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DiscoveryBox No.264 - Ancient Greek exploits

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e v o s di c B Xry HISTORY SCIENCE WORLD NATURE DB264_P01_Cover indd 1 15 3 2022 11 47 AM

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2 Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text and illustrations Corcal

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discoBveXry The Greeks seafarers and warriors chose to live without any king Instead their citizens shared power between themselves In other words they invented democracy And their philosophers spent their time pondering how to find happiness They asked themselves questions that are still relevant to us 2 500 years later DiscoveryBox takes you on a voyage to sunny Ancient Greece Issue no264 June 2022 HISTORY DOC s yBox Lab Discover At the heart of Greek mythology Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Illustrations Ricard Efa doodleDOC Photos Rebecca Josset experiment Doug Perrine BluePlanetArchive wildlife Jo l Corcia spotlight Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Cover Illustration Jo l Corcia EXPERIMENT How does a wall stay up Page 40 WORLD The adventures of Odysseus Page 25 A voyage to Ancient Greece Page 8 And also A dive with tee mana e h t Page 38 Newsflash Page 4 All your questions Page 6 Investigate Page 20 Mystery photo Page 43 Games Page 44 Quiz Page 46 3

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NEWSFLASH S G N I M I N M I W WHERE IN THE WORLD UNITED KINGDOM Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Aude Loyer Hasco t Photo Amer Ghazzal Shutterstock SIPA London 4 Funny looking frogs It must be breathtaking to swim in this transparent swimming pool Located in London on the tenth floor between two buildings the swimming pool is made from acrylic a very strong and durable plastic Only certain inhabitants of this residence have access to the pool But in case you find yourself in the neighbourhood don t forget to look up You may well see some funny looking frogs above you

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N THE SKY 5

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ALL YOUR QUESTIONS Why are farts smelly Max 11 years old Our intestines are home to more than 100 000 bacteria These bacteria help us to digest and absorb nutrients from the food we eat These gut bacteria are helpful to us so our bodies let them live when two organisms can coexist and benefit this way it s called symbiosis These bacteria also produce gases that build up at the end of our intestines and need to be released PO Photo Aleksej stock adobe com The smell comes from these gases and how it smells depends on what the gas is made of which varies according to the foods we eat The worst smelling farts contain a gas called hydrogen sulphide It is produced most when we eat cabbage eggs or meat On average each person farts between 10 and 20 times a day How did Apollo 11 get its number Alan 8 years old This space mission was numbered 11 because it was the 11th mission of the space program called Apollo whose goal was to land on and explore the Moon This mission was accomplished in 1969 thanks to Neil Armstrong the first man to set foot on the Moon 6 OT Why do lice make our heads itchy Paul 11 years old Lice live on our heads They like it there because it s warm and their favourite food our blood is plentiful To feed they prick our skin and inject their saliva which makes our heads very itchy

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Why is lightning attracted to metal When was football invented Antoine 11 years old Eliott 10 years old This means that it is a brief intense electric current Metal is an excellent conductor of electricity a far better conductor than air So when electricity wants to travel to the ground it prefers to take the fastest path possible Since going through a metallic object is faster than air lightning will try to travel through the nearest tall metallic object that s connected to the ground Football was invented in the 19th century in England by students Originally every university had its own rules Later the sport developed to such an extent that the English Football Association was set up in 1863 This body set the same rules for everyone Today football is the world s most widely practised sport Franck Fife AFP M G Lopp NOAA Wikimedia Lightning is an electric discharge What do dogs dream about Delia 9 years old obe com stock ad DoraZett Photo It s hard to tell exactly but US scientists have shown that mammals such as dogs dream about the situations they have experienced during the day just like humans do It also turns out that the size of a dog determines the length of its dreams When a chihuahua sleeps it will have a series of short dreams whereas a big dog will have fewer but longer dreams Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Pascale Bouchi Aude Loyer Hasco t Pauline Payen Fr d rique Schneider Illustrations No lle Letzelter Info nextmars com stock adobe com dog ANIMAL QUESTION 7

