Patricia Claus

The Serapeum at Alexandria. The building was used by the Library of Alexandria for extra storage of parchment scrolls after it ran out of space. The area is now a part of an archeological excavation. Credit:  /CC BY-SA 4.0 The ancient Library of Alexandria, built in the city that was the brainchild of Alexander the Great, was one of the greatest wonders of the world, hosting scholars who explored science, history and all other areas of knowledge before its tragic destruction.

A fresco from the 15th century BC showing the gymnastic feat of leaping over a bull. Heraklion, Crete. The scene is almost replicated today, showing how early tests such as this played a part in the history of gymnastics. Credit: Jebulon/CC0 Gymnastics is the gravity-defying sport, whose roots stretch, like so many other things, back to Ancient Greece.

Medusa, one of the most feared figures in Greek mythology, as portrayed by Rubens. Credit: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Bilddatenbank/Public Domain The representation of females in Greek mythology, including the Gorgon Medusa, has often included frightening images and ideas showing men’s fear of female power and their need to control or even destroy this power. Like the monsters Scylla and Charybdis, as well as the Sphinx, Medusa, the “Gorgon,” was born from the gods herself.