Babylon

Unlike a lot of Greek and Roman myths, the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe isn't set in Greece, the Italian Peninsula, or even anywhere on Mediterranean Sea. Instead, the tragedy of these young lovers takes place in the super ancient city of Babylon. This place was legendary even to the people who made up all legends we know today.

One of the first major cities ever in the history of Earth, Babylon sprouted up between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in an area often called "the Cradle of Civilization." Why? Well, let's take a look:

• The Babylonians are credited with inventing cuneiform, one of the world's first written languages, which was recorded on clay tablets. Pretty big deal, right?
• Hammurabi, one of the earliest kings of Babylon, also created one of the earliest versions of written law, called by archaeologists "the Code of Hammurabi." (Very creative, archaeologists.)
• Another famous ruler of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, is a villain in the Judeo-Christian tradition because he sacked Jerusalem. Legend says that Nebuchadnezzar also built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.