It has long been assumed that the Romans had a specific military salute that was appropriated by later political movements, but is there any ancient evidence for this?

The Krypteia is often presented as a secret police force in Sparta, which went around hunting enslaved helots to maintain order. But how reliable is the evidence to back this up?

It is often claimed that Crassus was killed by the Parthians in a gruesome manner: by having molten gold poured down his throat. But do our sources support this?

It is often claimed that Alexander III of Macedon conquered the known world, but is this true or simply hyperbole?

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?

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.

It is often claimed that following the destruction of Carthage by the Romans, the lands of the city were salted to prevent future generations living there. But is there any evidence to support this?

Writers have often associated Sparta with a communist or proto-communist ideology, based in no small part on the writings of Plutarch. But is there any truth to this claim?

According to some ancient sources, the kings of ancient Egypt used large numbers of slave labour to undertake large building projects, such as the pyramids. Is there any truth to this notion?

The Athenian philosopher Plato (428/7 to 348/7 BC) created the island of Atlantis as a fiction. Sadly, this has not stopped people from trying to find it.