ancient Greek buildings painted pigments Renaissance white ruins

Ancient Greek buildings were once brightly painted

Many ancient Greek buildings were originally covered with bright colors. Most of the paint slowly disappeared with age and weather. Renaissance artists saw the white ruins that remained and mistook them for the buildings' original appearance, helping make plain white seem classically Greek.

Slavery persisted despite legal bans

~40 million people

In 2019, an estimated 40 million people worldwide were enslaved, even though slavery was illegal in every country. Children made up 26% of that total.

France created a government with no easy way out of a deadlock

After the French Revolution, France created a government called the Directory. Its leaders could not simply call new elections, while lawmakers could block their plans. When the two sides became stuck, the system had few peaceful ways to solve the conflict, so the government repeatedly turned to decrees and the army.

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ancient Greek buildings painted pigments Renaissance white ruins

Ancient Greek buildings were once brightly painted

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