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ON HISTORY A voyage to Let s wind back the clock to 6BCE to discover Ancient Greek civilisation known for its warriors beautiful art and rich culture CITIES OF THE GREEK WORLD Black Sea GREECE Colonies Major cities Sparta Corinth Athens Olympia Medit erranean Sea Ancient Greece was made up of numerous city states or polis such as Athens Corinth and Sparta These cities were independent of one another each had its own government laws currency There were also many colonies cities set up by the Greeks outside their territory 8

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o Ancient Greece Athens was one of Greece s most powerful cities It developed and grew rich thanks to trade conducted through its fortified port Piraeus the largest port on the Mediterranean Sea 9

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Seafarers and warriors The lives of the Greeks revolved around the Mediterranean Sea When powerful cities such as Athens and Sparta went to war against one another the combats often took place on the sea The Peloponnesian War lasted for nearly 30 years It pitted Athens and Sparta against each other and all of their respective allies The trireme is a big warship It takes 170 rowers organised into three lines to operate this boat The Spartans trained for battle all their lives They were the best soldiers in Greece At sea to Expand their territory As the centuries passed the Greeks grew in numbers They ran out of space within their territory so they conquered new territories and founded new cities This is how they spread their influence all over the Mediterranean 10 Travel and trade Greece is a mountainous country hard to get around or grow crops in So boats were a vital means of transport that allowed them to trade goods conveniently The Greeks imported wheat and wood and exported oil wine jewellery and pottery

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A Greek citizen s primary duty was to defend his city All young men went through military training Big eyes decorate the hull of most Greek boats to protect the crew from bad luck The battle tactic is simple destroy the hull of the enemy boat using the spike at the front of the vessel Pirates sighted Greek ships loaded with goods were often targeted by pirates Some people became pirates as a means to survive because they were not able to make a living otherwise During wartime sometimes cities encouraged their inhabitants to loot enemy ships Goods were transported in convoys of up to 250 boats to protect the cargo 11

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At the heart of the city All Greek cities were organised around a large public square called an agora Let s visit the agora in Athens Democracy was born in Greece The citizens who took part in the city s political life made up 10 of the population They were all men and they governed in the name of the people The agora is a meeting place at the centre of the city The Greeks gathered here to talk debate shop The women belonged to their husband s social class They had no political rights of their own Small shops and artisan workshops line the edges of the agora a baker a shoemaker a fishmonger a potter a barber At home Busy women In wealthy families women seldom ever left their homes but they were kept very busy They would oversee their children s education household tasks slaves the budget and weave wool Only poor women would work as nannies or vendors at the market 12 The children s education Until the age of 7 children stayed at home with their mothers After that boys learned to read write and count in private schools Meanwhile girls were introduced to household chores Poor children and slaves had to work Boys helped with work in the fields and girls became servants

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Religion is a big part of life in Ancient Greece The Acropolis a fortified district held the city s main religious buildings Slaves and foreigners were considered non citizens Slaves were not free but belonged to a master Bread was a staple food along Most Greeks would fetch water from public fountains These were supplied by springs or canals that brought water from neighbouring mountains How do Greeks live at home The bedrooms are furnished with a bed a chair and a trunk to store bedding To wash a small tub is used at home or people can go to the public baths An inner courtyard gives access to the different rooms with fish and cheese Food and drinks were preserved in barrels and storage jars called amphorae The gynaeceum is a room specially for women and children To cook food a small fire is lit on the floor The andron is a room specially for men where they eat and receive guests 13

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Let s go to the theatre The theatre played an important role in Greek life Whether rich or poor male or female citizens or slaves everyone enjoyed gathering here to be entertained Originally Greek theatre had links with religion Performances were held to mark religious festivals At the theatre shows were either tragedies dealing with serious themes or comedies that used humour to criticise politics and society Three actors played all the roles they would change masks and costumes to play different characters A rich and varied culture Great thinkers The Greeks sought to understand the world by observing and analysing their surroundings This is how they gave birth to philosophy They made advances in medicine and also developed sciences and mathematics Their findings are still useful to us today 2 000 years later 14 Talented architects Greek structures were built according to very precise mathematical calculations The columns were made from whole blocks of stone The Greeks decorated buildings with bright colours marble statues and engraved frontons

