In ancient Athens following the democratic reforms of 403 BC, the governing bodies that set legislative agendas, handled daily administration, and adopted new laws were selected by lottery

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Aristotle characterized democratic government appointments as functioning by lottery and oligarchic appointments as functioning by election

The ancient Athenian General Assembly possessed the power to declare war and pass resolutions, but did not hold the constitutional authority to enact new laws

The division of the world into continents began in Europe with the ancient Greek historian Herodotus approximately 2,500 years ago

Herodotus identified three continents: Europe, Asia (which primarily meant Persia), and Libya (which is now called Africa)

The ancient Greeks defined the cardinal signs of inflammation as redness, swelling, soreness, and loss of function

The pre-Socratic Greek thinker Democritus stated that all that exists is atoms and the void

Drogue stones were used by ancient Greeks and Romans to stabilize boats in rocky water

The ancient Greeks used oracles to predict the future

Ancient Greeks would read a sheep's liver to determine if it was a good time to start a war

The earliest form of Greek writing was a syllabic system called Linear B

The Greeks adapted the Phoenician alphabet by adding symbols for vowels

After a period of illiteracy, Greece adopted a new writing system derived from the Phoenician alphabet

After the time of the Trojan War, the use of the Linear B writing system disappeared from Greece for several centuries

The Greek epic 'The Odyssey' is a work of mythology that includes fantastical creatures like a cyclops.

Upon Agamemnon's return from Troy, his wife Clytemnestra and her lover murder him.

Greek myths like the Odyssey served as both art and a medium for communicating wisdom and moral truths.

In the myth, Poseidon only learns Odysseus blinded his son Polyphemus after Odysseus shouts his own name.

Odysseus's feigned madness was exposed when he swerved his plow to avoid harming his infant son, Telemachus.

In some versions of the myth, Odysseus leaves home again for another campaign shortly after his return.

In the myth, the Sirens' song tells a person exactly what they want to hear.