- 5/26/2025
Journey into the shadows of classical antiquity as we explore the most enigmatic and unsettling mysteries that have puzzled historians for millennia. From unexplained disappearances to cryptic rituals and mysterious deaths, these ancient Greek puzzles continue to baffle experts and fascinate history enthusiasts.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo! Today we're going back to the era of classical antiquity,
00:12where we'll be discussing spooky mysteries the ancient Greeks left for historians to solve.
00:16I'm not a fan of dark underground spaces, but it is worth coming down here.
00:21Number 10. What Killed Alexander the Great?
00:25Yes, come. Come to Babylon. I await you, your own loving son.
00:34The ancient king of Macedon became one of the most famous humans in history,
00:38and one of the most successful conquerors ever. He did all this before the age of 32,
00:43when he died under suspicious circumstances. No one has any real concrete idea about how he died,
00:49but two separate versions of Alexander's death in Babylon exist, both slightly different.
00:54He's not really counting on dying so early, so there's a power vacuum, and all of his generals want to grab as much land and as much legitimacy as possible.
01:06Both agree he got ill after some partying and then died a few days later.
01:11Macedonians had some pretty bloody tendencies, so there's a high chance that he was poisoned by his enemies.
01:17Not everyone subscribes to this theory, with some instead thinking it was simply natural causes.
01:22I never believed in his dream. None of us did. That's the truth of his life.
01:31Number 9. Art and Architecture of the Parthenon.
01:34There's no question that the harmony of the building, which is clearly one of its most visible characteristics,
01:40is dependent upon a certain mathematical system of proportion.
01:43The Parthenon has sat for more than 2,500 years, towering atop the Acropolis of Athens.
01:49We know it used to be a temple to Athena, but this is one of the few concrete facts we have about the building.
01:54Some think it may also have been a treasury or a political symbol.
01:57One of the biggest mysteries is the temple's two inner chambers, which have puzzled historians who can't figure out their purpose.
02:04Although most of the interior of the Parthenon has decayed due to the ravages of time, the rectangular symmetry of its exterior looks flawless.
02:14It was also built ridiculously fast, being completed in less than 15 years.
02:19Its architects, Ictynos and Callicrates, are also elusive figures.
02:23Their mathematical mastery is shown in their structures, implying they were philosophers, but that's about all we know of them.
02:30The story he wants to tell is depicted in the frieze itself, which shows an important Athenian religious procession.
02:37But only about 50% of the original frieze survives today.
02:41Number 8. The Creators of the Two Constitutions of the Athenians.
02:45The center of public life was the agora, or marketplace.
02:50Here, citizens met to debate political affairs, which were all important to them.
02:55Two works, both known as the Constitution of the Athenians, exist.
02:59One attributed to Xenophon, and the other to Aristotle.
03:02Well, that's who people say wrote them anyway.
03:04Both discuss the organization and society of ancient Athens.
03:08Scholars call the first document's author the Old Oligarch after Xenophon's involvement was disputed.
03:14What some consider its highly sarcastic tone causes debate over whether it was satire or not.
03:20The second document is attributed to Aristotle, but this is similarly debated.
03:24It could have been a team effort, or written by one of his students, or maybe even a compilation of his notes.
03:30It was lost for centuries, found in Egypt in 1890 on a piece of papyrus, making us wonder if similar documents are to be found.
03:39Number 7.
03:40Eleusinian Mysteries.
03:42Every year, the cult of Demeter and Persephone held secret religious ceremonies in ancient Elefcina.
03:48The specifics of these ceremonies were a closely guarded secret, and as such, they have baffled historians for centuries.
03:55If initiates revealed the secrets, the penalty was death.
03:58This means not a single ancient source exists that broke this rule, as they were terrified of capital punishment.
04:05Writers do talk about their importance, though, leading scholars to come up with a handful of theories.
04:10For instance, they drank a special potion called kykion, which has been theorized to contain hallucinogenic substances.
04:17Despite thousands of people getting initiated, with such little physical evidence, we're left to simply scratch our heads and wonder.
04:24Number 6.
04:25The Life of Thespis.
04:27Athens had invented drama, but how would this innovative and democratically charged art form fare in the new world that followed Athens' defeat?
04:37The inventor of tragedy is widely regarded as the founding father of acting.
04:42Legends claim he was the first person to act as a character in front of an audience.
04:47Not just one, but multiple, all himself, but with different masks.
04:51This bold new style of entertainment would later become known as a tragedy.
04:55Alongside this, he supposedly toured across the Greek world, being the first touring artist, long before the Beatles.
05:02Theatre began the century as a place of biting and pointed political commentary, and more than that, as the obvious choice, as a rallying point for democratic revolution.
05:12Unfortunately, zero contemporary sources of him seem to exist.
05:17Additionally, none of his plays or scripts survive, with a few titles attributed to him being considered later inventions.
