The Ancient History category has 310 audiobooks on Listento.it, with an average listener rating of 4.5★ across 2,807 ratings. The most-rated is Magicians of the Gods.
Ugarit
Summary
My father, behold, the enemy's ships came (here); my cities(?) were burned, and they did evil things in my country. Does not my father know that all my troops and chariots(?) are in the Land of Hatti, and all my ships are in the Land of Lukka?...Thus, the country is abandoned to itself. May my father know it: The seven ships of the enemy that came here inflicted much damage upon us.” (King Ammurapi) Not far from the Latakia, Syria, near the Mediterranean Sea coast, is the politically insignificant town of Burj al-Qasab. Throughout most of its history, Burj al-Qasab was overshadowed by Latakia, but this was not always the case. More than 3,000 years ago, on a hill known as Ras Sharma located just outside Burj al-Qasab, a sprawling metropolis much more important and powerful than Latakia, or most other modern cities in the region for that matter once existed. Ras Sharma was the location of Ugarit, an extremely wealthy and powerful Bronze Age city-state that received and sent merchants far and wide through its gates. It also developed complex geopolitical relationships with some of the most powerful empires of the period, including the Hittites, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Mitanni. Ugarit was a truly cosmopolitan city, where dozens of languages were spoken, people from all over the Near East lived, and exotic goods were as common as the sands on its beaches. When Ugarit was at the pinnacle of its power and wealth, it was destroyed by foreign invaders and quickly forgotten. Thanks to modern archaeologists, philologists, and historians, the secrets of Ugarit were uncovered in the early 20th century when it was revealed that Ras Sharma was part of an ancient city. As scholars excavated the ancient site and documented the plethora of art and written texts found there, they realized that it was the important city of Ugarit that had been mentioned in texts and inscriptions by major Bronze Age Near Eastern kingdoms. Modern scholars learned that although Ugarit was not one of the major kingdoms or so-called Great Powers of the Late Bronze Age Near East, it was powerful and important in its own right. Ugarit was extremely important economically, as its merchants played the role of middlemen between the empires, bringing goods from major empires of the period to be traded in Ugarit’s markets. The culture of Ugarit was also important - it was similar to other Canaanite peoples of the Levant region and also influenced later peoples of the region, especially in terms of religion. Ugarit also bore witness to the transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age during the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE, which arguably changed the structure and course of world history more fundamentally than any period before or since. During this period, numerous wealthy and enduring kingdoms of the eastern Mediterranean Sea region collapsed, and new ones rose in their places. At the center of this period of turmoil was a group of people known today as the Sea Peoples, the English translation of the name given to them by the Egyptians. Despite their prominent role in history, however, the Sea Peoples remain as mysterious as they were influential; while the Egyptians documented their presence and the wars against them, it has never been clear exactly where the Sea Peoples originated from, or what compelled them to invade various parts of the region with massive numbers. Whatever the reason, the Sea Peoples posed an existential threat to the people already living in the region, and ultimately the people of Ugarit would be among their many victims.
