Best Selling Ancient History Book on Apple Books

Chart of the top 50 most popular and best selling ancient history ebooks at the Apple Books.

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Top Ancient History eBooks

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The Histories - Herodotus Cover Art

The Histories

The Histories by Herodotus

One of the masterworks of Western civilization from the Ancient Greek author and orator known as the "Father of History."   Written in the fifth century BC, The Histories is a wide-ranging inquiry into the Greco-Persian Wars and beyond. Factual accounts of military matters on land and at sea, commanders, governments, and rulers are juxtaposed with Greek mythology. As inspiring to travel writers and journalists as it is to historians, this epic work includes a wealth of geographical and ethnographical information on the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Greece. It remains one of the West's most important sources regarding the ancient world.   "To transfer the responsibility for events away from heaven and squarely on to mortals may seem, two and half thousand years on, an obvious task, but in so doing Herodotus fundamentally changed the way that humans look at the world—and that is why Cicero called him the father of history." — The Guardian   "We may no longer share Herodotus' view of the past, yet we delight in the richness of the world he sketched. Its stories, landscapes, characters, and insights into human nature linger long after the reading. What makes the work stand out above all is the Histories ' sense of wonder and discovery. Herodotus' Histories remain a classic testament to the pleasures of researching and learning." — The Conversation

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1177 B.C. - Eric H. Cline Cover Art

1177 B.C.

1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed: Revised and Updated by Eric H. Cline

A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, along with writing systems, technology, and monumental architecture. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this "First Dark Ages," Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries. A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and ultimately destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age—and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece.

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Exploration Map by Map - DK Cover Art

Exploration Map by Map

Exploration Map by Map From Migrations and Encounters to Voyages and Discoveries by DK

Discover the epic history of human exploration and migration, and the stories of fearless pioneers the world over, with this stunning tour of history - map by map. Charting everything from the movement of early Homo species out of Africa some 1.8 million years ago to the astonishing voyages of Polynesian sailors across the Pacific from 4,000 BCE, and from the California Gold Rush to the Race for Space, entries explain the movements of people and cultures who set off into the unknown - in search of adventure or a better life. Specially commissioned maps show the key driving factors of each journey, and why certain routes were chosen over others - whether due to climate, terrain, or territory - while stunning contemporary examples offer fascinating insights into the unique world-views and political motivations of the people who commissioned them, and the cartographers who created them. The voyages of history’s greatest explorers - from Zheng He to Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo - are brought to vivid life with accompanying photos, illustrations, and original artefacts, along with recent missions to chart the depths of the oceans and the surface of Mars. And entries also explore the experiences of established Indigenous groups and the impact of settler populations. Packed with fascinating detail and bursting with lavish illustrations, Exploration: Map by Map is a must-have title for anyone who loves maps, history, or the pioneering spirit.

4

SPQR - Mary Beard Cover Art

SPQR

SPQR A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

New York Times Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Foreign Affairs, and Kirkus Reviews Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction) Shortlisted for the Cundill Prize in Historical Literature Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History) A San Francisco Chronicle Holiday Gift Guide Selection A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Selection A sweeping, "magisterial" history of the Roman Empire from one of our foremost classicists shows why Rome remains "relevant to people many centuries later" (Atlantic). In SPQR, an instant classic, Mary Beard narrates the history of Rome "with passion and without technical jargon" and demonstrates how "a slightly shabby Iron Age village" rose to become the "undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean" (Wall Street Journal). Hailed by critics as animating "the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life" (Economist) in a way that makes "your hair stand on end" (Christian Science Monitor) and spanning nearly a thousand years of history, this "highly informative, highly readable" (Dallas Morning News) work examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries. With its nuanced attention to class, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries, SPQR will to shape our view of Roman history for decades to come.

5

The Emperor's Handbook - Marcus Aurelius Cover Art

The Emperor's Handbook

The Emperor's Handbook by Marcus Aurelius

Written in Greek, without any intention of publication, by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, the THE EMPEROR’S HANDBOOK (or MEDITATIONS) of Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe.  Ranging from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation, they cover such diverse topics as the nature of moral virtue, human rationality, divine providence, and Marcus’ own emotions.

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Soldier of Rome: The Last Campaign - James Mace Cover Art

Soldier of Rome: The Last Campaign

Soldier of Rome: The Last Campaign by James Mace

**The Final Conquest** Following the assassination of Emperor Gaius Caligula in 41 A.D., his uncle, Claudius, assumed the imperial throne. After establishing his legitimacy and stabilizing his position with the Roman Senate and people, he looks to legitimize himself militarily. His eyes turn towards Britannia; the elusive isle that even Julius Caesar failed to conquer. Far from being unknown to the rest of the world, various Britannic peoples have maintained trade relations with the continent, and a few of the tribal kingdoms have even formed alliances with Rome that extend back decades. Constant warfare, however, has left the isle in a state of perpetual instability. When several allies call upon Rome for assistance in their volatile struggles, Claudius seizes the opportunity to finish what the Divine Julius started almost a hundred years before. In Ostia, Centurion Artorius spends his days as a police commissioner, while only holding an honorary posting with the legions. Soon after Claudius' ascension, however, he is recalled to active service with his former legion, the Twentieth Valeria, where his peers proclaim him as the new master centurion. It has been generations since the empire expanded its borders via conquest, and Artorius readies his men to spearhead a massive invasion force in what he knows will be his last campaign.

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Those Who Are About to Die - Harry Sidebottom Cover Art

Those Who Are About to Die

Those Who Are About to Die A Day in the Life of a Roman Gladiator by Harry Sidebottom

ONE OF THE ECONOMIST 'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 • See ancient Rome through the eyes of a gladiator—from the evening before the games at the Colosseum to the evening after "A grippingly original way of making the alien world of the Roman Amphitheatre both accessible and comprehensible." —Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History What did a gladiator feel when he stepped out onto the sand of the Colosseum, his life in the balance? What ran through the minds of the masses there to witness his likely execution? And how did this bloodthirsty ritual come to exist in the first place? In Those Who Are About to Die, Harry Sidebottom pulls us into the arena, and into the homes and forums of ancient Rome, taking the reader on an eye-opening, twenty-four-hour tour through Roman life at the height of the gladiatorial games, from the first century BC to the second century AD. We follow the gladiators through the schools ( ludi ) where they trained, watch in awe as the massive event unfolds—from the gambling at the pre-festival dinner, to the dawn rush to get a seat in the arena, to the resounding music, the elaborate stage sets, and, yes, the public executions that served as lunch-break entertainment—and we unlearn all the bogus movie tropes (gladiators did not have ripped bods; they were kept fleshy so they’d bleed more). Broken down by time of day— Vesper, Prima Vigilia, Secunda Vigilia, up through the following sunset ( Solis Occasus )— Those Who Are About to Die offers illuminating insights into every aspect of Roman life and thought: their social mores and hierarchies, their feelings about death and sex and violence, and the myths and dreams that fueled the spectacle of the Games.

