The term nostalgia describes a longing for the past, often in idealized form. The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , nóstos, "returning home", a Homeric word, and, álgos, "pain" or "ache". It was described as a medical condition, a form of melancholy, in the Early Modern period, and came to be an important topic in Romanticism. In common, less clinical usage, nostalgia includes a general interest in past eras and their personalities and events, especially… (More on Nostalgia)