©2020 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors
The Mysteries of Mithras
Summary
In the early Roman Empire, as Christianity struggled to gain a foothold and survive in the polytheistic pool of Roman theology, its greatest rivals weren't the Caesars or the Roman aristocracy but rather the faith and devotion of the common Roman legionary. The faith of these men was centered on the god Mithras, who, they believed, led them to victory upon the field of battle and had done so for nearly four centuries. Despite this widespread belief among soldiers, the cult of Mithras was not a creation of the Romans, although they would eventually add their own rituals and mysteries to the ancient religion. In fact, the Mithraic religion was an Indo-Persian creation, a theology which managed to travel from India and back into the Hellenic and Roman world by way of Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian Empire. Eventually, the cult of Mithras would spread across the ancient world, and Mithras would be worshiped from the mountains of India to the coasts of Spain. As a result, the cult of Mithras could ultimately be found in every corner of the Roman Empire. The Mithras cult was one of the many "mystery religions" that the Romans adopted, several of which came from cultures outside of Rome. Isis, an Egyptian goddess, and Cybele, an Anatolian goddess, were both popular with Roman women, while Mithras, which was a variation of the name of the Zoroastrian demigod Mithra, was popular with Roman soldiers and the political elite for over 400 years. Since the Mithras cult, like all of the Roman mystery cults, was esoteric in nature, the exact nature of the influence other cultures had on the cult remains unknown, but some archaeological evidence has led modern scholars to make educated deductions. Some believe that the conscription of Persian soldiers into the Roman army and continued contact between the Parthians and Romans led to some members of the ever-eclectic Roman society adopting the cult directly from the Parthian/Zoroastrian religion (Clark 2001, 157). This seems like the most plausible explanation, but others have argued that the Mithras cult was actually a Roman religion that was given a Parthian façade to make it appear more exotic in order to attract Romans who were enthralled with eastern spirituality (Clark 2001, 157). The best evidence to determine the origins of the Mithras cult can be found in the many temples throughout Europe that the Romans erected to the god. These temples, known as mithraea, were subterranean chambers where the secret rituals of the cult took place. The best evidence from extant mithraea are the reliefs on the altars, which depict a graphic mythological story. The altar reliefs usually depict the god slaughtering a bull, often accompanied by a leaping dog (Clark 2001, 158). The references to Zoroastrian theology are unmistakable; the bull slaughter is similar to an account from a Zoroastrian text (the Bundahishen), while dogs were viewed as asha animals in Zoroastrian theology and an important part of the funerary ritual (Clark 2001, 158). The detailed iconography on the Mithras altars suggests that the inventors of the Mithras cult had more than just a superficial knowledge of Zoroastrianism, which in turn indicates a provenance of the religion somewhere in Persian or Parthia.
©2016 Charles River Editors (P)2016 Charles River Editors
The Battle of Manzikert
Summary
The Byzantine Empire existed for over a thousand years, with a history spanning from the division of the Roman Empire in 395 until the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It was formed from the previous Eastern Roman Empire, and during its long existence, the Byzantine inhabitants were very proud to call themselves Romans. However, many things changed during the long lifespan of the Byzantine Empire, starting with a Hellenization in the sixth century. The use of the Latin language diminished and Greek took its place, while the typical Roman culture gave way to a more Hellenistic one. The Hellenization of Byzantium was detrimental to the relationship with the Holy Roman Empire, and the Christian world from that point would be split in two. The subsequent strengthening of the Orthodox Church caused many civil wars and conflicts to arise during the centuries, which shattered and reshaped the territory time after time. By the end of the Byzantine Empire’s existence, the old age had weakened both the state and church, making it an easy target for invading forces. The most notable invaders were the the Turkish-speaking Seljuks, led through a series of battles by Kutalmishouglu Suleiman, who supported different usurpers against the Byzantine emperor. The expansion of the Seljuks was so successful that when Suleiman died, he had put all of Bithynia under his control as well as several important harbor towns along the shores on the Asian side of Bosphorus. With that accomplishment, he had managed to separate the Byzantines living in Anatolia from their emperor in Constantinople. This immediately weakened the unity of the Byzantine Empire. When another invading Muslim army took control of what is now Syria, Israel, and Northern Africa, the dismembered Byzantine Empire lost significant portions of land, but that allowed it to grow into a smaller and stronger unity. It took a lot of power struggles and battles on many fronts for the empire to recapture some of the lands, but gradually the Byzantine Empire lost all influence in Anatolia. By the end of the 11th century, the Hellenic culture and Greek language were replaced by Islam and Turkish. Of all the conflicts that brought this state of affairs into being, perhaps none was as instrumental as the Battle of Manzikert, a fact noted by Turkey’s current leader. In the Republic of Turkey, Victory Day is an important commemoration that remembers the Battle of Dumlupinar (August 26-30, 1922), when a Greek invasion of western Anatolia was effectively halted. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the founder of modern Turkey, rescued Anatolia (Asia Minor) from an attempt by Greece to conquer the Greek-speaking regions. This nationalistic conflict severed Turkey from its imperial Ottoman past and set it on a path as a free, independent, and secular nation. The memory of the battle still stirs up powerful emotions in the national psyche, not only in Turkey but among Armenians, Greeks, and other ethnicities who recall hundreds of years of oppression, particularly the Turkish-initiated genocides of the early 20th century. For all these nations, the Battle of Manzikert is no simple matter of historical record: Its consequences reach down to the present day and impact their lives. For historians, the study of the battle is usually a more academic consideration. Traditionally, it has been regarded as marking the end of Christian hegemony in Asia Minor and the beginning of the rise of Islam as a rival to Christianity in the battle over the fate of Western Civilization. While contemporary historians do agree that Manzikert had momentous consequences, the extent to which it actually changed the course of history is a matter of lively debate.