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Rubicon - Tom Holland Cover Art

Rubicon

Rubicon The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland

A vivid historical account of the social world of Julius Caesar’s Rome as it moved from republic to empire, from the acclaimed author of Dynasty and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is History “A fascinating picture of Roman city life . . . In every aspect of this story, Holland expertly makes the Romans, so alien and yet so familiar, relevant to us.”— Los Angeles Times “Stunning . . . Holland keeps his narrative moving at chariot-race speed.”— Newsday In 49 B.C., the seven hundred fifth year since the founding of Rome, Julius Caesar crossed a small border river called the Rubicon and plunged Rome into cataclysmic civil war. Tom Holland’s enthralling account tells the story of Caesar’s generation, witness to the twilight of the Republic and its bloody transformation into an empire. From Cicero, Spartacus, and Brutus, to Cleopatra, Virgil, and Augustus, here are some of the most legendary figures in history brought thrillingly to life. Combining verve and freshness with scrupulous scholarship, Rubicon is not only an engrossing history of this pivotal era but a uniquely resonant portrait of a great civilization in all its extremes of self-sacrifice and rivalry, decadence and catastrophe, intrigue, war, and world-shaking ambition.

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Killing Jesus - Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard Cover Art

Killing Jesus

Killing Jesus A History by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

Millions of readers have thrilled to bestselling authors Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln , page-turning works of nonfiction that have changed the way we read history. The basis for the 2015 television film available on streaming. Now the iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly two thousand years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion human beings attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God. Killing Jesus will take readers inside Jesus's life, recounting the seismic political and historical events that made his death inevitable - and changed the world forever.

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World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500 - Eugene Berger, George Israel, Charlotte Miller, Brian Parkinson, Andrew Reeves & Nadejda Williams Cover Art

World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500

World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500 by Eugene Berger, George Israel, Charlotte Miller, Brian Parkinson, Andrew Reeves & Nadejda Williams

Contents: Prehistory Early Middle Eastern and Northeast African Civilizations Ancient and Early Medieval India China and East Asia to the Ming Dynasty The Greek World from the Bronze Age to the Roman Conquest The Roman World from 753 BCE to 500 CE Western Europe and Byzantium circa 500 - 1000 CE Islam to the Mamluks African History to 1500 The Americas Central Asia Western Europe and Byzantium circa 1000 - 1500 CE

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The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt - Toby Wilkinson Cover Art

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Magisterial . . . [A] rich portrait of ancient Egypt’s complex evolution over the course of three millenniums.”— Los Angeles Times   NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Publishers Weekly   In this landmark volume, one of the world’s most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its absorption into the Roman Empire. Drawing upon forty years of archaeological research, award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson takes us inside a tribal society with a pre-monetary economy and decadent, divine kings who ruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions. Here are the legendary leaders: Akhenaten, the “heretic king,” who with his wife Nefertiti brought about a revolution with a bold new religion; Tutankhamun, whose dazzling tomb would remain hidden for three millennia; and eleven pharaohs called Ramesses, the last of whom presided over the militarism, lawlessness, and corruption that caused a political and societal decline. Filled with new information and unique interpretations, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt is a riveting and revelatory work of wild drama, bold spectacle, unforgettable characters, and sweeping history.   “With a literary flair and a sense for a story well told, Mr. Wilkinson offers a highly readable, factually up-to-date account.”— The Wall Street Journal   “[Wilkinson] writes with considerable verve. . . . [He] is nimble at conveying the sumptuous pageantry and cultural sophistication of pharaonic Egypt.”— The New York Times

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The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus - Flavius Josephus Cover Art

The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus

The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus History of the Jewish War against the Romans, The Antiquities of the Jews, Against Apion, Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades & Autobiography by Flavius Josephus

This meticulously edited collection has been formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: The War of the Jews The Antiquities of the Jews Against Apion Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades The Life of Flavius Josephus: Autobiography Titus Flavius Josephus was a first-century Romano-Jewish scholar, historian and hagiographer, who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly descent and a mother who claimed royal ancestry. He initially fought against the Romans during the First Jewish–Roman War as head of Jewish forces in Galilee, until surrendering in 67 CE to Roman forces led by Vespasian after the six-week siege of Jotapata. After Vespasian became Emperor in 69 CE, he granted Josephus his freedom, at which time Josephus assumed the emperor's family name of Flavius. He fully defected to the Roman side and was granted Roman citizenship. Josephus recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the first century CE and the First Jewish–Roman War, including the Siege of Masada. His most important works were The Jewish War (c. 75) and Antiquities of the Jews (c. 94).

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Soldier of Rome: Traiana Victrix - James Mace Cover Art

Soldier of Rome: Traiana Victrix

Soldier of Rome: Traiana Victrix by James Mace

After decades of strife and a pair of bloodily savage wars, the Kingdom of Dacia is no more. With King Decebalus dead, and the surviving members of the royal family in captivity, an uneasy peace descends upon the new Roman Province of Dacia. The senate and people of Rome eagerly expect the return of the victorious Emperor Trajan. With equal eagerness, the people await the legendary great Dacian treasury, said to equal hundreds of tons in gold and silver, making its way to Rome. Like Vespasian before him, Trajan's intent is twofold: to use the newly-won hoard for the benefit of all Romans, while leaving monuments that will echo across the ages. For Tiberius Artorius Castus, his nine-year tenure with the emperor's Imperial Horse Guards is about to end. His thoughts return to Britannia, the land of his youth and home of the Artorians for the past sixty years. While Emperor Trajan celebrates his triumph, Tiberius returns home to begin the next chapter in his life of service to the Empire.

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The Histories - Herodotus & Aubrey De Selincourt Cover Art

The Histories

The Histories by Herodotus & Aubrey De Selincourt

'The first example of non-fiction, the text that underlies the entire discipline of history ... it is above all a treasure trove' Tom Holland One of the masterpieces of classical literature, The Histories describes how a small and quarrelsome band of Greek city states united to repel the might of the Persian empire. But while this epic struggle forms the core of his work, Herodotus' natural curiosity frequently gives rise to colourful digressions - a description of the natural wonders of Egypt; tales of lake-dwellers, dog-headed men and gold-digging ants. With its kaleidoscopic blend of fact and legend, The Histories offers a compelling Greek view of the world in the fifth century BC, in Aubrey de Sélincourt's elegant and celebrated translation. Translated by AUBREY DE SÉLINCOURT Revised with an Introduction and notes by JOHN MARINCOLA

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The Histories - Herodotus, Tom Holland & Paul Cartledge Cover Art

