with no forethought about the act or the repercussions. The Mariner gives no explanation to the Wedding Guest as to why he killed the bird because he has none.  In his essay “The Sad Wisdom of the Mariner,” A.... Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1696/brief-review-the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-by-samuel-taylor-coleridge http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/123/comparing-characters-from-albert-camuss-the-fall-and-samuel-taylor-coleridges-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner By Katherine Blakeney - Clamence’s crime is rather more like a mistake. He witnesses a total stranger committing suicide and does nothing to help her, although as she sinks below the waters of the Seine she obviously utters a cry for help. Clamence is tortured by doubts and feelings of guilt; Was it his responsibility to save her? Did he even have the right to get involved? Did he walk away because he was scared, or indifferent? And was his passivity in fact tantamount to an act of murder? All of these questions plague his mind for years along with “that cry which had sounded over the Seine behind me years... Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:44 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/123/comparing-characters-from-albert-camuss-the-fall-and-samuel-taylor-coleridges-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/92/writing-a-necessary-undertaking-in-advanced-society By Kendra A. Palmer - Written language is one of the greatest human accomplishments; its formation signifies a breakthrough in human progress. The development of a standardized writing system seems to be a somewhat natural occurrence in the evolution of any given advanced society. It can be observed that, as a culture or a people grow and expand in other areas, an apparent need for written communication arises. There is a transition from a simply widely-spoken and understood language to a designation of a palpable system of letters and symbols which correspond to that language. Therefore, writing is one of a number... Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:50 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/92/writing-a-necessary-undertaking-in-advanced-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/71/confrontation-with-death-illuminates-deaths-mystery-in-the-odyssey By Lindsay D. Clark - Even in fairy tales and fantastical legends, the trespassing of the breathing upon the domain of the spirits is rare. It is a disturbing idea; when the dead visit our world, we can at least find comfort in numbers. Yet the hero Odysseus braves the unknown and looks into the eyes of death. And as ghostly whispers blow across the hair on his arms we expect him to return traumatized, changed, darkly enlightened—but no. He emerges a little puffy-eyed, but very much himself. Several times Odysseus seems close to discovering some deathly mystery, brushing the stardust off some universally kept... Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:49 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/71/confrontation-with-death-illuminates-deaths-mystery-in-the-odyssey http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/62/the-emobidment-of-human-tragedy-in-the-illiad By Lindsay D. Clark - Why raise the curtain on this 45 day by 45 night saga? In a story whose ending everybody knows already, why choose these actions of these characters to expound upon? The Iliad is not a war tale one might tell in which friends love friends, who in conjunction hate enemies, and all fight quite openly for comrades, for righteousness, and for glory—for here wherein lies a single truth? Or a story worth telling? The Iliad instead is a story of confusion, of vagueness, of mixed messages and muddled motivations. And it achieves its primary meaning not through fearless Achilles or great Hector... Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/62/the-emobidment-of-human-tragedy-in-the-illiad http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/55/impressions-of-ashoka-in-ancient-india By Patrick M. Hutchison - In the latter part of the third century B.C. India was rapidly changing. The Mauryan dynasty was expanding across the sub-continent of India and the line of kings which had begun with Chandragupta had lost another of its sons, Bindusara. Bindusara's son Ashoka was the next of the Mauryan kings. The small amount of land left to conquer, Kalinga, was soon taken by Ashoka and with it, the entire Indian sub-continent was made a part of the Mauryan dynasty. Ashoka had finished what Chandragupta had started so many decades earlier. The conquest of the Mauryans had reached its natural climax and Ashoka... Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/55/impressions-of-ashoka-in-ancient-india