John Hale

American and Athenian religious belief

Fascinating numbers in this Harris poll on 21st-century Americans’ beliefs about ghosts, astrology, witches, and other supernatural phenomena. For example: 73% believe in miracles. 61% believe in a devil. 40% believe in ghosts. 25% believe in astrology. And so on, with interesting breakdowns of the data based on sex, political affiliation, and amount of education. […]

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Facial hair and philosophers

“In Athens haircuts and hairstyles had social and political implications. Aristocratic horsemen still wore long braids and gold hairpins. The common man (and the politicians who spoke for him) preferred a short cut, though not quite a crew cut. The customer sat on a low stool, his body draped in a sheet to catch the shorn locks. The barber then cropped and curled the hair, anointed the head with scented oil, and trimmed the beard to a neat point. (At Athens any man with a long unkempt bead ran the risk of being mistaken for a philosopher).”

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