Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 153 i All About History

Arguably the most famous location in the ancient city of Babylon, the Hanging Gardens are synonymous with the grandeur, extravagance and beauty of the Babylonian era. When ancient writers such as the historian Herodotus began to make lists of the most wonderful monuments and places to visit, Babylon’s famed gardens were often included. In fact, they were one of the seven original ancient Wonders of the World, standing alongside destinations such as the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. But there is one big difference between the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and their fellow wonders: we have definite evidence of the other six. Babylon’s famous gardens, if they ever existed, left no trace in what remains of Babylon, located in modern-day Iraq. Most…

How advanced and sophisticated was the Babylonian civilisation compared to other ancient societies? Comparing how advanced civilisations are assumes that history is progress, which is no longer a sentiment many historians, and other academics, share. But if we take the appearance of certain human innovations and inventions as markers of civilisation, we can say that the Babylonians or, better, the people who lived in the region of southern Iraq which we call Babylonia, were ahead of others in many respects. For example, they were the first in world history to invent writing, slightly before the ancient Egyptians; they formed political entities we categorise as states; they created genres of literature, such as epics. Many other aspects of culture are first attested in the Babylonian world. Cuneiform is considered the earliest…

Revolt and rebellion have been a catalyst for change in nations and cultures for thousands of years, and studying these seismic events is a vital part of exploring the societies that have come before us. When? Where? Why? These are all essential questions to ask when studying rebellions. But much of the time, the most interesting and often most important question to ask is who? Who were the people who felt so moved by their circumstances that they felt they had to revolt, often violently, against authority? ‘Who?’ is certainly the most important question to keep in mind as we delve into the details of some of history’s female revolutionaries, many of whom have been forgotten or remain largely unknown despite the extraordinary actions they took to fight for what…

In 480 BCE Xerxes I took on the city states of Greece in two historic battles. In one, the Battle of Thermopylae, his (possibly) 300,000-strong army was triumphant, but at great cost and against what legend tells us was only 300 Spartans, led by King Leonidas (estimates vary, but 7,000 men seems more likely). Meanwhile, in the straits between the island of Salamis and the port of Piraeus, Xerxes’ navy was crushed by the Athenians at the Battle of Salamis. In neither battle did Xerxes himself take the field, but history records the names of very few of his commanders. One who stands out, having warned the emperor against a battle at sea with Athens and being one of the few to exit the conflict with any praise, is Queen…

On Tuesday 8 November 1960, the United States voted in its 35th president: John F Kennedy of the Democratic Party. He was inaugurated on 20 January 1961. However, less than three years later the 46-year-old was killed by an assassin’s bullet while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. His presidency was defined by a number of dramatic moments in world history, including crises in Berlin and Cuba. His opponent in 1960, Republican Richard Nixon, served as president between 1969 and 1974 but resigned after the fallout from the Watergate scandal. Given the wildly different nature of both men, as well as their respective legacies, the imagination runs wild when we ask: what if Kennedy had lost the incredibly close 1960 election? What was the state of US politics in…

GLADIATOR II Director: Ridley Scott Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal Country: Italy Year: 2024 Scott plays fast and loose with history once again VERDICT: Fiction builds on fiction for this Roman sequel…

29 February 1940 FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN OSCAR WINNER At the 12th Academy Awards, Hattie McDaniel picked up the trophy for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy, a house servant, in the film Gone With The Wind. She was the first African-American to win an Oscar, though at the awards ceremony McDaniel was made to sit at a separate table because the Ambassador Hotel, where the awards were held, had a no-Blacks policy and had granted an exception for McDaniel to attend. 12 February 1924 TUTANKHAMUN’S SARCOPHAGUS OPENED Though archaeologist Howard Carter and his team had discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in November 1922, it was not until over a year later that the Egyptian pharaoh’s coffin was located inside the burial place. The magnificent stone casket was later opened…

The Lion of Babylon is one of the most striking relics uncovered from the ancient city. Rediscovered in the 19th century, the imposing statue is 2.6 metres long and 1.95 metres high (not including its podium) and can be found in its original location near the ruins of Babylon’s Northern Palace (in modern-day Iraq). It’s believed that the statue dates back 2,600 years, and while some historians originally thought it may have been constructed by Babylon’s ‘great builder’ King Nebuchadnezzar II, it is now more widely accepted that it was actually built by the Hittites, who invaded southern Mesopotamia and sacked Babylon in 1595 BCE. Though many of the features of the magnificent basalt statue have been lost over the centuries, it’s still apparent that the lion is not alone on…

1 LOUVRE PARIS, FRANCE Among the many treasures to be found in the Louvre museum are a number of items dating from ancient Babylonia. Perhaps the most famous piece in the collection is the legendary Code of Hammurabi. Created during the rule of King Hammurabi around 3,800 years ago, the code is a series of 282 laws and is considered one of the earliest written legal texts in the world. The code was discovered in 1901 by Jean-Vincent Scheil and has been in the collections of the Louvre for many years. Tourists with an interest in Babylonia should also seek out the lion frieze that once decorated the walls of the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II. The lion is a symbol often associated with ancient Babylon (hence the famous Lion of…

"Everything I’m interested in is extraordinary"- Charles Ludlam. To Charles Ludlam, the word ‘ridiculous’ described not only his livelihood but also his own unique art form. A force to be reckoned with in the New York ‘Off-off-Broadway’ scene of the late 1960s to mid-1980s, while Ludlam cannot be credited with the creation of ‘ridiculous theatre’ he was arguably its most influential figure. For decades his company delighted audiences with groundbreaking works, recognised by their trademark use of disparate cultural references, drag, humour – and Ludlam himself. But despite his later extravagance, he experienced a somewhat lonely childhood in a quiet New York suburb. Born in Long Island, New York, on 12 April 1943, as a young boy Ludlam largely kept to himself. At an early age he began to develop…