©2019 Charles River Editors (P)2019 Charles River Editors
![Cover art for Imperios y espadazos [Empires and Swords]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41sz3y186sL._SL500_.jpg)
Imperios y espadazos [Empires and Swords]
Summary
Basado en el canal de YouTube, pero esta es otra historia. ¿Es aburrida la Historia? Eso depende de quién te la cuente. Con este audio libro te lo pasarás de lujo oyendo y adentrándote en la fascinante Antigüedad. Los hechos más importantes de este periodo reunidos en un único volumen lleno de curiosidades y anécdotas, y relatados en orden cronológico para que no te pierdas. Descubre a través de esta divertida obra los misterios que esconden temas como el origen de la vida en la Tierra en el remoto mundo prehistórico, la fundación de la primera gran civilización en Sumeria, la construcción de las enormes pirámides del Antiguo Egipto, el colapso del Bronce por los Pueblos del Mar, el desarrollo de la democracia griega, o la expansión de Roma por todo el Mediterráneo hasta la llegada de los temibles bárbaros germánicos. Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.
©2017 Andoni Garrido Fernández (P)2020 Audible, Inc.
Woolly Mammoths
Summary
It was a frosty, wintry September morning in 2012 when 11-year-old Yevgeny “Zhenya” Salinder donned his warmest quilted jacket, a knitted woolen cap, and matching mittens and headed out the door with his faithful, tail-wagging dogs in tow. Like most mornings, the kid ambled about near the Sopkarga polar weather station, an isolated region in the northern Russian Taymyr Peninsula where he resided, but this particular morning, his pace was slowed by a foul, almost eye-watering stench. Intrigued, Salinder and the dogs sniffed out the source of the strange miasma, and in the process, they stumbled upon a defrosted pair of heels from an unknown creature protruding from the cold earth. When young Salinder relayed what he had found to his parents, they alerted the authorities, but initially, nobody had the slightest notion how profound the discovery was. The heels, as it turned out, were attached to the carcass of a 16-year-old woolly mammoth that perished some 30,000 years ago, almost completely intact. The mammoth, initially nicknamed “Zhenya” after its discoverer, was said to be the most significant discovery of a mammoth since 1901, and it is the second-best preserved of its kind that has ever been uncovered. Not only was its skeleton in near-pristine condition, it also bore one of its tusks, a mass of skin, fat, meat, an eye, an ear, and many of its organs. It was this stunning find that allowed scientists to confirm the purpose of the “humps” found on the backs of these creatures, which were extra compartments of insulatory fat. By the time Zhenya made the discovery, people had been quite familiar with the extinct giants for many years, and people across the world have seen models and depictions of them to go along with the fossils. Since Georges Cuvier recognized the specimens as an extinct elephant species near the end of the 18th century, various finds of mammoth fossils, particularly in places where they were well preserved in the cold, have made the woolly mammoth perhaps the most popular extinct animal outside of the dinosaurs. Standing around 10 feet tall and weighing several tons, woolly mammoths seem like the stuff of legend, but ancient cave art indicated that unlike dinosaurs, woolly mammoths were contemporaries of early humans, with the last ones going extinct only about 4,000 years ago. All of that explains why people have long been fascinated by woolly mammoths and have even envisioned bringing them back to life via genetics sometime in the future. Woolly Mammoths: The History and Legacy of the Most Famous Extinct Elephant Species looks at the geological origins of the area and analyzes the fossil finds from the tar.