The Histories

The Histories by Herodotus, Tom Holland & Paul Cartledge

“Unquestionably the best English translation of Herodotus to have appeared in the past half-century.” — The Times Literary Supplement In Tom Holland’s vibrant translation, one of the great masterpieces of Western history springs to life. Herodotus of Halicarnassus—hailed by Cicero as the “Father of History”—composed his histories around 440 BC. The earliest surviving work of nonfiction, The Histories works its way from the Trojan War through an epic account of the war between the Persian empire and the Greek city-states in the fifth century BC, recording landmark events that ensured the development of Western culture and still capture our modern imagination. Beautifully packaged in a Penguin Classics Deluxe edition with a comprehensive array of tools to guide first-time readers and experts alike, this accessible translation makes Herodotus fresh and irresistible once more. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Man, Know Thyself - Rick Duncan Cover Art

Man, Know Thyself

Man, Know Thyself Volume 1 Corrective Knowledge of Our Notable Ancestors by Rick Duncan

'Man, Know Thyself' is perhaps one of the world's oldest and most important sayings. This adage was originally coined by Imhotep the world's first multi-genius and perhaps the greatest creative mortal individual who ever lived. Imhotep lived over five and a half thousand years ago from our present age. It must be said immediately that Imhotep was an African. He is among our first Notable Ancestors. Considering Imhotep's instruction, it means that as individuals, as a family, collectively as a people, a community, a society or a nation, we should know ourselves; that is, who we are. This includes knowledge of who spawned us, where we have been and where we currently are. Knowing this, as our Notable Ancestor and Grandmaster Teacher (Baba) Dr John Henrik Clarke has said, will tell us who we are and where we must get to. Who we are is dependent on who we were. Who we were should determine who we should be. To emphasise the point, Marcus Garvey, another of our most important Notable Ancestors, frequently reiterated this advice when he reminded us that our first obligation is to know ourselves. He told us that we should make our knowledge about us so complete so as to make it impossible for others to take advantage of us. He told us that in order to know ourselves we must know who our Ancestors were and what they achieved. We would then realize who we are and what we are capable of achieving. This is the meaning of the African adage and Sankofa symbol of 'looking back in order to go forward'. The importance of knowing our ancestors has been summed up in an old Native American saying that 'It is the spirit of our ancestors that should guide our path'. There is a sense however that Africans have forgotten our ancestors. Because of this, there is no 'spirit' to guide us and so Africans are lost and confused. The roots of African spirituality and culture have been made redundant. Yet as Dr Clarke points out, the unbilicord that tied Africans to our spiritual and cultural roots have only been stretched. It has never been broken. It is for Africans to come to this realization and to rediscover the spirit of our ancestors. This volume lists some of our Notable Ancestors in the hope that knowledge about them and their achievements will aid some of us in understanding where we have been, who we presently are and consequently who we must become. Ultimately, it is hoped that we may use this knowledge to reconnect with the spirit of our Ancestors and let them be our guide. This volume is based on the 'truth' about Africans and therefore correcting what is 'told' about us. This 'corrective knowledge' of us is important because as Imhotep said; 'Know the truth and the truth shall set you free'. This means being free to interpret our own story and to define who we are. This is crucial because although 'history' is a witness to the truths, 'history' has been 'stolen' by others who have hidden the truths about us. 'History' has never been true or kind to Africans and therefore it cannot tell us about us. Yet as Peter Tosh intimated, we cannot come to a consciousness of ourselves, of who we are, if we do not know the truths about us. 'History' has been described as the 'Queen' of the academic subjects. So important is History that it is said that 'whoever controls history, controls the future'. In one sense education in general and history in particular is about teaching us who we are. History teaches who we are so as to help us to know where we belong in our community (or society). Africans cannot know where we belong in society however, because our story has been told by 'others' (those who 'own history'). Africans are therefore unaware of who we are because what is 'known' about us is not the truth about us. The story of Africans, the oldest people on earth, like the history of the world, is taught by 'others'. Yet these others came into the world thousands of years after Africans had already established great civ

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Byzantium - Judith Herrin Cover Art

Byzantium

Byzantium The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire by Judith Herrin

A captivating account of the legendary empire that made Western civilization possible Byzantium. The name evokes grandeur and exoticism—gold, cunning, and complexity. In this unique book, Judith Herrin unveils the riches of a quite different civilization. Avoiding a standard chronological account of the Byzantine Empire's millennium—long history, she identifies the fundamental questions about Byzantium—what it was, and what special significance it holds for us today. Bringing the latest scholarship to a general audience in accessible prose, Herrin focuses each short chapter around a representative theme, event, monument, or historical figure, and examines it within the full sweep of Byzantine history—from the foundation of Constantinople, the magnificent capital city built by Constantine the Great, to its capture by the Ottoman Turks. She argues that Byzantium's crucial role as the eastern defender of Christendom against Muslim expansion during the early Middle Ages made Europe—and the modern Western world—possible. Herrin captivates us with her discussions of all facets of Byzantine culture and society. She walks us through the complex ceremonies of the imperial court. She describes the transcendent beauty and power of the church of Hagia Sophia, as well as chariot races, monastic spirituality, diplomacy, and literature. She reveals the fascinating worlds of military usurpers and ascetics, eunuchs and courtesans, and artisans who fashioned the silks, icons, ivories, and mosaics so readily associated with Byzantine art. An innovative history written by one of our foremost scholars, Byzantium reveals this great civilization's rise to military and cultural supremacy, its spectacular destruction by the Fourth Crusade, and its revival and final conquest in 1453.

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Delphi Complete Works of Diodorus Siculus - Diodorus Siculus Cover Art

Delphi Complete Works of Diodorus Siculus

Delphi Complete Works of Diodorus Siculus by Diodorus Siculus

The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus composed the monumental universal history ‘Bibliotheca historica’, which comprises the mythic history of the non-Hellenic and Hellenic tribes. Diodorus’ great work spans the destruction of Troy, the glories of Alexander the Great, the history and culture of Ancient Egypt and the near East and the triumphs of the Roman Republic. The Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both English translations and the original Greek texts.  This comprehensive eBook presents the complete extant works of Diodorus Siculus, with beautiful illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Diodorus' life and works * Features the complete extant works of Diodorus, in both English translation and the original Latin * Includes translations previously appearing in Loeb Classical Library editions of Diodorus’ works * Excellent formatting of the texts * Easily locate the books or works you want to read with individual contents tables * Includes Diodorus' rare fragments, first time in digital print * Provides a special dual English and Greek text of the first five complete books, allowing readers to compare the sections paragraph by paragraph – ideal for students * Features a bonus biography – discover Diodorus' ancient world * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please note: some Kindle software programs cannot display Greek characters correctly; however the characters do display correctly on Kindle devices. Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Translations THE LIBRARY OF HISTORY The Greek Text CONTENTS OF THE GREEK TEXT The Dual Text DUAL GREEK AND ENGLISH TEXT The Biography INTRODUCTION TO DIODORUS SICULUS by C. H. Oldfather Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles

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The Greeks - H. Kitto Cover Art

The Greeks

The Greeks by H. Kitto

The Greeks were extraordinary not least because they evolved "a totally new conception of what human life was for". Elaborating on that claim, the author explores the life, culture and history of classical Greece.

