Topic: Classical Antiquity

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'The Raven': 5 other movies that turned well-known figures into action heroes

As Edgar Allan Poe hunts a murderer in 'The Raven,' here are 5 other movies that took well-known historical and literary figures and made them action stars
'Drop Dead Healthy': 8 of A.J. Jacob's unusual get-fit regimens

From a working at a treadmill desk to practicing extreme chewing, here are 8 strategies A.J. Jacobs tried as part of his quest for perfect fitness.
Censored: 5 plays and novels banned around the globe

Censorship of the arts has a long history, from ancient Greece to present-day Thailand. Here is a list of five plays and novels banned, for a variety of reasons, in regions across the globe.
21 nonfiction books to watch for in spring 2012

This early harvest of spring 2012 titles looks promising.
Vatican Secret Archives: 6 of the most intriguing documents in church history

One hundred documents held in the Vatican’s Secret Archives are now on display in Rome for the first time. Read our list here of six standouts.

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Reader recommendation: Ghost on the Throne

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.
'The Raven': 5 other movies that turned well-known figures into action heroes

As Edgar Allan Poe hunts a murderer in 'The Raven,' here are 5 other movies that took well-known historical and literary figures and made them action stars
Modern Parenthood
Tax Day history: musings on the eve of the tax deadline

Over here at Modern Parenthood, we admit that our reaction to the tax deadline is not to sit back and reflect. But that's why we love the musings of guest blogger Susan Sachs Lipman, and her "slow family" approach, even to Tax Day.
'Drop Dead Healthy': 8 of A.J. Jacob's unusual get-fit regimens

From a working at a treadmill desk to practicing extreme chewing, here are 8 strategies A.J. Jacobs tried as part of his quest for perfect fitness.
Censored: 5 plays and novels banned around the globe

Censorship of the arts has a long history, from ancient Greece to present-day Thailand. Here is a list of five plays and novels banned, for a variety of reasons, in regions across the globe.
Global News Blog
Rome cracks down on marauding centurions

The city has given a deadline of April 6 for the tourist terrors to clear away from the Colosseum area.
21 nonfiction books to watch for in spring 2012

This early harvest of spring 2012 titles looks promising.
Vatican Secret Archives: 6 of the most intriguing documents in church history

One hundred documents held in the Vatican’s Secret Archives are now on display in Rome for the first time. Read our list here of six standouts.
Chapter & Verse
Robert Harris's "The Fear Index" makes a thriller out of a man sitting at a computer

Robert Harris, the author of 'The Ghost,' discusses his new financial page-turner "The Fear Index" and his predilection for writing about ancient Rome.
Da Vinci’s Ghost

Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man has been called the world's most famous drawing. But what does it mean?
A hopeless romantic meets her match

Touring Greece's antiquities, a traveler comes face to face with the temples of the ancient gods – and her childhood dreams.
Reader recommendation: Empire

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.
Will and Kate visit L.A.: Locals' top 10 southern California must-sees

Royal newlyweds William and Kate have a busy, business-first itinerary for their three-day visit to southern California, which begins Friday. If they had asked us, we’d have given them these 10 tips for how to savor the SoCal experience. For every obvious tourist gambit, we’ve thrown in some insider info about where to pan for the best Angeleno cultural gold.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 06/20
10 books to read before you go to Italy this summer

It seems that new travel guides to Italy are being published every five minutes or so. But for those who want to keep it simple, here are the handful of absolute must-read books – three classic novels included – that no tourist to Italy should ever be without.
Vancouver riot and 5 other melees in sports history

Here are five notable riots linked to sporting events through history.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 06/14
Political misquotes: The 10 most famous things never actually said

Did Sarah Palin really say that she could see Russia from her house? Did Marie Antoinette really say 'Let them eat cake?' Learn the true story behind 10 of the most widely believed – but completely bogus – quotations misattributed to political figures.
Roman shipwreck: Giant fish tank in a 2,000-year-old ship?

Roman shipwreck: Scientists say that an ancient Roman shipwreck had the plumbing for a salt-water aquarium.
Editorial Board Blog
Ron Paul runs for president again. Will GOP embrace a libertarian in 2012?

Ron Paul began his third run for the White House yesterday, saying that 'people are agreeing with much of what I've been saying for 30 years.' A key hurdle: selling his foreign policy to GOP voters.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 04/22
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 04/17
Reader recommendation: The Eagle of the Ninth

Monitor readers choose their favorite book picks.
Ides of March: What's an ide anyway? The whole sooth.

Ides of March: What exactly is an ide anyway? An what does it have to do with Julius Caesar?
Ides of March: what to read on March 15

Each year when March 15 rolls around, many of us grope mentally backward to 9th-grade English class and do our best to remember who exactly who it was that warned Julius Caesar to "Beware the ides of March" and why. But in the years since Shakespeare first coined the phrase in 1599 the fatal date has become well ensconced in literature. To bring yourself up to speed on "ides" literature, here's a beginner's list.