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Plutarch (c. AD 46-AD 120) was born to a prominent family in the small Greek town of Chaeronea, about 20 miles east of Delphi in the region known as Boeotia. His best known work is the Parallel Lives, a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans, arranged in pairs to illuminate their common moral virtues and vices. The surviving lives contain 23 pairs, each with one Greek life and one Roman life as well as four unpaired single lives.

A fascinating take on classical Greek stories: Discover six classic Greek myths in this exciting retelling that paints both famous and lesser known characters in a whole new light. Follow the likes of Odysseus, Lamia, Bellerophon, Icarus, Medusa, and Artemis as their fates are revealed through bloody trials, gut-wrenching betrayals, sinister motives, and broken hearts.

In this succinct portrait of Alexander the Great, distinguished scholar and historian Norman Cantor draws on the major writings of Alexander's contemporaries, as well as the most recent psychological and cultural studies to illuminate this most legendary of men - a great figure in the ancient world whose puzzling personality greatly fueled his military accomplishments.

This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath" - literature, epic traditions, private letters, and accounts - to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled.

Byzantium is too-often considered merely the "eastern rump" of the old Roman Empire, a curious and even unsettling mix of the classical and medieval. Yet it was, according to Professor Harl, "without a doubt the greatest state in Christendom through much of the Middle Ages," and well worth our attention as a way to widen our perspective on everything from the decline of imperial Rome to the rise of the Renaissance.

From the creator of the award-winning podcast series The History of Rome and Revolutions comes the fascinating history of the bloody battles, political machinations, and human drama that set the stage for the fall of the Roman Republic. "Remarkably engaging." —Washington Post The Roman...

Trace the violent rise and dramatic fall of the ancient world's first global superpower in this epic military history. From a nomadic tribe on the Iranian plateau to a colossal realm stretching from Egypt to India, witness the fiery birth of the Achaemenid dynasty. This immersive narrative...

Experience the dramatic rise and fall of an ancient civilization in this sweeping history of South Asia's golden age. Perfect for your daily commute or a deep-focus learning session, this immersive narrative transports you to a fragmented world of shifting trade routes and turbulent power...

In the Christian West, the Tower of Babel presents itself as a “double object”: a building that really existed, the ziggurat of Babylon known as Etemenanki, and a Biblical story of barely nine verses (Genesis 11:1-9) that has produced more than two thousand years of literary and artistic...

Plongez dans l'histoire, la culture et les textes fondateurs de la Grèce et de Rome antiques. L'Instant Antique vous ouvre les portes du passé pour explorer la vie quotidienne, les récits épiques et les voix qui ont façonné notre culture. Découvrez le rire dans l'Antiquité, les banquets...

The definitive biography of the father and son who reshaped the ancient world. “Brings to life the full drama of ancient history.” —Wall Street Journal Alexander the Great's conquests staggered the world. He led his army across thousands of miles, overthrowing the greatest empires of his...

In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on, and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of...

The ruins of Pompeii, buried by an explosion of Vesuvius in 79 CE, offer the best evidence we have of everyday life in the Roman empire. This remarkable book rises to the challenge of making sense of those remains, as well as exploding many myths: the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought, or the hygiene of the baths that must have been hotbeds of germs, or the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one, or the massive death count, maybe less than 10 per cent of the population.

'Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!' – Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale This audio edition is expertly and enthusiastically read by the author, Natalie Haynes. The Greek myths...

The definitive translation of Plato's Republic, the most influential text in the history of Western philosophy. “To read The Republic as Bloom means it to be read is to question everything we think we know about government, politics, the best human life, and the nature of truth.” —Adam...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of A Short History of Europe written and read by Simon Jenkins. Europe is an astonishingly successful place. In this dazzling new history, bestselling author Simon Jenkins grippingly tells the story of its evolution from warring peoples to peace, wealth and...

The rivalry between two of the dominant city states of Ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta, erupted into a war lasting nearly 30 years and was to have a dramatic effect on the balance of power in the area. Between 431 and 404 BCE, the two cities battled it out on land and sea, aided by their...

Plato's Allegory of the Cave is what many believe to be the foundation of Western Philosophy. It addresses what is visible and invisible, seen and observed versus intuited and imagined, and what is public versus private and just versus unjust. It also concerns the meaning and importance of education, the state of the soul, the conflict between truth and beauty, animal urges versus higher aspirations, knowledge versus ignorance, and on and on.

These 24 dramatic lectures examine key events from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to medieval Europe and Asia. Spanning thousands of years and three continents, this course illuminates fascinating historical dramas on the individual scale.

Between the years 3000 BCE and 1500 AD many Ethiopians and Yemenites settled in West Africa. The relationship of these distant regions was remote but powerful. For this reason, Ethiopian traditions, customs, and culture, are still prevalent in West Africa today, even sharing a belief that they...