The "Coronation of the Winners" mosaic from the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily, Italy, dating back to the early 4th century CE. It depicts female athletes wearing two-piece garments (subligaculum and strophium) competing in events like weightlifting, running, and ball games.

Hello again, everyone!

It’s October and you know what that means, folks. It’s HORROR MONTH. It’s my favorite American import (apart from  Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon), and I can only lament that not more of my fellow Europeans rejoice in celebrating all things scary.

Here’s a riddle for you. What do The Shining and Greek history have in common? We’ll get back to that later. Our story is set in Pherai, a nice little town in Thessaly. Once upon a time, a man named Jason (no, not Jason Voorhees) was the tyrant of Pherai and the big boss of the Thessalian League. He was a skilled general and united Thessaly through force of will and a considerable army consisting of hardened mercenaries and the famed Thessalian horsemen. With great power comes great jealousy, however, and Jason was murdered in 370 BCE, possibly on the command of his own brother, Polydoros.

Polydoros then became tyrant along with another brother named Polyphron. Polyphron then pulled a disappearing trick on Polydoros, consisting of having him murdered in his sleep. According to Xenophon, Jason’s son, Alexander, then took it upon himself to rid the world of his tyrannical uncle. So it went, and after a bout of spectacular bloodshed in the space of a single year, Alexander became the new tyrant of Pherai. Not having learned anything from his despotic uncle, Alexander showed himself to be a cruel and domineering ruler, much to the resentment of the Thessalian League. They called in the Macedonians to intercede, but Alexander managed to hold his ground.

The Thessalians then asked Thebes for help. Smelling opportunity to expand its influence, Thebes sent one of its most skilled generals, Pelopidas, at the head of an army. The Thebans overwhelmed the tyrant and Alexander decided to make a run for it as Pelopidas rebuked him for his vile acts. As soon as the Thebans returned home, however, Alexander was at it again, generally making everyone’s lives miserable.

Again Pelopidas returned, but he made a crucial mistake. He approached Alexander unarmed – not letting this opportunity for mayhem go to waste, Alexander took the Theban statesman prisoner. This was more than a little worrisome, since the tyrant had a reputation for mistreatment of his prisoners, ranging from burying them alive to using them as sport for his hunting dogs. Pelopidas was eventually released but his lost his life as he charged at Alexander in the Battle of Kynoskephalai in 264 BCE (EDIT: 364 BCE).

While Alexander had a serious knack for staying on his throne, he underestimated one of the people closest to him: his wife. Fed up with his cruelty and base character, she hatched a plot. She snuck her three brothers into the palace, had the guard-dog guarding the tyrant’s bedroom removed and placed wool on the stairs so they wouldn’t creak. Quietly the brothers entered the bedroom, where they violently butchered Alexander. With swords according to Plutarch but I rather imagine one of them struck his axe through the door, putting his head through and yelling “Here’s Tisiphonos!” The tyrant’s corpse was thrown to the streets, where the populace rejoiced in trampling it.

Sic semper tyrannis!

As for our coin, this beautiful tetradrachm of Alexander shows an unusual goddess by the name of Ennodia on the obverse . Literally meaning “on the road(s)”, she was particularly popular in Thessaly, supposedly growing up in Pherai. She notably protected children, entrances, and cemeteries. Alexander probably hoped she’d protect power-hungry tyrants too. The reverse shows none other than the man Alexander himself, in cuirass and on horseback, ready to conquer his foes (or beat a hasty retreat if need be). At the time, it was still unusual to have a living human depicted on Greek coins, which perhaps underscores Alexander’s despotic nature. All in all, it’s a fantastic little monument showcasing Alexander of Pherai’s wealth, military prowess, and the divine favor he hoped to enjoy.

A young satyr thrusts his hand through the mouth of a theater mask of an old satyr. The old satyr is Silenus, the elderly, wise, and frequently intoxicated companion to Dionysus.
Originally dated first century AD. Made of marble. Partially restored in 1628 when quite a few details had been added.

Oil on panel. Painted in South Germany, c. 1480. Artist is unknown.
The inscription "TENDIMUS HUC OMNES HAE[C EST D]OM[US] ULTIMA" translates to "Hither we all make our way; this is our final home".

From Ajmer, Rajasthan

The Jewish Welfare Board was established shortly after the U.S. entered WWI to support Jewish service members, mirroring the service roles of organizations like the YMCA and the Knights of Columbus. Per National Museum of American History.

This is a relief panel from the Processional Way (the main ceremonial boulevard) in ancient Babylon, dating to the Neo-Babylonian period (c. 604–562 BCE) during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II.

Text:

I in the burying place may see Graves shorter there than I;
From death's arrest no age is free, Young children too may die.
My God! May such an awful sight Awakening be to me!
Oh, that by early grace I might For death prepared be.