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Red Land, Black Land - Barbara Mertz Cover Art

Red Land, Black Land

Red Land, Black Land Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz

The New York Times– bestselling egyptologist's classic account of daily life in Ancient Egypt—now revised and updated. In Red Land, Black Land Barbara Mertz gives us a fascinating, erudite, and witty glimpse of the human side of ancient Egypt, revealing what everyday life was like for Eyptians from across the social strata. How did they make papyrus? Build a pyramid? How did the men, women, and children of this glorious civilization dress? What did they eat and what were their manners like when they dined—formally and informally? How did they furnish their homes? Answering these questions and more, Mertz reveals a long-lost world in which temples were once bright with paint; mummies were men, women and children; and tombs were equipped specifically for the enjoyment of life everlasting. As she brings to life Egyptians telling bawdy stories about the gods, getting drunk, writing sentimental poems to their sweethearts, and lecturing sulky children, she shows how their world was surprisingly similar to our own.

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The World of Late Antiquity: CE 150-750 (New) (World of Art) - Peter Brown Cover Art

The World of Late Antiquity: CE 150-750 (New) (World of Art)

The World of Late Antiquity: CE 150-750 (New) (World of Art) by Peter Brown

A remarkable study in social and cultural change that explains how and why the late antique world (circa 150–750CE) came to differ from "classical civilization." The first century CE was one of momentous events: the end of the Roman Empire, the rise of Christianity across Western Europe, and the disappearance of Persia from the Near East. An era in which the most deep-rooted ancient institutions disappeared, creating divergent legacies that are still present today. Renowned historian Peter Brown examines these changes and the reactions to them to show that the late antiquity was an outstanding period of new beginnings with far-reaching impacts. The result is a lucid answer to a crucial question in world history: how the exceptionally homogenous Mediterranean world of the first century CE became divided into the three mutually estranged societies of the Middle Ages: Catholic Western Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic world. Brown’s remarkable study in social and cultural transformation explains how and why the late antique world came to differ from the "classical civilization" of the Greeks and Romans. Featuring a new preface and updated with color illustrations throughout, The World of Late Antiquity demonstrates that we still have much to learn from this enduring and intriguing period of history.

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Persian Empire - George Rawlinson Cover Art

Persian Empire

Persian Empire Illustrated Edition: Conquests in Mesopotamia and Egypt, Wars Against Ancient Greece, The Great Emperors: Cyrus the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I by George Rawlinson

The First Persian Empire was a country of the Achaemenid dynasty, based in Western Asia, founded by Cyrus the Great. Ranging at its greatest extent from the Balkans and Eastern Europe proper in the west to the Indus Valley in the east, it was larger than any previous empire in history. This book describes conquests of the greatest Persian emperors, Cyrus the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I and the expansion of their country. Contents: Extent of the Empire. Climate and Productions. Character, Manners and Customs. Language and Writing. Architecture and Other Arts. Religion. Chronology and History.

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The Gift - Marcel Mauss Cover Art

The Gift

The Gift Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies by Marcel Mauss

The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies (French: Essai sur le don: forme et raison de l'échange dans les sociétés archaïques) is a 1925 essay by the French sociologist Marcel Mauss that is the foundation of social theories of reciprocity and gift exchange.-Print ed.

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Cro-Magnon - Brian Fagan Cover Art

Cro-Magnon

Cro-Magnon How the Ice Age Gave Birth to the First Modern Humans by Brian Fagan

A Los Angeles Times Bestseller New York Times best-selling author Brian Fagan explores the world of the Cro-Magnons--the mysterious, little-known race, famous for its cave paintings, that survived the Ice Age and became the ancestors of today's humans. They survived by their wits in a snowbound world, hunting, and sometimes being hunted by, animals many times their size. By flickering firelight, they drew bison, deer, and mammoths on cavern walls- vibrant images that seize our imaginations after thirty thousand years. They are known to archaeologists as the Cro-Magnons-but who were they? Simply put, these people were among the first anatomically modern humans. For millennia, their hunter-gatherer culture flourished in small pockets across Ice Age Europe, the distant forerunner to the civilization we live in now. Bestselling author Brian Fagan brings these early humans out of the deep freeze with his trademark mix of erudition, cutting-edge science, and vivid storytelling. Cro-Magnon reveals human society in its infancy, facing enormous environmental challenges from glaciers, predators, and a rival species of humans-the Neanderthals. Cro-Magnon captures the adaptability that has made humans an unmatched success as a species. Living on a frozen continent with only crude tools, Ice Age humans survived and thrived. In these pages, we meet our most remarkable ancestors.

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The Indus - Andrew Robinson Cover Art

The Indus

The Indus Lost Civilizations by Andrew Robinson

The Indus civilization flourished for half a millennium from about 2600 to 1900 BCE, when it mysteriously declined and vanished from view. It remained invisible for almost four thousand years, until its ruins were discovered in the 1920s by British and Indian archaeologists. Today, after almost a century of excavation, it is regarded as the beginning of Indian civilization and possibly the origin of Hinduism. The Indus: Lost Civilizations is an accessible introduction to every significant aspect of an extraordinary and tantalizing “lost” civilization, which combined artistic excellence, technological sophistication, and economic vigor with social egalitarianism, political freedom, and religious moderation. The book also discusses the vital legacy of the Indus civilization in India and Pakistan today.

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Storia di Roma (edizione illustrata) - Indro Montanelli Cover Art

Storia di Roma (edizione illustrata)

Storia di Roma (edizione illustrata) by Indro Montanelli

"Uno dei guai dell'Italia è proprio questo: di avere per capitale una città sproporzionata, come nome e passato, alla modestia di un popolo che, quando grida «Forza Roma!», allude soltanto a una squadra di calcio." La Storia di Roma racconta la parabola del più grande impero occidentale con la scrittura affilata che ha negli anni appassionato - e appassiona tutt'ora - i lettori di Indro Montanelli. Abile, la penna dell'autore ripercorre i rivolgimenti culturali e politici della società romana dalle sue origini al crollo dell'impero, unendo alla sempre precisa cronaca degli eventi, ritratti vivaci delle figure che di Roma hanno incarnato la storia. Il risultato è un racconto coinvolgente e scevro da accademismi, che invita a conoscere meglio il passato e, allo stesso tempo, a riflettere sul mondo contemporaneo. Dalle guerre puniche all'affermazione del Cristianesimo, dall'austerità di Catone al magnetismo di Giulio Cesare fino agli eccessi di imperatori come Nerone o Eliogabalo, dallo stoicismo delle origini alla decadenza del tardo impero; la Storia di Roma e i suoi protagonisti rivivono oggi in una nuova edizione che abbina le parole ironiche e pungenti della prosa montanelliana a splendide rappresentazioni artistiche, antiche e moderne, per una versione illustrata di un classico tra i più amati dai lettori.