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The seating was arranged in All Greek theatres were open air and built on hillsides to help the actors voices carry further distances rows in a semi circle shape Some theatres were so large that they could hold thousands of spectators The chorus stays in the stalls a type of circular floor area Its role is to comment on the story being acted onstage Plays could last up to Keen athletes The Greeks believed that sport developed courage beauty and agility They practised wrestling running gymnastics long jump discus and javelin throwing At the age of 14 boys started training regularly on a sports ground called the palaestra As for girls only those in Sparta did sport Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Estelle Vidard Illustrations Jo l Corcia several days So spectators would eat and chat in the theatre In the meantime the city came to a standstill 15

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DID YOU KNOW THE GODS OF OLYMPUS 6 Poseidon He is the god of the sea protecting sailors and fishermen A symbol of power he is armed with a trident a three pronged spear When he is angry he sets off storms and earthquakes These are the twelve gods of Olympus also known as the twelve Olympians They are powerful immortal and look just like humans 3 6 1 2 4 5 1 Aphrodite 2 Artemis She is the goddess of love and beauty Legend has it that she was born from sea foam One of her favourite animals is the swan She is the goddess of hunting and the protector of nature and wild animals She is also the twin sister of Apollo 3 Apollo He is the god of youth light art and music Dashingly handsome and charming Apollo likes to play the lyre to entertain the gods of Olympus 16 4 Hades He reigns over the underworld and the kingdom of the dead Hades is the god of wealth and precious metals buried underground He has a magical helmet that can make him invisible 5 Hera She is the goddess of women protector of families and wife of Zeus At times she can be cruel and spiteful against Zeus who is not a faithful husband

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8 Zeus He is the father of the gods and humans Zeus lives on Mount Olympus with the other gods and is the master of the heavens and the Earth Armed with a sceptre he can throw lightning bolts 10 Hermes He is the god of travellers vendors but also thieves He is Zeus messenger His winged staff encircled by two snakes gives him the power to heal sicknesses 10 8 11 Demeter She is the goddess of harvests She represents fertility and blesses farmers with strong yields from their crops 11 9 Hestia She is the goddess of the hearth and the home Hestia is the one who welcomes newborns Religious Greeks would offer food or wine to her at the start and end of every meal 7 Hephaestus He is the god of fire and volcanoes In his forge he makes weapons and iron tools He protects blacksmiths 12 Athena She is the goddess of wisdom and warfare Military men would pray to her for victory in battle She is the daughter of Zeus and is said to have been born from his forehead Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Estelle Vidard Illustrations Jo l Corcia 7 9 12 The Greeks and gods During Antiquity the Greeks believed in a multitude of gods To honour them they would perform certain acts every day They purified themselves with water before praying They made animal offerings to the gods to obtain good crops or win a battle The Greeks knew legends about these gods called mythology by heart 17

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See you in Gre DID YOU KNOW There are still many famous ancient sites in Greece Temples acropolises theatres that have stood the test of time Do you know any of these landmarks The Temple of Apollo in Delphi Around 5BCE Greeks and foreigners would go to this temple to consult Pythia She was said to be able to transmit messages from the gods When they asked her about their futures Pythia s answers were enigmatic so priests were needed to interpret them MOUNT OLYMPUS Delphi The sacred city of Olympia Athens Olympia Mycenae Epidaurus The first Olympic Games date back to 776BCE These sports competitions were held every four years for a thousand years Athletes competed in events for running long jump discus and javelin throwing and boxing Sparta The city of Sparta In 5BCE Sparta was one of the most powerful Greek cities along with Athens Spartans devoted their lives to warfare Their training ended when they became adults and qualified as foot soldiers called hoplites 18 MEDITERRANEAN SEA

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eece The Acropolis of Athens This sacred hill housed the city s temples The greatest of these was the Parthenon built in 5BCE Supported by 48 marble columns this temple held a wooden statue of Athena covered with gold and ivory AEGEAN SEA The Citadel of Mycenae Built in 1450BCE this fortified city was overlooked by a royal palace Its walls made from stone blocks were so thick that the Greeks thought they could only have been built by giants The Theatre of Epidaurus Built in around 350BCE it could hold up to 14 000 spectators This venue s natural acoustics allowed the actors to be heard even when they were whispering It was built around 1700BCE by Cretans the ancestors of the Greeks Here parties were held as well as events with animals A legend was born around this palace involving a half man half bull monster called the Minotaur Knossos CRETE Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Catherine Loizeau Illustrations Emmanuel Olivier Photo Getty Images stockphoto Adobe map The Palace of Knossos 19

