Welcome to Ancient History Facts. Here you'll find a treasure trove of information on all things historic, from Ancient Greece to Ancient Egypt, and all places in between. As time goes on, you'll find interesting tidbits about the people and places of the ancient world. My name is Christine Senter, and I've been a freelance writer for more than 20 years. However, I've been a fan of ancient history much longer than that. I became interested in the ancient world as a child when I went to see a lecture on King Tut. Unlike most children that can't sit still for more than a minute at a time, I was completely taken in by the world of the boy king, and I've spent years since then learning everything I could about ancient societies. If you have any questions or suggestions about this site, or any of the topics covered here, please feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear from you.

Around 350 BC, the king of Halicarnassus passed away and was entered in to one of the most elaborate tombs ever made, the Mausoleum of Maussollos. In fact, this is where we get the term Mausoleum today. The mausoleum was built by the Queen, Artemisia. Not only was she his wife, but she was also his sister. In her grief over his passing, she had the most beautiful tomb built for her husband that the world had seen up to that point. The tomb was so opulent, that it was written about by many ancient historians, and was deemed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Halicarnassus lies in what is now modern day Turkey. The tomb of Maussollos stood firm until the 13th century when it succumbed to an earthquake. Then, in the late 1400's, the Knights of St. John used the remaining stones in construction of their castle. Today, little remains of this once grand mortuary.

  Ancient Greeks believed in a pantheon of gods and goddesses, and relied upon them for all their worldly needs. However, everyone from the lowest slaves to the highest kings all relied upon one woman to foretell their futures; the Oracle of Delphi. Though there were many women who held this title, they were all combined into one category. The oracle was seated in a special room in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Archaeologists have found that there was a fissure in the rocks that allowed volcanic gases to rise and surround the oracle which induced hallucinations. These hallucinations led to the answers that she gave to those who sought her guidance, and led to some of the biggest decisions made in the ancient world.

  When we think of the term "Boy King", most people instantly think of King Tut. However, there are many "boy kings" throughout the history of the world. King Tut wasn’t the only boy king of the ancient Egyptians. Pharaoh Pepe II ruled Egypt for more than 60 years, after ascending to the throne at the age of 6. In ancient Rome, Gordian III was named Emperor in 238 AD, at the age of 13. King Joash ruled the kingdom of Judah for 37 years, after taking his rightful place as ruler at the tender age of 7. King Alexander III of Scotland was born in 1241 AD and became king only 8 years later. Though they were only figureheads until they were old enough to rule on their own, many of histories great civilizations were ruled by boy kings.

  The Roman emperor, Caligula , was one of the most corrupt leaders of the Roman world. After the death of his father, and the banishment of his mother and brothers, Caligula and his sisters were sent to live with the emperor, Tiberius. This emperor was famous for his wild parties, orgies, and his sadistic ways. Caligula turned to his sister, Drusilla, for companionship and soon fell in love with her. After the death of Tiberius, Caligula became co-emperor along side Tiberius’ grandson, who was killed not long after. He was a good ruler at first, but after a near-death illness, the emperor became deranged and cruel. He had slaves tortured while he ate, and soon began dressing and presenting himself as a living god. He was assassinated by his own soldiers in 41 AD.