Julius Caesar was one of Rome’s most famous and powerful leaders. He ruled the city over 2,000 years ago, using his political skills and military might to help Rome grow and prosper. While the people of Rome adored Julius Caesar, many of his peers envied him, and their jealousy eventually led to Caesar’s downfall. Listen to hear how Julius Caesar rose to the top of the Roman Empire, and learn how his achievements still influence our lives today.
Story Length: 5:30
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Understanding and tracking time is key to keeping society -- and our lives -- running smoothly. Early civilizations developed calendars with just 300 days in a year. But by 1582, the time it takes for Earth to rotate around the sun was better understood, and Pope Gregory introduced the 365-day Gregorian calendar -- the one used by most of the world today. Listen to hear a scientist explain the math behind adding and subtracting leap days to keep the calendar aligned with the Earth’s movement, and learn how Christianity played a role in the calendar’s creation.
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Galileo Galilei is known as the “father of modern science.” Fascinated by gravity, motion, and the movement of heavenly bodies, Galileo’s work influences how we understand our own world and the solar system. His contributions include improving the accuracy of telescopes and adding to our understanding of gravity and, most famously, our knowledge that the earth, and other planets, revolve around the sun. The latter claim would make Galileo famous and controversial in 16th century Italy. Listen to learn about the story of Galileo Galilei and why he was sentenced to prison for his revolutionary scientific ideas.
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The roots of today’s global society reach back over 2,500 years, to Athens and Sparta, two powerful city-states of ancient Greece. The two states, though geographically close, differed greatly in their societal structure and values. Athens was the center of the “golden age” of ancient Greece, an era that produced magnificent buildings, lasting works of philosophy and literature, and an early form of democracy. Sparta, a more rigid, disciplined culture, made advances in military science. Listen to learn how rivalries between the two city-states led to warfare, and how the values of Athens and Sparta are relevant today.
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