Buttons and Blame

Pierre-François Hugues, known as ‘baron d’Hancarville’ (Nancy 1719 – Padua 1805) was an art historian and historian of ideas. Pierre Francois Hugues was born in 1719 at Nancy, France, the son of a bankrupt cloth-merchant. He himself later added the title of ‘baron d’Hancarville’ to his name. Read:  Cruel Boy (A Dark High School Bully […]

Fiona Richmond (born 2 March 1945, Hilborough, Norfolk, England) is a former glamour model and actress. She became a British sex symbol in the 1970s for her appearances in numerous risqué plays, comedy revues, magazines and films. Richmond was born Julia Rosamund Harrison in Hilborough, Norfolk, the daughter of the Reverend John Harrison.[1] Read:  Enthralled […]

Sotades (Greek: Σωτάδης; 3rd century BC) was an Ancient Greek poet. Sotades was born in Maroneia,[1] either the one in Thrace, or in Crete. He lived in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BC). The city was at that time a remarkable center of learning, with a great deal of artistic and […]

Daniel Defoe (/dɪˈfoʊ/; c. 1660 – 24 April 1731),[1] born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, which is second only to the Bible in its number of translations.[2] He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English […]

According to late Greek sources on classical mythology, Astyanassa (Ancient Greek: Ἀστυάνασσα) was Helen of Troy’s maid. The 10th century scholar Photius, citing Ptolemy Chennus, mentions the story that Aphrodite lent her magical embroidered band (kestos himas) to Helen, to ensure that Paris would fall in love with her, and that Astyanassa stole it.[1] The […]