Welcome to Bad Ancient. We fact-check claims that are made about the ancient world. If you want to know if hoplites were named after their shields or if people in ancient times believed the world was flat, you’ve come to the right place.
Did the Romans flood the Colosseum to stage naval battles?
The film Gladiator II shows the Colosseum being filled with water and hosting a mock naval battle. Is this just historical fiction, or did the Romans actually do this?
Was the Olympic Flame Invented by the Nazis?
The first Olympic torch relay was in 1936, for the Games in Berlin. But did the Nazis invent the Olympic flame to make their Games more authentic?
Did Alexander the Great conquer (most of) the known world?
It is often claimed that Alexander III of Macedon conquered the known world, but is this true or simply hyperbole?
Were Greek boxers ripped?
Were the physiques of ancient combat sports athletes ultra-ripped? They certainly had very active professions that required them to be incredibly strong, but did they look the same as modern bodybuilders?
Did the Carthaginians sacrifice human babies?
Many of our Roman sources claim that the Carthaginians sacrificed babies to their gods, but how true is this?
Are there tunnels under Nan Madol?
Countless storytellers tell of a network of underground tunnels beneath the ancient city of Nan Madol (Pohnpei, Micronesia). Is there any merit to these tales?
Were Christians fed to the lions?
We all think we know that Christians were regularly fed to lions by pagan Romans, and this likely did happen. But is it an isolated phenomenon specifically targeted at a new and radical sect?
Did Emperor Tiberius abuse young children on Capri?
The Roman biographer-historian Suetonius claimed that the emperor Tiberius indulged many sexual vices in his villa on Capri, including with small children – but how accurate or justified were his claims?
Did modern mathematics originate in the fifth century BCE?
It is often assumed that the Greeks invented mathematics in the 5th century BCE, and that they had a set definition of what it entailed. But this is an over-simplification of the history of mathematics.
Did the Spartans only use music for military purposes?
The Spartans did use music in military contexts. Various sources attest to the practice of campaign war-songs and marching music. However, the claim that the Spartans focused only on military music – at the expense of any interest in non-military music – is simply incorrect.