Ancient Greece

York Minster's rose window features 16th-century Tudor Roses white on red (left) and Lancastrian Roses, red

A brief history of the English rose

Illustration from Dante's ‘Inferno', depicting thieves tormented in hell by serpents.

General ancient history

A brief history of the afterlife

Illustration of Alexander the Great marching to war (Illustration by Sue Gent_

What if… Alexander the Great had lived longer?

The reconcilliation between Thomas Becket and Henry II. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

From the handshake to the high-five: a brief history of gestures

New issue World 23 1024x768

Issue 23 of BBC World Histories is out now

The Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

8 facts about the Elgin Marbles

Bottle of 'love potion'

General ancient history

Spanish fly, holy bread and mashed worms: history’s weirdest aphrodisiacs and love potions

Portrait of John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan (Lord Lucan), who disappeared in 1974 following a bloody homicide

The curious case of Lord Lucan + 10 other mysterious disappearances from history

Cariad Lloyd, Suzannah Lipscomb and Greg Jenner

General ancient history

“A history podcast for people who don’t like history”: Greg Jenner on his new podcast You’re Dead To Me

The Spartan king Leonidas at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The conflict has become the archetype for the courageous last stand, pitting around 200,000 Persians against 7,000 Spartans.

Your guide to the battle of Thermopylae

The fact that so many cultures have a myth about a devastating flood has led some historians to wonder if there may have been a real event that explains the myths. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

General prehistory

Q&A Was there really a 'Great Flood'?

A sculpture dedicated to King Leonidas of the Spartans in Thermopylae, Greece. (Photo by iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Q&A Were there really only 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae?

Medieval trepanning

General prehistory

Q&A What is trepanning?

The Venus de Milo sculpture

Q&A When was the Venus de Milo found?

The ancient Greek physician Dioscorides

General ancient history

Happy plants and laughing weeds: how people of the ancient world used – and abused – drugs