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The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Edward Gibbon Cover Art

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

The first volume of Decline and Fall was published in 1776, and by the time the final volume appeared in 1787, Gibbon had produced an exhaustive, million-and-a-half-word account of a 'revolution which shall ever be remembered and is still felt by the nations of the earth'. This panoramic work, covering 13 centuries from 180 A.D. to the fall of Constantinople in 1453, has been described as 'a bridge that carries one from the ancient world to the modern'. Here, this masterpiece of the Enlightenment has been cut down to a manageable size, but still covers in detail the tyranny, cowardice and decadence that led to the fall of Rome. Gibbon described history as 'little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind', and this book serves as a dazzling, perceptive guide to every civilization before and since.

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The Greek World After Alexander 323–30 BC - Graham Shipley Cover Art

The Greek World After Alexander 323–30 BC

The Greek World After Alexander 323–30 BC by Graham Shipley

The Greek World After Alexander 323–30 BC examines social changes in the old and new cities of the Greek world and in the new post-Alexandrian kingdoms. An appraisal of the momentous military and political changes after the era of Alexander, this book considers developments in literature, religion, philosophy, and science, and establishes how far they are presented as radical departures from the culture of Classical Greece or were continuous developments from it. Graham Shipley explores the culture of the Hellenistic world in the context of the social divisions between an educated elite and a general population at once more mobile and less involved in the political life of the Greek city.

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Talking Classics - Mary Beard Cover Art

Talking Classics

Talking Classics The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard

The incomparable Mary Beard is back, and she’s talking all things classics. Why the ongoing fascination with the ancient world? This witty, approachable book asks why—for better or (sometimes) worse—antiquity continues to exert such a powerful hold on the contemporary imagination. Recalling a formative childhood encounter with a four-thousand-year-old piece of bread in a museum, Beard introduces the idea of thauma , or wonder, that kick-started a lifetime engaging with classics. It was not the canonical “greats” of ancient literature and art that initially drew her in, she confesses, but rather the more intimate, messy, and humdrum evidence of daily life in the remote past. Confronting the uses and abuses of symbols of the ancient world, Beard reminds us that the traditions and “masterpieces” of Greece and Rome have certainly been politicized, but they belong to neither the left nor the right. Happily, no one owns the past. She warns us not to let a sense of reverence or overfamiliarity dampen the “shock of the old,” arguing that one of the most important things that classics teach us is how to grapple with complicated and controversial things. “The Greeks and Romans are long dead, they cannot answer back, and you can say what you like about them,” she reminds readers. “The simple fact that classics belong to none of us can offer a safe space to argue about the most difficult debates we face now.” Beard welcomes everyone into classics. “It is not compulsory to be excited by the ancient world,” she writes. “But it can be a shame not to be.” This charming, sharp, and readable book from one of the world’s most entertaining classicists offers something for both new and established fans of classics, bringing new wonder and curiosity to even the most ancient of ideas.  

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Persian Fire - Tom Holland Cover Art

Persian Fire

Persian Fire by Tom Holland

A “sweeping popular account” ( The Seattle Times ) of how Athens and Sparta withstood an assault from the Persian Empire in the cradle of Western civilization, from the acclaimed author of Rubicon and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is History “Excellent. . . . There is an even handedness in Holland’s treatment of both Greek and Persian cultural riches that is rare in popular accounts of these wars.” — The Sunday Times (London) In the fifth century B.C., a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece. The story of how their citizens took on the Great King of Persia, and thereby saved not only themselves but Western civilization as well, is as heart-stopping and fateful as any episode in history. Tom Holland’s brilliant study of these critical Persian Wars skillfully examines a conflict of critical importance to both ancient and modern history.

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The Bloodlines of The Elite and The History of The Illuminati - Archangel Metatron Cover Art

The Bloodlines of The Elite and The History of The Illuminati

The Bloodlines of The Elite and The History of The Illuminati by Archangel Metatron

The following is an understandable, detailed, and summarized timeline of events and people which have been proven scientifically, archaeologically, genetically and historically. It is time you all wake up and see the world for what it truly is. Please know this was not written    in order to attack any personal beliefs, but rather to let you know what is really going on. You have been lied to. We, The Anonymous Charity are no writers, merely researchers. You must open your mind and free yourself from the brainwashing control they have put you under, if you are to continue this. You must realize that what you know is simply not true and these broadcasts and the evidence brought forth here will challenge and discredit most, if not everything that you believe. It will hurt your feelings. You will want to be defensive and not try to listen to the content. It will make you angry. You will start to understand and your eyes will begin to open. It will make you act. You will know the truth and you will understand that freedom is only obtained when we speak the truth. Your life is about to change. Welcome to The Collective HQ. Let's begin with the very structure of the group of people we will discuss. The structure beings with DNA. The Blood.

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Sparta: Rise of a Warrior Nation - Philip Matyszak Cover Art

Sparta: Rise of a Warrior Nation

Sparta: Rise of a Warrior Nation by Philip Matyszak

This cultural history of Ancient Sparta chronicles the rise of its legendary military power and offers revealing insight into the people behind the myths.   The Spartans of ancient Greece are typically portrayed as macho heroes: noble, laconic, totally fearless, and impervious to pain. And indeed, they often lived up to this image. But life was not as simple as this image suggests. In truth, ancient Sparta was a city of contrasts.   We might admire their physical toughness, but Spartans also systematically abused their children. They gave rights to female citizens that were unmatched in Europe until the modern era, meanwhile subjecting their conquered subject peoples to a murderous reign of terror. Though idealized by the Athenian contemporaries of Socrates, Sparta was almost devoid of intellectual achievement.   In this revealing history of Spartan society, Philip Matyszak chronicles the rise of the city from a Peloponnesian village to the military superpower of Greece. Above all, Matyszak investigates the role of the Spartan hoplite, the archetypal Greek warrior who was feared throughout Greece in his own day and has since become a legend. The reader is shown the man behind the myth; who he was, who he thought he was, and the environment which produced him.

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The Storm Before the Storm - Mike Duncan Cover Art

The Storm Before the Storm

The Storm Before the Storm The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan

From the creator of the award-winning podcast series The History of Rome and Revolutions comes the "remarkably engaging" ( Washington Post ) history of the bloody battles, political machinations, and human drama that set the stage for the fall of the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of civilization. Beginning as a small city-state in central Italy, Rome gradually expanded into a wider world filled with petty tyrants, barbarian chieftains, and despotic kings. Through the centuries, Rome's model of cooperative and participatory government remained remarkably durable and unmatched in the history of the ancient world. In 146 BC, Rome finally emerged as the strongest power in the Mediterranean. But the very success of the Republic proved to be its undoing. The republican system was unable to cope with the vast empire Rome now ruled: rising economic inequality disrupted traditional ways of life, endemic social and ethnic prejudice led to clashes over citizenship and voting rights, and rampant corruption and ruthless ambition sparked violent political clashes that cracked the once indestructible foundations of the Republic. Chronicling the years 146-78 BC, The Storm Before the Storm dives headlong into the first generation to face this treacherous new political environment. Abandoning the ancient principles of their forbearers, men like Marius, Sulla, and the Gracchi brothers set dangerous new precedents that would start the Republic on the road to destruction and provide a stark warning about what can happen to a civilization that has lost its way.