©2019 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors
Barbarians Within the Gates of Rome
Summary
A major work on Roman policy toward the barbarians during one of the most exciting and challenging periods in the history of the Roman Empire, when barbarian soldiers became part of the forces defending the Roman frontier and gradually its rulers. By the close of these five decades, the Western Empire - hence Western Civilization - had changed forever. A Selection of the History Book Club.
©1994 Thomas A. Burns (P)2015 Redwood Audiobooks
History: The Greatest Empires That Defined Our World
Summary
There is so much history to the world. However, in this book we cover the extensive past of three huge and great empires. Those include the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire, and the Mongol Empire. All three had great rises, and then had great falls. One was outlived, while another is known as the greatest of all empires. Which one is which? Listen to find out and grow your knowledge on the rich past of all three empires. Here is a preview of what you'll learn... The Roman Empire The Mongols The Persians And much, much more! Download your copy today!
©2016 Robert Paulson (P)2016 Robert Paulson
Lords of Sipan
Summary
This is the riveting true story of grave robbers who discovered and plundered Sipan Temple, and Dr. Walter Alva, the resourceful, strong-willed archaeologist who attempts to excavate the remains of the site while under siege by smugglers and collectors. Archaeology buffs as well as adventure-novel listeners will delight in this true-crime thriller.
©2005 Sidney D. Kirkpatrick (P)2007 Recorded Books
Peace Be with You!
Summary
This is the story of Rome during the fourth century in the time of its 57th emperor, the first Christian ruler, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, who later was called Augustus - the man known to posterity as a saint and as Constantine the Great. His life and work was the object of study for countless historians, yet most of them missed to discover the man under the purple imperial robes. This audiobook tries to fill in some of the missing aspects necessary to reconstruct his true portrait. He was not a perfect man - by any standards - just the right man, at the right place, at the right time. This is the story of a Christian Liberator. If there strong similarities between the ancient Rome and the contemporary Washington, DC, they are only coincidental, since the author did not make any efforts to describe them, abstaining from pointing them to you as flukes of history, even though, sometimes the history may repeat itself!
©2014 Julian Chitta (P)2014 Julian Chitta
Weird Rome
Summary
"Rome was a poem pressed into service as a city.” In that short line, Anatole Broyard, a 20th century American writer, compactly captures the timeless and enchanting beauty that resides within the Eternal City of Rome. This tourist destination is often one of the highest ranked on bucket lists, for how could one not want to experience its marvelous ruins, mirror-like rivers, and spectacular stretches of aqueducts, firsthand? As one sips on fine Italian wine on a terrace overlooking the grand remnants of the Colosseum, one can practically hear the roars of the battling gladiators and the raucous applause of the spectators. And as one strolls through the coarse yet quaint cobblestone streets, one can almost hear the galloping horses and screeching wheels of chariots in the distance, and even feel the brush of the breeze as they charge past. It is difficult not to fall in love with a city so effortlessly nostalgic, it verges on utopian. The ambitious and fearless emperors who built the legendary Roman Empire from scratch, the broad-shouldered and bronzed gladiators with their iconic plume helmets and glinting swords, and elaborate parties attended by toga-wearing Romans fueled by alcohol, violence, orgies, and other godless acts all paint a picture of Roman life. Indeed, many people are well-versed with these unique scenes of Roman history, but few are familiar with the equally riveting years preceding the dawn of the Roman Republic, and even less people are acquainted with the fabled Seven Hills sitting east of the Tiber River - the core geographical components of Rome and the very foundations that the Eternal City was built on. Ancient Rome is understandably an object of enduring fascination, and its legacy still survives today, especially in the West, where Roman architecture, law, and philosophy all influence modern societies. But the Romans were also startlingly different - a deeply superstitious society, they believed in all sorts of omens and magic spells, while their leaders were capable of cruelties that would make a modern war criminal blush. Regular Romans performed strange religious practices, and they engaged in even stranger sexual practices. Weird Rome: A Collection of Mysterious Stories, Odd Anecdotes, and Strange Superstitions from the Ancient Romans looks at the more bizarre sides of Roman civilization, helping people understand the true nature of Rome and examining aspects that documentaries and museum exhibitions tend to gloss over. Learn about the weirder parts of Rome like never before.
