Terry Madenholm

1 month ago | haaretz.com | Terry Madenholm

In the Greco-Roman world, stigma, meaning a tattoo in ancient Greek, served as a marker of guilt, failure, and subjugation. According to Herodotus, the Greeks learned the "art" of penal tattooing from the Persians in the sixth century B.C.E. Ink became a tool for marking prisoners of war, slaves, and criminals. One of the most famous cases of war tattoos comes from the fifth century B.C.E. when the mighty Athenians defeated the Samians.

2 months ago | haaretz.com | Terry Madenholm

When excavations began at Pompeii in the 18th century, the Roman city frozen in time turned out to be so rich in penis-oriented art that the British antiquarian Richard Payne Knight argued there had been a fertility cult there. Little did he know that phallic representations existed throughout the Roman world in different shapes and forms, from lamps and jewelry to dishes (bon appétit). The Roman penis was the constant subject of artistic and everyday representations.

2 months ago | haaretz.com | Terry Madenholm

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2 months ago | haaretz.com | Terry Madenholm

From the earliest of days, everywhere we look, avoiding pregnancy has been mainly the woman's responsibility. In the land of the pharaohs, the ancient Egyptian women fought their fertility with a thick paste made from honey, sodium carbonate, and crocodile dung. This concoction was expected to be placed inside the female reproductive system before intercourse. From today's perspective, we have to think the solution might have been very effective if the lover knew what he was getting into.

Dec 30, 2024 | haaretz.com | Terry Madenholm

The Romans developed one of the most socially integrated slave systems of its time, enslaving tens of millions in three continents and lasting for 500 yearsDec 30, 2024 2:43 pm ISTSend in e-mailSend in e-mail Statue of ancient Roman soldier with prisoners on bridge over the TiberCredit: Spiroview Inc/ShutterstockDec 30, 2024 2:43 pm ISTAccording to Aristotle, some people are born to be slaves.