Ancient Greece's Special Forces, from the Sacred Band of Thebes to the Hetairoi of Alexander the Great's army, became legendary in history.

This week, a string of archaeological studies lend insight into Roman gladiators, an ancient crocodile-like beast, and a prehistoric bird nearly lost to time.

When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BCE, he signaled the beginning of the era of Ptolemaic rule. His general ...