Rome experienced some of its greatest economic and cultural dynamism under Nero's rule, and yet he's called everything from a ...

Nero, who ruled from A.D. 54 to 68, is often remembered as one of history’s most notorious emperors, his reputation steeped ...

As National Geographic reimagines its iconic headquarters for the 21st century, here’s a look back at its history as a base for both Cold War spies and the Society’s own Explorers.

From emperors and conspiracies to gladiatorial games and daily life—see how well you know the empire that shaped the ancient ...

Photograph by Werner Forman, GTRES This story appears in the January/February 2017 issue of National Geographic History magazine. Mesopotamia—“the land between two rivers”—gave birth to ...

Scientists were surprised to find a medieval metropolis atop mountains, providing new insights into life along the ancient trade route. “This changes everything we thought we knew.” ...

This story appears in the March/April 2017 issue of National Geographic History magazine. Throughout history, small states have come out of nowhere, and rapidly become great powers. This was the ...