©2020 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors
![Cover art for Historia Maya [Maya History]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514MxFiwTSL._SL500_.jpg)
Historia Maya [Maya History]
Summary
¿Sabías que los mayas usaban las saunas con fines curativos? En la última década o dos, ha habido un aumento de interés en la historia maya. Esto fue en parte alimentado por la mítica predicción maya del fin del mundo en 2012, que por un corto período de tiempo puso a esta civilización bajo la atención de los medios de comunicación. Pero hay mucho más en su cultura que la idea errónea común sobre su calendario. Historia Maya: Una fascinante guía de la civilización, cultura, mitología y el impacto de los pueblos mayas en la historia de Mesoamérica incluye: Hallazgos revolucionarios proporcionados por modernas técnicas de detección arqueológica Una simple explicación de la civilización maya y su ubicación Descubrimientos fascinantes del arte maya Notable perspicacia en el gobierno y la sociedad maya Una sorprendente exploración de la vida cotidiana de los mayas Una visión asombrosa de los mitos, leyendas, dioses y creencias del pueblo maya, incluyendo hallazgos impactantes relacionados con el sacrificio humano La guerra La conquista española y su impacto Desde la época colonial hasta hoy Y mucho, ¡mucho más! ¡Obtenga este libro ahora para aprender más sobre la historia maya! Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.
©2020 Captivating History (P)2020 Captivating History
History of the Romans
Summary
The bundle is here! You will learn more about Romans, Vestal Virgins, emperors, prostitution, civil rights, the building of Rome, the dealings with other peoples, wars, contentions, slaves, rebellion, and much, much more. This three-in-one book bundle will serve you well. Take advantage get it now!
©2019 Ron Carver (P)2020 Ron Carver
The Domestication of Cats
Summary
Mankind's obsession with felines is an enigma in and of itself. Unlike dogs, famously known as man's most excitable, trustworthy, and loyal friend, cats are oftentimes indifferent, guarded, and yet finicky little furry creatures that only yearn for attention and affection when one is neck-deep in work or otherwise preoccupied. And still, people adore them all the same. In a recent poll that surveyed 600 American college students, 60 percent of the participants identified themselves as “dog lovers” whereas only 11 percent pledged their love for cats. The remaining 29 percent regarded themselves as fans of both critters or fans of neither. Be that as it may, there is said to be anywhere between a staggering 88 - 94 million pet cats in the United States alone, which eclipses the roughly 84 - 90 million pet dogs in the country. In the same breath, while more households around the world share a roof with a canine companion, as reflected in the results of this particular survey and most other similar polls, more cat owners have taken it upon themselves to look after more than one pet. This just goes to show that the passion that cat lovers have for their feline friends is evidently comparable with, if not arguably greater than that of dog lovers as a whole. The Domestication of Cats: The History of the Only Domesticated Felidae Species and Their Relationship with Humans examines the origins of this exceptional bond, including scientific and mythical theories, and explores how cats were domesticated.