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INVESTIGATE DiscoveryBox took Camille out on a boat with undersea archaeologists Today they are exploring the Mediterranean Sea Let s go CAMILLE 11 YEARS OLD MET FR D RIC LEROY Fr d ric Leroy is an archaeologist He studies evidence of human activity on the seabed with France s Department of Subaquatic and Underwater Archaeological Research 20 Illustration Lucas Landais How can we explore the deep sea

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Welcome aboard the Malraux The boat Andr Malraux is moored at the port of Marseille Here I come A special boat The Malraux explains Fr d ric was built to allow archaeologists to explore the seas and oceans Marine archaeologist Erwann second incommand Time to set sail We are about to explore the ocean depths near Marseille Fr d ric announces We are going to observe a wreckage to try to understand how it got there Fr d ric archaeologist Nicolas chef Alexis geophysics A terrific team Didier head mechanic Denis archaeologist Michel and robot archaeologist operator Mohamed quartermaster Camille Christian captain Meet the crew The crew members have different jobs There are the navigators Christian the captain and Erwann the second in command the archaeologists Fr d ric Denis and Michel and the scientists like Alexis We have a range of skills says Fr d ric Sailing diving operating the robot analysing discoveries etc When we find a wreck we look for clues to work out the mysteries surrounding it It s real detective work 21

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On the screen we have a map of all the wrecks identified in the bay There are so many Inside the wheelhouse From here I steer the boat explains Christian We sail on the Mediterranean Sea regularly to locate underwater objects using a device that sends out sound waves underwater This research is helping us to make a map of interesting spots to explore Today we are going to see a somewhat special wreck Ready for the big dive Camille help us to put the robot in the water Preparing for the dive The wreck is too deep for divers so we send our robot Hilarion that can stay down there for longer because it doesn t need to come up to breathe laughs Erwann 22 A unique robot Hilarion was built to do some of the archaeologists work It lights up the depths of the sea and transmits good quality images directly to the boat With its camera and headlights it can see better than a human

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The umbilical At the tips of Hilarion s wings are lights like front beams The camera The robot s camera is water resistant Do you see that big rope It s the umbilical which is 600m long We have to go gently Underwater Hilarion will be piloted remotely from the boat Getting into the water Camille helps Mohammed and Alexis to lower Hilarion Thanks to a tracker that transmits its underwater whereabouts to the boat the crew always knows where the robot is Illustration Mathilde Court s The Malraux and Hilarion Electricity flows through the umbilical which also transmits video images to the boat Thanks to buoys the umbilical floats and doesn t get stuck in rocks at the bottom of the sea Hilarion is diving towards a wreck 23

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Remote piloting Sitting in a cabin Denis steers the robot with a joystick just like on a game console This wreck is special Fr d ric explains It s a huge pile of bottles called a tumulus See it s kept the shape of the boat s hull The hull collapsed around it and disintegrated The coloured substance on the bottles are actually microorganisms and algae Did you know that archaeologists worked with robots Behind the bottles history This wreck is less than two hundred years old Fr d ric says The boat was full of empty bottles We know this because the bottles weren t neatly arranged in boxes We think that they were being sent to Italy to be filled with oil Thanks to this discovery we are learning about the history of trade in the Mediterranean Fascinating don t you think 24 Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Aude Loyer Hasco t Illustrations Mathilde Courtes Photos Rebecca Josset Thank you to Michel Lhour and his team at Malraux Here we see the images transmitted by Hilarion The robot sees in our place but the archaeologists have to interpret what it sees

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DOC The adventures of Odysseus This is the story of one of the journeys in the poem called The Odyssey that describes the adventures of Odysseus WHEN Between 8BCE and 9BCE WHERE AFTER WINNING A BATTLE AGAINST THE CITY OF TROY ODYSSEUS KING OF ITHACA HEADS HOME BY SEA This return journey seems endless Are the gods punishing us for killing our enemies Ithaca ODYSSEUS IS WITH HIS COMPANIONS Odysseus will we ever see Ithaca again GREECE Troy MEDITERRANEAN SEA I think often of our homeland my wife Penelope and my son Telemachus Let s keep hoping 25