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The Persian Expedition - Xenophon & Rex Warner Cover Art

The Persian Expedition

The Persian Expedition by Xenophon & Rex Warner

In The Persian Expedition, Xenophon, a young Athenian noble who sought his destiny abroad, provides an enthralling eyewitness account of the attempt by a Greek mercenary army - the Ten Thousand - to help Prince Cyrus overthrow his brother and take the Persian throne. When the Greeks were then betrayed by their Persian employers, they were forced to march home through hundreds of miles of difficult terrain - adrift in a hostile country and under constant attack from the unforgiving Persians and warlike tribes. In this outstanding description of endurance and individual bravery, Xenophon, one of those chosen to lead the retreating army, provides a vivid narrative of the campaign and its aftermath, and his account remains one of the best pictures we have of Greeks confronting a 'barbarian' world.

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The Quest of the Historical Jesus - Albert Schweitzer Cover Art

The Quest of the Historical Jesus

The Quest of the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer

In this broad survey of the efforts to establish, amend, or deny the historical Jesus, Albert Schweitzer presents the history of a debate about what mattered most to millions of people: If God had entered human history, what could history tell about it? Throughout the course of this heated and prolonged dispute, one retelling of the life of Jesus followed another, enjoying -- in Schweitzer's phrase -- "the immortality of revised editions." Lesser writers might consider differences of opinion as signs of a hopeless enterprise, but Schweitzer instead finds immense value in the differences. Approaches and conclusions may differ, he concludes, but the quest for the historical Jesus has provided ample testimony to the importance of the effort and the rewards of the experience.

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Rome and Persia - Adrian Goldsworthy Cover Art

Rome and Persia

Rome and Persia The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry by Adrian Goldsworthy

The extraordinary history of the epic rivalry between the ancient world’s two great superpowers. "Magnificent." — The Spectator The Roman Empire was like no other. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale.  Its only true rival lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. This was the region Alexander the Great had swept through, creating a dream of glory and conquest that tantalized Greeks and Romans alike.  Tracing seven centuries of conflict between Rome and Persia, historian Adrian Goldsworthy shows how these two great powers evolved together. Despite their endless clashes, trade between the empires enriched them both, and a mutual respect prevented both Rome and Persia from permanently destroying the other.   Epic in scope, Rome and Persia completely reshapes our understanding of one of the greatest rivalries of world history.  “Epic history as it's means to be written! A splendid book that tells the story of the great imperial rivalry of the ancient world with narrative elan, scholarly authority, and a cast of extraordinary characters.” —Simon Sebag-Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity

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Ten Caesars - Barry Strauss Cover Art

Ten Caesars

Ten Caesars Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine by Barry Strauss

Bestselling classical historian Barry Strauss delivers “an exceptionally accessible history of the Roman Empire…much of Ten Caesars reads like a script for Game of Thrones” ( The Wall Street Journal ) —a summation of three and a half centuries of the Roman Empire as seen through the lives of ten of the most important emperors, from Augustus to Constantine. In this essential and “enlightening” ( The New York Times Book Review ) work, Barry Strauss tells the story of the Roman Empire from rise to reinvention, from Augustus, who founded the empire, to Constantine, who made it Christian and moved the capital east to Constantinople. During these centuries Rome gained in splendor and territory, then lost both. By the fourth century, the time of Constantine, the Roman Empire had changed so dramatically in geography, ethnicity, religion, and culture that it would have been virtually unrecognizable to Augustus. Rome’s legacy remains today in so many ways, from language, law, and architecture to the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Strauss examines this enduring heritage through the lives of the men who shaped it: Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Vespasian, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Diocletian, and Constantine. Over the ages, they learned to maintain the family business—the government of an empire—by adapting when necessary and always persevering no matter the cost. Ten Caesars is a “captivating narrative that breathes new life into a host of transformative figures” ( Publishers Weekly ). This “superb summation of four centuries of Roman history, a masterpiece of compression, confirms Barry Strauss as the foremost academic classicist writing for the general reader today” ( The Wall Street Journal ).

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The Spartans - Paul Cartledge Cover Art

The Spartans

The Spartans The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge

"Remarkable . . . [The author's] crystalline prose, his vivacious storytelling and his lucid historical insights combine here to provide a first-rate history." — Publishers Weekly   Sparta has often been described as the original Utopia—a remarkably evolved society whose warrior heroes were forbidden any other trade, profession, or business. As a people, the Spartans were the living exemplars of such core values as duty, discipline, the nobility of arms in a cause worth dying for, sacrificing the individual for the greater good of the community (illustrated by their role in the battle of Thermopylae), and the triumph over seemingly insuperable obstacles—qualities often believed today to signify the ultimate heroism.   In this book, distinguished scholar and historian Paul Cartledge, long considered the leading international authority on ancient Sparta, traces the evolution of Spartan society—the culture and the people as well as the tremendous influence they had on their world and even ours. He details the lives of such illustrious and myth-making figures as Lycurgus, King Leonidas, Helen of Troy (and Sparta), and Lysander, and explains how the Spartans, while placing a high value on masculine ideals, nevertheless allowed women an unusually dominant and powerful role—unlike Athenian culture, with which the Spartans are so often compared. In resurrecting this culture and society, Cartledge delves into ancient texts and archeological sources and includes illustrations depicting original Spartan artifacts and drawings, as well as examples of representational paintings from the Renaissance onward—including J.L. David's famously brooding Leonidas .   "A pleasure for anyone interested in the ancient world." — Kirkus Reviews   "[An] engaging narrative . . . In his panorama of the real Sparta, Cartledge cloaks his erudition with an ease and enthusiasm that will excite readers from page one." — Booklist   "Our greatest living expert on Sparta." —Tom Holland, prize-winning author of Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic

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The Complete Histories of Polybius - Polybius Cover Art

The Complete Histories of Polybius

The Complete Histories of Polybius by Polybius

Written in the 2nd century by the Greek historian Polybius, "The Histories" is a multi-volume work detailing many of the events, people, and ideas of the Hellenistic Period. While his focus is the space of time in which ancient Rome became a world power from 220 to 167 BC, Polybius also discusses his role as a 'pragmatic historian', a discourse on fate (called tyche), and the superiority of the mixed constitution. Though all forty volumes have not survived to the present day, the complete books extant today cover the affairs of all the important nations of the time, including Egypt, Greece, and Spain, as well as the first and second Punic Wars. Polybius speaks at length on the government of the Romans, citing it as the reason for Rome's success as a force of the world. Though it includes a couple of digressions concerning lesser issues of the time, "The Histories" has proven and continues to be a valuable text when studying the Hellenistic time period and manner of writing.

