This hooked metal tool was called a “strigil” by Ancient Romans. Centuries ago, such instruments were used in the process of bathing: you would scrape dirt, sweat, and the ubiquitous Mediterranean olive oil off your skin with it before your bath.
The cities of the Ancient Roman Empire harbored a density of populations that humans hadn’t naturally developed to accommodate. However, urban planners evolved sophisticated strategies…
Clio was the Ancient muse of history, and this painting by the 17th-century Dutch artist Johannes Moreelse has the saucy expression that comes from being…