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MEANWHILE IN THE KINGDOM OF ITHACA Our king will never come back I dream of taking his place and his wife Penelope Is my husband Odysseus still alive He has been gone for so long Me too ONE DAY ODYSSEUS AND HIS COMPANIONS ARRIVE AT AN ISLAND Sailors say that giants with only one eye live here They re called cyclops A CYCLOPS APPEARS My name is Polyphemus What are you doing here Come on we ll be fine I m curious to explore this place THEY DISCOVER A GROTTO It s enormous It seems to be a sheep pen Hello Is anyone here BUT SUDDENLY We are sailors Could you give us some sheep s milk 26 SUDDENLY THE CYCLOPS GETS ANGRY You wanted to rob me AND HE SWALLOWS UP TWO OF Odysseus s men How dreadful

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THE CYCLOPS LEAVES BUT NOT BEFORE SHUTTING THE SAILORS UP IN THE GROTTO ODYSSEUS DECIDES TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND This grotto may well be our tomb It s impossible to move this rock We re prisoners This tree trunk gives me an idea Hey come and see THE CYCLOPS IS BACK Taste this wine It s wonderful Drink up LATER Come on help me Let s go Odysseus is clever But will we succeed This trunk is now a dangerous weapon I ll try to use it against the cyclops But first we need to get him drunk AFTER DRINKING HEAVILY THE CYCLOPS FALLS ASLEEP ODYSSEUS SEIZES THE CHANCE TO STAB HIM IN THE EYE Don t forget my name My name is Nobody Aaaaah I m blind THE NEXT DAY THE CYCLOPS GOES OUT WITH HIS SHEEP Those men might run but if I find them I ll devour them all ODYSSEUS AND HIS COMPANIONS FIND A WAY TO ESCAPE FROM THE CYCLOPS Hiding underneath the sheep is a great idea He ll never find us like this 27

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ODYSSEUS AND HIS SAILORS MANAGE TO FLEE AND RETURN TO THEIR BOAT I have triumphed over you I am Odysseus king of Ithaca FOR DAYS ON END POSEIDON STIRS UP WAVES And I am the son of the sea god Poseidon You better watch out Poseidon is out to get us We were so close to Ithaca But he has unleashed his power to drive us out to the open sea STILL ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO ITHACA Maybe it s the island of the sirens that the magician Circe told me about Odysseus what s that black rock on the horizon Their singing bewitches sailors QUICKLY ODYSSEUS GIVES ORDERS TO HIS CREW Block your ears with this bee s wax And you Odysseus I have to listen to the sirens and resist their singing Tie me up tight FOR HOURS THE SIRENS HOVER OVER THE BOAT SINGING Come Odysseus Come and join us Stop your boat 28 These voices are driving me crazy SOON

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AT SUNSET It s a trap They want our boat to get smashed up by the rocks A FEW MONTHS LATER IT SUDDENLY GOES DARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY I resisted the sirens singing and we re safe and sound We ve escaped a terrible danger LIGHTNING ST REAKS ACROSS THE SKY That s strange Bring down the sails A storm is coming STRUCK BY LI GHTNING TH E BOAT SINKS THE NEXT DAY Help I m drowning AFTER NUMEROUS ADVENTURES ODYSSEUS FINDS A BOAT Oh no my dear friends and companions are all dead Is this the gods revenge to make me suffer even more SUDDENLY SO ATHENA USES HER MAGIC POWERS I Athena daughter of Zeus goddess of war and wisdom shall protect you Oh all powerful gods I beg for your help Athena Odysseus I will make you unrecognisable so that you can conquer your enemies Oh I ve turned into an old beggar 29