©2020 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors
Tales of Old
Summary
King Arthur wanted to search for the holy grail because it gave immortality. We will never know if King Arthur existed, but, in a way, he did achieve immortality. We are still talking about him after all these years. Arthur is a historic sacred figure to many British, embodying all their aspirations of nobility, honor, and goodness. The stories of the past are connected to each other. Everything that has ever happened since the beginning of time - the stars, the constellations - have been witnessing everything. The Greeks called those constellations Draco and Ursa Major, the Romans gave them the names Scorpio and the Big dipper.
©2019 Gabriel Ramirez (P)2020 Gabriel Ramirez
Greek Mythology: Gods, Heroes and the Trojan War of Greek Mythology
Summary
Greek Mythology Gods, Heroes and the Trojan War The Greek Mythology is indeed unparalleled in its engrossing appeal. To date, it serves to be an inspiration to box office hit movies, literature and much more. The fact that Greek Mythology, with its genesis in antiquity, can continue to fascinate generations of the modern world is remarkable in itself, but so are the many intriguing characters such as Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Artemis, Ares and Athena. Inside you will learn about… The Twelve Titans The Twelve Olympians The Heroes of Greek Mythology The Trojan War Ten Little Known Facts about Greek Mythology Although a simulacrum of the historic literary pieces of Homer and Hesiod, this eBook gives a crisp yet fulfilling account of the Titans, the Olympian gods, their affairs, feuds and rivalries; it provides a through account of the Trojan war and heroes such as Achilles, Hercules and Odysseus. It also includes bonus chapters divulging some enthralling secrets that are less known about the characters of the Greek Mythology. This is a reservoir of the many enchanting chronicles of Greek legends.
©2015 Stephan Weaver (P)2017 Stephan Weaver
The Byzantine Empire
Summary
If you want to discover captivating stories of people and events of the Byzantine Empire then keep reading.... The Byzantine Empire was founded during the chaotic third century. It was the time when revolts and civil wars were common, and Roman emperors merely lasted for a year. Despite being one of the most captivating historical periods of all time, the Byzantine Empire is a lesser known one, and it's rare to find an exciting resource on the topic. But that is about to change. In this new captivating history audiobook, you will: Explore a story of power and glory, anarchy and order, paganism and Christianity, war and peace, the West and the East Get familiar with the roots of the greatest controversies that defined the history of Europe and the entirety of Western civilization - the conflict between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and the one between Christianity and Islam Discover stories of remarkable emperors you’ve never heard of and about the astonishing bravery of Graeco-Roman heroes such as Constantine Dragases, who resisted the Ottomans until the end, and Belisarius, who fought the Persians to reconquer what used to be the Western Empire Learn more about the entire era called the Byzantine Empire in less time compared to studying boring textbooks All this and much more awaits you, so get instant access now by downloading now!
©2018 Captivating History (P)2018 Captivating History
![Cover art for Die Kultur der Zapoteken [The Zapotec Culture]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51W67cc5WbL._SL500_.jpg)
Die Kultur der Zapoteken [The Zapotec Culture]
Summary
Entdecken Sie die fesselnde Geschichte der Kultur der Zapoteken Die Kultur der Zapoteken lebte und blühte und weckte das Interesse der spanischen Konquistadoren. Als eine der größten mesoamerikanischen Zivilisationen jener Zeit trugen sie dazu bei die Welt, die die Konquistadoren bei ihrer Ankunft vorfanden, zu formen und zu gestalten. In Größe und Komplexität ihrer Gesellschaft nahmen sie es mit ihren Nachbarn, den Maya, auf. Sie waren Erneuerer und Intellektuelle, die eine Gesellschaft schufen, die den Königreichen und Sozialstrukturen der Maya sehr ähnlich war. Die Zapoteken waren ein faszinierendes Volk und dieses Buch versucht, einen frischen Blick auf eine Kultur zu werfen, die ebenso komplex, strukturiert und majestätisch war wie jedes ihrer mesoamerikanischen, südamerikanischen oder europäischen Pendants. Die Themen dieses Buches sind: Das Wolkenvolk und sein Gebiet Das Tal von Oaxaca Das Verständnis der Zapoteken und die Gründung von Monte Albán und seine Phasen Landwirtschaftliche Anfänge und die Entwicklung der Zivilisation Religion, Mythen, Opfer, Rituale und Macht Die Königliche Familie und ihre Angehörigen Die religiöse Ordnung Ein Tag im Leben der Zapoteken Die Künste, Sport und Technologie Der Krieg gegen die Azteken Die Ankunft der Konquistadoren Der Niedergang des Reichs … und vieles mehr, das Sie nicht verpassen möchten! Kaufen Sie das Buch jetzt und erfahren Sie mehr über die Kultur der Zapoteken! Please note: This audiobook is in German.