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Dynasty - Tom Holland Cover Art

Dynasty

Dynasty The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar by Tom Holland

A “startlingly visceral” ( The New York Times ) portrait of Rome’s first imperial dynasty, from Augustus to Nero—by the acclaimed author of Rubicon and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is History “Holland is a master of narrative history. On the strength of Dynasty, he deserves a laurel wreath.” — The Washington Post In Dynasty , Tom Holland traces the astonishing century-long story of the rise and fall of the Julio-Claudians—Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. Capturing both the brilliant allure of their rule and the blood-steeped shadows cast by their crimes, Dynasty travels from the great capital rebuilt in marble to the dank and barbarian forests of Germany. Populated by a spectacular cast—murderers, adulterers, Druids, scheming grandmothers, reluctant gladiators—it vividly recreates the world of Rome after Julius Caesar. A tale of rule and ruination, Dynasty is the story of a family that transformed and stupefied the western world and that continues to cast a mesmerizing spell across the millennia.

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Augustus - Anthony Everitt Cover Art

Augustus

Augustus The Life of Rome's First Emperor by Anthony Everitt

He found Rome made of clay and left it made of marble. As Rome’s first emperor, Augustus transformed the unruly Republic into the greatest empire the world had ever seen. His consolidation and expansion of Roman power two thousand years ago laid the foundations, for all of Western history to follow. Yet, despite Augustus’s accomplishments, very few biographers have concentrated on the man himself, instead choosing to chronicle the age in which he lived. Here, Anthony Everitt, the bestselling author of Cicero, gives a spellbinding and intimate account of his illustrious subject. Augustus began his career as an inexperienced teenager plucked from his studies to take center stage in the drama of Roman politics, assisted by two school friends, Agrippa and Maecenas. Augustus’s rise to power began with the assassination of his great-uncle and adoptive father, Julius Caesar, and culminated in the titanic duel with Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The world that made Augustus–and that he himself later remade–was driven by intrigue, sex, ceremony, violence, scandal, and naked ambition. Everitt has taken some of the household names of history–Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Antony, Cleopatra–whom few know the full truth about, and turned them into flesh-and-blood human beings. At a time when many consider America an empire, this stunning portrait of the greatest emperor who ever lived makes for enlightening and engrossing reading. Everitt brings to life the world of a giant, rendered faithfully and sympathetically in human scale. A study of power and political genius, Augustus is a vivid, compelling biography of one of the most important rulers in history.

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The Death of Caesar - Barry Strauss Cover Art

The Death of Caesar

The Death of Caesar The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination by Barry Strauss

In this story of the most famous assassination in history, “the last bloody day of the [Roman] Republic has never been painted so brilliantly” ( The Wall Street Journal ). Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate on March 15, 44 BC—the Ides of March according to the Roman calendar. He was, says author Barry Strauss, the last casualty of one civil war and the first casualty of the next civil war, which would end the Roman Republic and inaugurate the Roman Empire. “ The Death of Caesar provides a fresh look at a well-trodden event, with superb storytelling sure to inspire awe” ( The Philadelphia Inquirer ). Why was Caesar killed? For political reasons, mainly. The conspirators wanted to return Rome to the days when the Senate ruled, but Caesar hoped to pass along his new powers to his family, especially Octavian. The principal plotters were Brutus, Cassius (both former allies of Pompey), and Decimus. The last was a leading general and close friend of Caesar’s who felt betrayed by the great man: He was the mole in Caesar’s camp. But after the assassination everything went wrong. The killers left the body in the Senate and Caesar’s allies held a public funeral. Mark Antony made a brilliant speech—not “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” as Shakespeare had it, but something inflammatory that caused a riot. The conspirators fled Rome. Brutus and Cassius raised an army in Greece but Antony and Octavian defeated them. An original, new perspective on an event that seems well known, The Death of Caesar is “one of the most riveting hour-by-hour accounts of Caesar’s final day I have read....An absolutely marvelous read” ( The Times , London).

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The Assassination of Julius Caesar - Michael Parenti Cover Art

The Assassination of Julius Caesar

The Assassination of Julius Caesar A People's History of Ancient Rome by Michael Parenti

"A provocative history" of intrigue and class struggle in Ancient Rome—"an important alternative to the usual views of Caesar and the Roman Empire" ( Publishers Weekly ).   Most historians, both ancient and modern, have viewed the Late Republic of Rome through the eyes of its rich nobility—the 1 percent of the population who controlled 99 percent of the empire's wealth. In  The Assassination of Julius Caesar , Michael Parenti recounts this period, spanning the years 100 to 33 BC, from the perspective of the Roman people. In doing so, he presents a provocative, trenchantly researched narrative of popular resistance against a powerful elite.   As Parenti carefully weighs the evidence concerning the murder of Caesar, he adds essential context to the crime with fascinating details about Roman society as a whole. In these pages, we find reflections on the democratic struggle waged by Roman commoners, religious augury as an instrument of social control, the patriarchal oppression of women, and the political use of homophobic attacks. The Assassination of Julius Caesar offers a whole new perspective on an era thought to be well-known.   "A highly accessible and entertaining addition to history." — Book Marks

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Delphi Complete Works of Quintilian (Illustrated) - Quintilian Cover Art

Delphi Complete Works of Quintilian (Illustrated)

Delphi Complete Works of Quintilian (Illustrated) by Quintilian

Quintilian’s textbook on oratory offers a comprehensive training program in twelve books, drawing on the rhetorician’s own rich experience, while providing a rare insight into education and social attitudes in the Roman world. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both English translations and the original Latin texts.  This comprehensive eBook presents Quintilian’s complete extant works, with beautiful illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Quintilian's life and works * Features the complete extant works of Quintilian, in both English translation and the original Latin * Concise introduction to INSTITUTES OF ORATORY * Includes Butler’s translation previously appearing in the Loeb Classical Library edition of Quintilian * Excellent formatting of the text * Easily locate the sections you want to read with individual contents tables and section numbers * Provides a special dual English and Latin text, allowing you to compare the sections paragraph by paragraph with Butler’s translation – ideal for students * Features a bonus biography – discover Quintilian's ancient world * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to explore our range of Ancient Classics titles CONTENTS: The Translation INSTITUTES OF ORATORY The Latin Text CONTENTS OF THE LATIN TEXT The Dual Text DUAL LATIN AND ENGLISH TEXT The Biography LIFE OF QUINTILIAN by H. E. Butler Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles

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The Lives of the Caesars - Suetonius & Tom Holland Cover Art