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I tell you the king of Ithaca will soon be back His son Telemachus went to search for him but found no traces of him THEN TELEMACHUS ALSO AT EUMAEUS HOME MEETS THE BEGGAR The king of Ithaca is about to return AT THE PALACE AFTER A BANQUET PENELOPE TALKS TO THE BEGGAR Here are Odysseus bow and arrows Whoever shoots the best using his bow will be my husband My son We will chase away our enemies but first I have to become an old beggar again But who are you ALL THE CONTESTANTS FAIL AND THEN IT S THE BEGGAR S TURN Father what joy to see you again I wish I have an idea Your husband is coming soon You should leave old man The guests are mocking you Others want to enslave you THE NEXT DAY AT LAST LEFT ALONE WITH HIS SON HE TURNS BACK INTO ODYSSEUS AND HE WINS He s the only one who has managed to pull the bow s cord That s impossible He s won the tournament Oh it s him THE OLD MAN TURNS BACK INTO ODYSSEUS I am Odysseus your king My dear husband what joy 30 He s going to want revenge LATER Helped by his son and loyal friends Odysseus wipes out his enemies and returns to Penelope forever After so many years we re back together at last THE END Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Catherine Loizeau Illustrations Ricard Efa BACK IN ITHACA THE OLD BEGGAR VISITS EUMAEUS HIS FORMER SERVANT

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All about The Odyssey The Odyssey has always been the stuff of dreams All over the world this poem continues to inspire writers filmmakers and video game creators Who wrote The Odyssey Is it a true story No because giants sirens and Circe the magician never existed But The Odyssey isn t just a legend either It tells the history of the Greeks their customs their beliefs and it describes places and landscapes of the Mediterranean at the time How did this poem reach us Since Antiquity this narrative has been passed on first orally then in writing One of the oldest written versions of this text dates from 3BCE It was discovered on a papyrus scroll in Egypt Afterwards The Odyssey was copied recopied then printed from the 15th century onwards It is one of the world s oldest books Is there another poem that talks about Odysseus Yes The Illiad This story is just as famous as The Odyssey and also written by Homer The Iliad is about a war that starts when Helen the queen of Sparta is kidnapped by Paris a man from Troy Odysseus takes part in this legendary war the Trojan War Odysseus and the Trojan Horse The Trojan war had gone on for too long To end it Odysseus had an ingenius idea He thought of building an enormous wooden horse and hiding soldiers inside it Next they brought it to the gates of Troy When the Trojans saw it they believed it was an offering for their gods and brought the horse into their city That night the Greeks including Odysseus came out of their hiding place and attacked the Trojans This clever ruse enabled the Greeks to win the war Illustration Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Catherine Loizeau Illustrations Loic M h e Homer a Greek poet is said to have written this poem in 8BCE Nothing is known about this man s life except that he was highly respected Gradually his text was orally transmitted to other poets who recited it throughout Greece 31

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A dive with the manatee D R Schrichte BluePlanetArchive Despite its hefty build the manatee looks weightless as it swims gracefully underwater Discover a sea mammal as peaceful as it is harmless 32 A funny siren The manatee belongs to the animals called sirenians along with its cousin the dugong The name sirenian came about because sailors who spotted these sea animals once thought they were sirens

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The manatee s body is covered with scattered hairs or vibrissae These can detect vibrations in the water which allow the manatee to get its bearings A small workout Phillip Colla BluePlanetArchive This manatee is looking for food To find it it has dived to the bottom of the sea It then scouts the seafloor by walking on the tips of its two flippers Underwater breather rc uc ci B lue Pla netA rchive The manatee finds food by rummaging around the seafloor with its flexible snout At the same time it swallows mud and salt which contains all the minerals and salts that it needs Practical ve Da Fo D R Schrichte BluePlanetArchive Its upper lip is split in two and very flexible The manatee can use it like pincers 34

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Food on every level The manatee has arrived at a river mouth Its body is just as well adapted to freshwater as it is to seawater Off it goes Along the way it snaps up a few leaves from trees just above the water s surface Never full The manatee has found a generous clump of aquatic plants What it likes the most are underwater stems Because it spends so much time grazing the manatee is also known as a sea cow The manatee can eat nearly 50kg of aquatic plants per day Topsy turvy M un ch After its meal it s time to rest upside down The manatee naps several times a day sleeping a total of 6 to 10 hours per day The aquatic plants that the manatee eats provide little energy so it doesn t exert itself too much D R Schrichte BluePlanetArchive Jonathan Bird BluePlanetArchive Reinhard Dirscherl BluePlanetArchive The manatee pulls back its upper lip to tear off leaves 35

