#ancient-greece

#ancient-greece

It started with a book launch in 2021. I'd been living in London as a social media journalist when I asked my then-publication's culture editor to send me to one of these exclusive-sounding events, as 1) I'd never been and 2) I just really wanted to be a person who "has a book launch to go to." Thankfully, there was one that exact day-and he put my name on the list for the release of Mary Beard's Emperor of Rome. Huzzah.

Nearly 3,000 athletes have faced the icy rinks and snowy ramps in Italy for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The Olympic Games are host to rare athleticism and national pride. So before we bid the Games adieu in just a few short days, let's commemorate the "Olympics" for this iteration of NPR's Word of the Week. Where the word comes from The word "Olympics" is rooted in ancient Greece.

A humble confection, born of devotion and celestial symbolism, lies at the root of a tradition we now take for granted. Though its form may seem simple - round, unassuming, perhaps modest in flavor - its origins are profound, and woven into ancient religious rites. The early iteration of what would become a celebratory sweet was far more than a treat - it had meaning.

The creamy, sweet, rich, and indulgent dessert known as cheesecake primarily owes its origins to ancient Greece, where it was prepared on the island of Samos in the 5th century B.C.

The ancient Greeks constructed temples starting with mud brick and thatched roofs, evolving over time to more durable materials like stone starting in the seventh century BC.