The Lives of the Caesars

The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius & Tom Holland

A masterful new translation of Suetonius' renowned biography of the twelve Caesars, bringing to life a portrait of the first Roman emperors in stunning detail A Penguin Classic The ancient Roman empire was the supreme arena, where emperors had no choice but to fight, to thrill, to dazzle. To rule as a Caesar was to stand as an actor upon the great stage of the world. No biographies invite us into the lives of the Caesars more vividly or intimately than those by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, written from the center of Rome and power, in the early 2nd century AD. By placing each Caesar in the context of the generations that had gone before, and connecting personality with policy, Suetonius succeeded in painting Rome’s ultimate portraits of power. The shortfalls, foreign policy crises and sex scandals of the emperors are laid bare; we are shown their tastes, their foibles, their eccentricities; we sit at their tables and enter their bedrooms. The result is perhaps the most influential series of biographies ever written. That Rome lives more vividly in people's imagination than any other ancient empire owes an inordinate amount to Suetonius. Now award-winning author and translator Tom Holland brings us even closer in a new, spellbinding translation. Giving a deeper understanding of the personal lives of Rome’s first emperors, and of how they swayed the fates of millions, The Lives of the Caesars is an astonishing, immersive experience of a time and culture at once familiar and utterly alien to our own. Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Pax Romana - Adrian Goldsworthy Cover Art

Pax Romana

Pax Romana War, Peace and Conquest in the Roman World by Adrian Goldsworthy

The leading ancient world historian and author of Caesar presents "an engrossing account of how the Roman Empire grew and operated" ( Kirkus ). Renowned for his biographies of Julius Caesar and Augustus, Adrian Goldsworthy turns his attention to the Roman Empire as a whole during its height in the first and second centuries AD. Though this time is known as the Roman Peace, or Pax Romana , the Romans were fierce imperialists who took by force vast lands stretching from the Euphrates to the Atlantic coast. The Romans ruthlessly won peace not through coexistence but through dominance; millions died and were enslaved during the creation of their empire.   Pax Romana  examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered, examining why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became exceedingly rare. He reveals that hostility was just one reaction to the arrival of Rome and that from the outset, conquered peoples collaborated, formed alliances, and joined invaders, causing resistance movements to fade away.

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Anabasis - Xenophon Cover Art

Anabasis

Anabasis The March Up Country by Xenophon

All seven books of Xenophon's chronicles, detailing his time as a Greek mercenary who famously relieves the Spartan army, are presented here complete with informative notes. Through this book, we learn much of the life of an everyday soldier in one of the ancient world's most iconic armies. A member of the Ten Thousand - a company of Greek soldiers led by the heroic general and leader Cyrus, Xenophon witnessed first-hand the campaign to seize Persia by force from Cyrus's own brother: Artaxerxes II.  It is soon discovered that Sparta's army is stranded deep behind enemy lines, and must be rescued. Xenophon, as one of three commanders, leads the effort to make contact with Clearchus of Sparta and escort his isolated forces to friendlier ground where essential supplies of food are present.  The great route of Cyrus is recounted, and much of Xenophon's history is enhanced by his natural accessible and evocative style, informed by his excellent education as a contemporary of Plato and Socrates. We witness in these writings the armies of Greece and Sparta at their height, commanded by a man whose prowess and daring is reflected in the stunning successes and feats which Xenophon and others accomplish on their great expedition.  The translation of the original Greek to English in this edition of the Anabasis is by Henry Graham Daykns, a renowned classical scholar whose works remain respected to this day.

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The History of Alexander - Quintus Curtius Rufus & John Yardley Cover Art

The History of Alexander

The History of Alexander by Quintus Curtius Rufus & John Yardley

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), who led the Macedonian army to victory in Egypt, Syria, Persia and India, was perhaps the most successful conqueror the world has ever seen. Yet although no other individual has attracted so much speculation across the centuries, Alexander himself remains an enigma. Curtius' History offers a great deal of information unobtainable from other sources of the time. A compelling narrative of a turbulent era, the work recounts events on a heroic scale, detailing court intrigue, stirring speeches and brutal battles - among them, those of Macedonia's great war with Persia, which was to culminate in Alexander's final triumph over King Darius and the defeat of an ancient and mighty empire. It also provides by far the most plausible and haunting portrait of Alexander we possess: a brilliantly realized image of a man ruined by constant good fortune in his youth.

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Thucydides: An Introduction for the Common Reader - Perez Zagorin Cover Art

Thucydides: An Introduction for the Common Reader

Thucydides: An Introduction for the Common Reader by Perez Zagorin

"An engrossing intellectual appreciation of the most important and most difficult historian in the western cultural tradition." —Tom Palaima, Times Higher Education Supplement Why does Thucydides continue to matter today? Perez Zagorin answers this question by examining Thucydides' landmark History of the Peloponnesian War , one of the great classics of Western civilization. This history, Zagorin explains, is far more than a mere chronicle of the conflict between Athens and Sparta, the two superpowers of Greece in the fifth century BCE. It is also a remarkable story of politics, decision-making, the uses of power, and the human and communal experience of war. Zagorin maintains that the work remains of permanent interest because of the exceptional intellect that Thucydides brought to the writing of history, and to the originality, penetration, and the breadth and intensity of vision that inform his narrative. The first half of Zagorin's book discusses the intellectual and historical background to Thucydides' work and its method, structure, and view of the causes of the war. The following chapters deal with Thucydides' portrayal of the Athenian leader Pericles and his account of some of the main episodes of the war, such as the revolution in Corcyra and the Athenian invasion of Sicily. The book concludes with an insightful discussion of Thucydides as a thinker and philosophic historian. Designed to introduce both students and general readers to a work that is an essential part of a liberal education, this book seeks to encourage readers to explore Thucydides—one of the world's greatest historians—for themselves. "An extraordinary reminder of how little political distance we have traveled since his time." —Peter Stothard, The Wall Street Journal

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Constantine the Emperor - David Potter Cover Art

Constantine the Emperor

Constantine the Emperor by David Potter

No Roman emperor had a greater impact on the modern world than did Constantine. The reason is not simply that he converted to Christianity, but that he did so in a way that brought his subjects along after him. Indeed, this major new biography argues that Constantine's conversion is but one feature of a unique administrative style that enabled him to take control of an empire beset by internal rebellions and external threats by Persians and Goths. The vast record of Constantine's administration reveals a government careful in its exercise of power but capable of ruthless, even savage, actions. Constantine executed (or drove to suicide) his father-in-law, two brothers-in-law, his eldest son, and his once beloved wife. An unparalleled general throughout his life, planning a major assault on the Sassanian Empire in Persia even on his deathbed. Alongside the visionary who believed that his success came from the direct intervention of his God resided an aggressive warrior, a sometimes cruel partner, and an immensely shrewd ruler. These characteristics combined together in a long and remarkable career, which restored the Roman Empire to its former glory. Beginning with his first biographer Eusebius, Constantine's image has been subject to distortion. More recent revisions include John Carroll's view of him as the intellectual ancestor of the Holocaust (Constantine's Sword) and Dan Brown's presentation of him as the man who oversaw the reshaping of Christian history (The Da Vinci Code). In Constantine the Emperor, David Potter confronts each of these skewed and partial accounts to provide the most comprehensive, authoritative, and readable account of Constantine's extraordinary life.