©2020 Captivating History (P)2021 Captivating History
The Birth of Classical Europe
Summary
To an extraordinary extent we continue to live in the shadow of the classical world. At every level, from languages to calendars to political systems, we are the descendants of a “classical Europe,” using frames of reference created by ancient Mediterranean cultures. As this consistently fresh and surprising new audio book makes clear, however, this was no less true for the inhabitants of those classical civilizations themselves, whose myths, history, and buildings were an elaborate engagement with an already old and revered past - one filled with great leaders and writers, emigrations and battles. Indeed, much of the reason we know so much about the classical past is because of the obsessive importance it held for so many generations of Greeks and Romans, who interpreted and reinterpreted their changing casts of heroes and villains. Figures such as Alexander the Great and Augustus Caesar loom large in our imaginations today, but they themselves were fascinated by what had preceded them. A stunning work of research and imagination, The Birth of Classical Europe is an authoritative history, covering two millennia of human experience and casting new light on the world that in many ways still defines our own. In their thoughtful look at the twin engines of memory and culture, Simon Price and Peter Thonemann show how our own changing values and interests have shaped our feelings about an era that is by some measures very remote but by others startlingly close.
©2011 Simon Price, Peter Thonemann (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp
Mysteries of the Sea
Summary
Water covers the vast majority of the planet, and people have looked upon the oceans for thousands of years with a mixture of awe and fear. The world’s water offers transportation, connections with distant lands, food, and beauty. Furthermore, the deep seas and oceans remain largely unexplored, especially farther below. All of these factors have led to centuries worth of mysteries and stories. Countless people have ventured out on those vast expanses of water, never to return, while others have plumbed the depths and made strange discoveries. The oceans of the world offer no end of intrigue, and people have long been living and telling some of the strangest tales ever heard on the high seas. Mysteries of the Sea: A Collection of Lost Ships, Supernatural Stories, and Other Odd Tales Underneath the Waves chronicles some of the most interesting stories associated with the planet’s oceans. You will learn about mysteries of the sea like never before.
©2019 Charles River Editors (P)2019 Charles River Editors
Byzantine Empire: A History from Beginning to End
Summary
According to history books, the Roman Empire ended in 476 CE with the fall of Rome. But if you asked most people alive at that time, they would have pointed you to what they considered the continuation of the Roman Empire - the civilization we now call the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines, however, were more than just a remnant of Roman glory. At its geographical peak, the Byzantine Empire stretched out across the Mediterranean world. Culturally, the Byzantines both preserved the knowledge of the classical world, much of which was lost in the West, and added to it. Inside you will hear about.... A Divided Empire The Fall of the West Rising to Glory An Age of War The Destruction of Icons The House of Macedon The Comnenian Revival The Final Decline And much more! Shaped by its classical roots, its Christian religion, and the changing medieval world, the story of the Byzantine Empire is one of both glorious victories and terrible defeats, of a civilization that rose from the brink of destruction again and again, and of the development of a culture whose vestiges remain today.
©2018 Hourly History (P)2018 Hourly History