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The nostrils are positioned at the top of the snout to allow the manatee to breathe without being noticed Underwater its nostrils are closed to prevent water from getting in D R Schrichte BluePlanetArchive Whew The manatee comes back up to the surface to breathe It can hold its breath for up to 20 minutes but it usually takes a breath every minute or so Its nostrils open wide to take in a big dose of air It s not long before the manatee dives back down to eat again But it s not the only one to enjoy a meal fish come to feed on the algae and other little creatures attached to the manatee s skin A feast for the fish and a free clean up for the manatee Nifty Michael S Nolan BluePlanetArchive Fresh air Clean up station Our manatee is in fact a female After yet another meal she rubs against a rock not because she s itchy but to mark her presence The female leaves her scent markers at different spots underwater Glands on her snout under her flippers and near her anus secrete an odour that attracts males 36 Doug Perrine BluePlanetArchive Follow my trail

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D R Schrichte BluePlanetArchive Delighted A male has taken notice of our manatee They get to know each other by sniffing and caressing one another The two lovebirds also make sounds to communicate with one another A beautiful baby Nearly one year after they mate the female manatee gives birth to a baby At birth the baby is already the size of a 6 year old human child The young manatee suckles his mother s milk for at least one year but starts eating aquatic vegetation from the age of 1 to 3 months The baby is suckling The female s mammaries are located under her arm D R Schrichte BluePlanetArchive The little manatee will stay with his mother for nearly two years 37

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A p e a c efu r e m m i l sw Thick skin Algae and parasites may attach themselves to the manatee s skin before eventually coming off This is because the outer layer of skin called the epidermis is constantly regenerating so that old skin is shed and new skin grows in its place A paddle like tail The tail is in the shape of a flat rounded flipper The manatee uses it to propel itself underwater A navel Like all mammals the manatee has a navel This is the scar of its umbilical cord Rudder like flippers It uses these to support itself on the seafloor and steer its movement when it swims The tips of its flippers end in short fingernails 1 3m 3 5m long Weight 400 900kg 38

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The sirenian family Small eyes Its eyes are only 1 5cm in diameter but the manatee can see far enough to move through clear water even when it is dark The dugong A sloped snout Spare teeth Its teeth are regularly replaced when they are damaged by hard or tough to chew plants New teeth grow at the back of the jaw and push out the ones in front The manatee etArchive te BluePlan D R Schrich AME SCIENTIFIC N anatus Trichechus m mal CLASS mam ian ORDER siren rm Caribbean a w ADDRESS rida USA Seas from Flo to Brazil 8km hr ING SPEED 5 SWIMM Textes Pauline Payen Illustrations Lo c M h e Photo David B Fleetham BluePlanetArchive com It points downwards allowing the manatee to graze easily on aquatic plants The rhytina Unfortunately this species is now extinct It lived in cold waters near the North Pole and could grow up to 8 metres long It was so heavily hunted for its flesh that it died off in 1761 Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Pauline Payen Illustrations Loic M h e Photos David B FLeetham BluePlanetArchive com This cousin lives along the coasts of the Indian Ocean the west Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea It is different from the manatee in several ways its tail fin resembles that of cetaceans like the whale and its snout looks like a wide trunk 39

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EXPERIMENT How does a wall stand up Antique ruins had solid stone walls Try this experiment to understand how they have stood the test of time for centuries You will need a box of sugar cubes 1 Build a wall using the sugar cubes Line up the sugar cubes one next to the other 2 Then pile up another row of cubes exactly on top of the first row as in the photo 3 Build the wall up to at least four rows of sugar cubes Now test the solidity of your wall by pushing it in the middle with your finger What happens Boom The ce nt the w ral part of all col l very e apses asily 40

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Now let s reconstruct the wall a different way 1 Starting from the second row position each cube to sit equally on top of two cubes below 2 Then break some of the sugar cubes in half and place them at the end of the rows that need it so that the wall s side edge is straight 3 Continue to build the wall until it is as tall as the previous one This time when you push in the middle of the wall it will get out of shape but it won t collapse all at once The wall has becom e much sturdier WHAT HAPPENED In the first construction the sugar cubes are stacked in columns Each column can move and fall easily columns In the second construction the sugar cubes are staggered staggered Every sugar cube is supported by its surrounding cubes from above below and on either side Is this enough to make a wall solid Turn the page to find out 41

