History

Weavers of History: A British Historian on the Place of Women in the Ancient World

Etruscan urn, 2nd century BC. In Etruscan culture, women enjoyed a higher social status than in Rome or Greece at the same period. The frieze depicts a scene of a woman's murder — possibly the mythological Ismene, the youngest daughter of Oedipus // Alamy / BE&W

Daisy Dunn, scholar of the ancient world: On Roman tombstones, women were praised for their virtue and their spinning of wool. Yet without poets, priestesses, prophetesses, and rebels, the history of antiquity could not truly be told.

By Kasper Kalinowski and Daisy Dunn

Kasper Kalinowski: What irritates you most about popular representations of women in antiquity?

Daisy Dunn: Oversimplifications, which are especially glaring in films. Women are usually portrayed in one of two ways. Either they are shown as incapable of anything beyond cleaning and weaving — entirely uninteresting and passive — or as manipulators, schemers, and murderesses plotting to kill their own husbands.

We almost never see anything in between. And how many women in the modern world can be described as "entirely evil" or "saintly"? Most of us fall somewhere between these two extremes. It must have been the same in antiquity.

Living With Borderline: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and the Relief That Comes With Reaching Out for Help

Hurtful stereotypes, fear of rejection, and overwhelming emotions. This is what people with borderline personality disorder face every day. Monika, Ola, and Justyna tell us how they took back control of their lives. By Anna Korytowska "For me, borderline shows up mainly as very intense emotional experiences and as

The New Academic Year: A University Can No Longer Be a Diploma Factory

Universities have no chance of rising to the challenges of the future. So maybe they should play an entirely different role? By Mateusz Mazzini The turning point came on a particular autumn afternoon. We were, technically, still in one place — my twelve first-year journalism students and I — but beyond

Theologian Phyllis Zagano on the Diaconate of Women: There's No Theological Argument

Phyllis Zagano, theologian: The People of God have already decided on the diaconate of women, even though many Church leaders seem unwilling to accept it. By Dawid Gospodarek and Phyllis Zagano Dawid Gospodarek: You've documented fifty years of the work of Vatican commissions on the diaconate of women.

The Sound of Leonardo da Vinci

Sławomir Zubrzycki: From the very start, the instrument promised to be a revelation. According to Praetorius, the viola organista could play both town and country music, convey all kinds of feelings, and even imitate a drunk. By Jacek Ślusarczyk and Sławomir Zubrzycki Jacek Ślusarczyk: At a time when The Da

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Living With Borderline: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and the Relief That Comes With Reaching Out for Help

The New Academic Year: A University Can No Longer Be a Diploma Factory

Theologian Phyllis Zagano on the Diaconate of Women: There's No Theological Argument

The Sound of Leonardo da Vinci