1 Paper It’s hard to imagine a world without paper. It’s an essential resource in almost every aspect of modern life, from supermarket receipts to sensitive government documents. The history of paper is fascinating, and like many great inventions its birthplace was China. It was first crafted in Lei-Yang during the Han dynasty in 105 CE by Ts’ai Lun, a court official. While early humans used rudimentary symbols applied to cave walls, paper enabled widespread communication and record-keeping, transforming how we pass information geographically and between generations. The initial process likely involved the pulping of hemp, waste rag fibres and the bark of mulberry trees, but the Chinese refined the process further, creating textured and coated papers, even innovating insect-resistant materials and the use of plant-based types, specifically from bamboo.…

Over a seven-year period, from 711 to 718, Islamic troops conquered the Iberian Peninsula, and for over 700 years Spain remained under Muslim control. Islamic rule in Spain only ended in 1492 when Boabdil was defeated by the forces of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. One of the many dishes brought over during this period was arroz con leche, a form of rice pudding that became a traditional Iberian delicacy. The dish was then transported by Spanish Conquistadores during their various conquests and can now be found in countries such as Peru and Mexico, as well as other parts of Latin America. Ingredients • 250g long-grain white rice• 2 cinnamon sticks• Zest of 1 lemon• 500ml water• ½ tsp salt• 700ml milk• 100g sugar• Ground cinnamon (to serve) METHOD 01…

1792 BCE HAMMURABI’S CODE During the reign of Hammurabi he establishes a number of laws, and a collection of 210 of these are gathered in the Code of Hammurabi, a document created in 1792 BCE. It is considered the best collection of laws and legislation surviving from the Babylonian period. 605 BCE REIGN OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR II Following the death of his father, Nebuchadnezzar II ascends to throne. During his reign, the Neo-Babylonian Empire reaches its peak and he is considered to have been its greatest leader. He is also thought to have been responsible for the construction of the Hanging Gardens. 331 BCE ALEXANDER THE GREAT ENTERS BABYLON The Macedonian King Alexander the Great enters the city and claims it as the centre of his empire. He orders the crumbling temples to be…

TIGLATH-PILESER III NEO-ASSYRIAN, 729 BCE – 727 BCE King of Assyria Tiglath-Pileser III amalgamated Assyria and Babylonia in 729 BCE having spent his early reign (745 BCE onwards) expanding the Assyrian Empire across Mesopotamia and the Levant. Before his conquest of Babylon, a vassal king (subordinate to the Assyrians) had been ruling. Upon the vassal king’s death a Babylonian revolt saw Tiglath-Pileser III step in, march on Babylon and declare himself king. Shortly afterwards he presided over Babylon’s sacred New Year celebrations. Cyrus the Great Achaemenid, 539 BCE – 530 BCE Cyrus the Great was the legendary Persian king who founded the Achaemenid Empire, which covered much of west and central Asia until its dissolution in 330 BCE. In 539 BCE Cyrus, who originally hailed from Persis in modern-day Iran,…

“Your Majesty, I have brought a deserter from the enemy. He has much to tell of the situation within Zamora.” The king, Sancho II, ruler of Castile and Léon, looked up from the table where he was taking his lunch in a tent, while outside his soldiers continued the siege of the city of Zamora. “Don Rodrigo.” The king smiled. “My champion.” He looked to the man standing beside Rodrigo Diaz, the king’s standard-bearer and commander of the royal troops. “Who are you?” The man glanced to Diaz. “May I speak?” Diaz nodded. “Speak.” “I am Vellido Adolfo, Your Majesty. Queen Urraca has insulted my honour and I can no longer serve her. I come to offer you my sword.” The king looked questioningly at Diaz. “I have taken Don…

In theory, every sovereign rules until they take their last breath, after which the crown seamlessly transfers to the next generation. But throughout history the reality has often been very different – some have been booted out by their subjects, others forced from the throne by foreign powers. A few were the last of their kind, and their nations chose a republican future. Some kings without a kingdom were permitted to live on in exile, but others were given a violent end. From medieval monarchs who fell out with their nobles, to 20th-century kings dethroned by world wars, meet the royals whose crowns slipped from their heads. EDWARD II Red-hot rebellion England, 1307–27 When Edward II acceded to the throne, royal relationships with England’s powerful nobles were already strained. Unfortunately,…

On 6 June 1944, the long-anticipated Allied assault on occupied France took place along an 80km front – however the amphibious landings were confined to roughly 19km of beaches across five areas. One of the smallest landing areas was the easternmost, where the British 3rd Infantry Division would land on Queen White and Red beaches alongside the town of Ouistreham. Sword Beach would be a tough nut to crack. The beach itself was well defended by the formidable stützpunkt 20, codenamed strongpoint Cod by the British, a significant company-sized fortification and the largest single strongpoint on all five Normandy beaches. To the east widerstandsnest 18 (Skate) was equipped with a 75mm anti-tank gun that could fire down the length of the beach, while widerstandsnest 21 (Trout) a little to the…

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN A stylish yet flawed portrayal of Bob Dylan’s meteoric rise to stardom Certificate: 15 Creator: James Mangold Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Monica Barbaro, Edward Norton Released: Out now Following on from his 2013 Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line, director James Mangold returns to the world of music with this take on the revolutionary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Based on the 2015 book Bob Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald, the film ostensibly tells the story of Dylan’s initial rise to fame as a folk singer, beginning with his arrival in New York in 1961 and ending with his controversial appearance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. It depicts his clashes with the folk music community, who initially welcomed him but later resisted his move to electric guitar, as…