Seneca (writing 62-65 AD) classifies the thunderbolt alongside torches and shooting stars as "fire squeezed out of the air" (ignis aere expressus). He views them as transient, fleeting events caused by physical "defects" or pressures in the atmosphere rather than spontaneous divine whims.

Palazzo Senatorio  (Senatorial Palace) with statues of Castor (left) and Pollux (right) at the top of the stairs to the Campidoglio, Rome, Italy. The giant sculptures of the Dioscuri were originally made in the 2nd century CE and discovered in 1561 at the Temple of Castor and Pollux near Circus Flaminius. They were restored in 1582 under Pope Gregory XIII and placed here in 1582-1583. The year 96 BCE sat quietly between crises—but it should not be mistaken for calm. The death

Imagine a crisp, golden-fried pastry crescent, similar to a Karanji  or Gujiya , filled with a decadent mixture of crushed nuts, sugar, and rare perfumes like musk, served hot from the Sultan's kitchen. Maybe I am just hungry today - we will eventually get to a coin. The Dough:  Made from Rice flour and Ghee (for a melt-in-the-mouth texture). The Filling:  A blend of Almond flour, Charoli nuts, roasted Chickpea flour, Sugar, and spices (Cardamom, Fennel, Musk). Then deep fri

By the 3rd century BC, the geopolitical landscape had fractured. Alexander the Great was dead, and his Successors (the Diadochi) were tearing his empire apart. In this chaos, the independent city-state (polis) was no longer enough to ensure survival.