Many people expect their heroes to be perfect, but even heroic people have flaws. Our ancestors knew this, and the heroic protagonists of their legends weren’t infallible. By bringing their heroes down to a more human level, the idea of doing heroic acts also became more attainable. Courageous acts and noble qualities weren’t just for gods and goddesses, real people did brave things and had morals and virtues as well.
Discover new perspective on the stories of familiar names such as Joan of Arc, King Arthur, and Alexander the Great. Were the voices that Joan of Arc heard of divine or neurological origin? Was King Arthur’s story elevated to the extent that he became a British messiah? We also question whether the famous Alexander was really so great. Times and cultures change and evolve, and, as we find out in this issue, sometimes a hero becomes a villain.
Finally, we explore two amazing ancient sites; one with a tragic story and the other a story of hope and revival. Read the tale of the Peking Man site filled with political drama, international alliances, and mysterious deaths and disappearances. Then discover the amazing past and bright future for the ancient Mesopotamian site of Girsu with an exclusive interview with Dr. Sébastien Rey, the curator for ancient Mesopotamia at the British Museum and director of the Girsu Project in Iraq.