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No it isn t enough LARGE BLOCKS OF STONE to prevent shifting Pyramids and other ancient constructions were built from enormous blocks of stone Their massive weight prevented them from moving so these constructions were very solid CONCRETE for modern constructions USING GLUE to solidify the structure When the weight of the materials is not enough we can use a type of glue to hold the parts of the wall in place This glue is called mortar You can see the mortar in brick walls KnoB stock adobe com Today to build large buildings we often use concrete It is poured into gigantic moulds This way the wall is formed as a single piece To make the concrete even more solid steel bars and mesh are added in certain spots to reinforce them 42 Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Erik Franck Photos Rebecca Josset Illustrations J r me Si Mathilde Court s diagrams Thanks to Gwennan for participating Caesar58 stock adobe com There are a few more ways to make a wall even sturdier

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MYSTERY PHOTO Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Photo Andreas Wass stock adobe com t i s i t a h W 1 A pineapple 2 A turtle s shell 3 Chocolate mousse 4 An acorn Answer on page 47 43

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Beware of the Do you know the story of the Minotaur a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull Theseus the son of the king of Athens is preparing to find and kill the Minotaur in the labyrinth Which way The Minotaur lives in this labyrinth Help Theseus to find his way to the monster 44

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An sw er s on pa ge 47 Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Bernard Fichou Illustrations Mathieu Demore Minotaur 45

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1 In 1969 with Apollo 11 Neil Armstrong toured around the A world in a hot air balloon B set foot on the Moon 5 Greek gods lived A on clouds B in the city of Delphi C on Mount Olympus C won a basketball match fart on average daily A Between 2 and 4 B Between 10 and 20 C Over 50 3 The Greeks painted eyes on their boats because A they protected the crew from bad luck they were used to B remove the anchor C they scared the enemy 4 Greeks met up A in the agora B at the swimming pool C in the forum itchy because A they have sharp claws B they bite to feed on your blood they like to fight C between themselves 7 The war boat of Greeks was called A a tirade B a trireme C a trieste 8 The manatee is a A minotaur B sirenian C cyclops Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Story and illustrations Patrick Cerf Answers on page 47 Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Fr d rique Schneider Illustrations No lle Letzelter 2 How many times do we 6 Lice make your head 46

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Next month in Managing Publisher Pascal Ruffenach Editor Pauline Cheung Art Editor Phyllis Lau Text and Research Fui Luk Audy Sales Marketing Claudia Law discoBveXry DiscoveryBox is published by Bayard Presse Asia Le Grain de Seneve Publishing Co Ltd Room 8 9 F Block A Hong Kong Industrial Centre 489 491 Castle Peak Road Cheung Sha Wan Kowloon Hong Kong Bayard Presse Asia is a Subsidiary of Bayard France General Manager Thuy Ngan Pham Directors Pascal Ruffenach President Andr Antoni Jean Marie Montel Florence Gu my Printers Ayregraf Artes Graficas Spain Allion Printing Co Ltd Hong Kong ISSN 1366 9028 All rights reserved to the publisher Images Docs 393 Bayard Contact us discoverybox bayardmagazines com TO SUBSCRIBE Europe North America shop owlkids com Inna Yurkevych stock adobe com GAMES SOLUTIONS Welcome to Mars MYSTERY PHOTO p 43 Answer no 4 An acorn In biology it s called a cone This hard structure protects the seeds of conifers which are pressed together two by two on each scale When the weather is dry the scales widen apart releasing seeds that are carried away by the wind BEWARE THE MINOTAUR p 44 45 THE QUIZ p 46 See the picture 1 B 2 B 3 A 4 A 5 C 6 B 7 B 8 B Illustrations Jo l Corcia Illustration Mathieu Demore Labyrinth solution 47

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it s all about EVOLUTION Manatees are our cousins Manatees belong to the sirenian family Did you know that they re distant cousins of elephants One of the first sirenians was the prorastomus It had legs but already it spent much of its time in the water Do I look like one now It ate seagrass I know eating with a mouth full of water takes getting used to Come in the water s so nice OK HERE I COME THEN Finally their legs became flippers their back legs disappeared and their tail flattened It was more practical for swimming And also for playing tennis discoBveXry is great Get more stories with Bayard ImagesDoc No 393 2021 Text Bertrand Fichou Illustrations J r me Anfr Gradually the prorastomus descendants spent more and more time in the water and their legs grew shorter