05:24Thus, scholars are uncertain if he existed or if he is entirely imaginary.
05:29Legend has it that Thespis invented theatre when he stepped away from a chorus of dancers and singers to speak to them.
05:37Number 5. How did the Pythia make predictions?
05:40Remarkably, almost nothing factual is known about the women who served as oracles and whose prophecies guided ancient Greece.
05:49The Temple of Apollo resided in Delphi, and at its head was the High Priestess, or the Pythia, also known as the Oracle of Delphi.
05:57She was famous for making cryptic prophecies, but no one had any idea how she did it.
06:02Some scholars believe she delivered them intelligibly, talking in her natural voice.
06:06Others claim she entered a frenzy, talking in poetic riddles.
06:10Ancient records tell of mystical, sweet-smelling vapours rising from the Earth, putting the Pythia under Apollo's spell.
06:18Not a single detailed account of the process has been discovered, so we have no confirmation.
06:23One theory, based on geology, says natural gases rose from a chasm beneath the Temple.
06:29These sweet-smelling vapours could have caused a trance-like state.
06:33But not everyone agrees, so we're left to simply guess.
06:36Number 4.
06:49The Minotaur Labyrinth
06:51Prince Theseus, the son of the King of Athens, was determined to end the contract.
06:57And by killing the Minotaur, win the love of his father.
07:01One of Greek mythology's most famous creatures is undeniably the Minotaur.
07:06With the body of a man, but the head of a bull, he lived deep in the elaborate mazes of the Labyrinth.
07:11Eventually, Theseus managed to slay the demon, but not before it claimed tons of sacrifices.
07:16No one has any clue if the Labyrinth existed, or if it was simply a fabrication.
07:21It's generally said to have been on Crete, but no such site has been found.
07:31As such, some scholars think it was simply metaphorical.
07:34A representation of the subconscious mind, or being trapped in a foreign land.
07:48Number 3.
07:49The Destruction of the Statue of Zeus
07:51Zeus was the Greek Pantheon's big cheese, and as such, he deserved a grand statue in Olympia.
08:04It was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built in about 435 BCE,
08:09then destroyed centuries later by the end of the 6th century CE, perhaps earlier.
08:14Two stories exist about how it met its demise.
08:16The first comes from a medieval Roman historian, Georgios Kedronos, who says it was relocated to Constantinople, then perished in a fire in 475 CE.
08:23The second story says it was destroyed in its original home by 425 CE.
08:29We'll likely never know where it ended up, unless archaeologists amazingly dig it up somewhere.
08:49The sculptor may be criticized for not having appreciated the correct proportions.
08:54He has shown Zeus seated, so we have the impression that if Zeus moved to stand up, he would unroof the temple.
09:02Number 2.
09:03The Mycenaean Civilization's End
09:06The Mycenaean Civilization was so advanced that later generations couldn't get their heads around how citadels like this were built.
09:14The first mainland Greek civilization in human history was the Mycenaeans, developing during the Bronze Age, and then gradually declining over 700 years of history.
09:23Despite their lengthy existence, we have little understanding of their decline.
09:27Within a few decades, their major centers of trade collapsed, with no record of who or what destroyed them.
09:33Nine different cities, one built upon the ruins of another, emerged from the excavation.
09:40All we have are ruins and vague clues, causing scholars to propose several causes.
09:45None explain everything, but examples of proposed causes include an invasion, natural disasters, or an internal collapse.
09:53The most likely explanation is that it was a complex cascade of events, rather than just one specific thing.
09:59Had Mycenaean's golden riches, recorded by Homer, been spared the ravages of time?
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10:20Number 1.
10:22The Greek Dark Ages
10:24Archaeologists call this period, from 1200 down to 800 BC, the Greek Dark Age, since so few hallmarks of civilization have been found.
10:36So after the Mycenaeans fell, the Greek Dark Ages began, spanning almost four centuries.
10:41It's a blank spot between two vibrant civilizations, with historians still trying to figure out what happened.
10:47Writing experienced a massive decline, which means we have virtually no sources from the period.
10:52From the Bronze Age collapse in about 1200 BC, and for hundreds of years through the Dark Age,
10:58people passed the stories down orally from generation to generation.
11:03Towns shrunk, some vanishing entirely, monumental buildings disappeared, and art declined massively.
11:10By 800 BCE, Greece started to bounce back, so we know the people endured, just not their culture.
11:16There's no evidence of kings, empires, battles, or organized states.
11:20A massive contrast to the vibrant Greece of antiquity.
11:24Soon, it will be your time.
11:28And my time for what?
11:31The fight against evil never ends, Akamas. War is coming to the heavens.
11:37Which mystery would you like to see solved the most? Let us know in the comments below.
11:42There is no time when the light on civilization and society is completely extinguished.
11:47There are always glimmers somewhere.
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