In our postmodern times, most people regard prophecy with a great deal of scepticism. This was not the case in the ancient Greek world. People frequently consulted an oracle to know what to do in the future. Herodotus, in the 5th century BC, records a significant number of prophecies issued by the o…
In our last article we saw how Corinth was rebuilt as a Roman city. The construction was instigated by Julius Caesar making it quite different to Greek cities in the region. Old temples were restored and enlarged, new shops and markets were built, new water supplies were developed until it became a …
Early history
Corinth, or more accurately Korinthos, is a very ancient city, thought to have been inhabited from 900BC onwards. Homer records in The Iliad (690BC)—alluding to the mythical origins of Corinth—the list of ships that went to fight against Troy, one of which was from Corinth, which …
The Epicurians
In the previous article we considered some of the overlap of the Bible with the Stoick doctrines. In this article we will briefly consider the Epicurean doctrines. The Epicureans, like other philosophers, liked to discuss different ideas about how the world worked to find the true pu…
Athens was a place of learning and a centre of human wisdom which was greatly admired in the Roman Empire. It was known for hosting various schools of philosophy, and philosophers abounded, each one having disciples who lived in their presence and observed their way of life hundreds of years before …
The fate of the Persian fleet
At the same time the battle of Thermopylae was taking place, a naval battle was taking place in the straits of Artemisium. This conflict consisted of a series of naval engagements over three days and took place simultaneously with the land battle at Thermopylae, in Aug…
Background
Athens is said to have been continuously inhabited since about 3000BC, though in reality probably not long after the flood in about 2500BC. The original city was built on a fortress shaped rock, the Acropolis. As the city grew buildings appeared around the Acropolis with the most importa…
Miletus, pronounced Milly-tos in Greek, is thought to have been inhabited from very ancient times. It was originally located on the tip of a peninsular on the western shore of Turkey overlooking a bay with good harbours. Over many years, however, silt from the nearby river Meander overflowed the bay…
Examples of Paul’s use of military metaphors in the epistle:
“The praetorian guard” (1:13 AV “palace”) and Caesar’s household (4:22) are mentioned only in Philippians.
“Furtherance of the gospel” (1:12,25). Greek word is prokope and is used of pioneers cutting a way a…
Philippi is an ancient city 15km north-west of Neapolis (modern Kavala in the north of Greece). As you leave Neapolis you first cross a mountain ridge with captivating views over the city and the Aegean Sea. After cresting the ridge, the remaining part of the journey is generally flat and leads dire…
