Ancient Biography

"Dovevo fare i conti prima o poi con Nerone. Lo avevo già affrontato di lato, semplificandolo nel male, similmente a come si tende sempre più a fare semplificandolo nel bene", confessa Andrea Carandini. Chi si è occupato di Roma antica non può evitare di confrontarsi con quell’uragano che è stato Nerone. Per interpretare una personalità del passato romano fuori misura, come quella di Nerone, occorre con una parte di sé entrare nella sua logica, mentre con l’altra avversarla, evitando la soluzione facile e deludente del tiranno democratico e individuando i modelli a cui s’ispirava.

Embark on an exhilarating journey through the life of Alexander the Great, the brilliant strategist whose conquests and visionary leadership reshaped the ancient world and continue to inspire generations. Alexander the Great was a military genius whose ambitious campaigns and innovative strategies expanded the boundaries of his empire and bridged cultures across continents. This compelling biography delves into the true story of Alexander’s rise to power, his legendary battles, and the enduring impact of his conquests. From the royal courts of Pella, Macedonia, to the majestic palaces of ...

Cimon was forced into prison because of his father's debts, but rescued by his wife. From then, he sought great heights, battling the Persians on land and sea within the same day. His power grew so great he was kicked out of Sparta; would he manage to make a triumphant return?

Poche donne nella storia ebbero la possibilità di distinguersi nelle discipline scientifiche, considerate appannaggio maschile. La più nota, nella tarda antichità, fu senza dubbio Ipazia, scienziata e filosofa, nata ad Alessandria d'Egitto nel 370 d.C., inventrice di strumenti come il planisfero e l'astrolabio. Figlia del matematico Teone, e lei stessa primo matematico donna della storia, fu la più nota esponente alessandrina della scuola neoplatonica, circondata dal rispetto di allievi giunti da ogni angolo del mondo.

Although the city had been destroyed, the legacy of the Persians survived, even as they mostly remain an enigma to the West and are not nearly as well understood as the Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians. When considering this empire’s rulers, the two most often referenced are Xerxes, the leader of the Persian invasion of Greece which caused the heroic sacrifice of the Spartans and their allies at Thermopylae, or Cyrus the Great, the man who created the Persian Empire.

В истории Древнего Рима фигура Марка Туллия Цицерона одна из самых значительных и, возможно, самых трагических. Ученый, политик, гениальный оратор, сумевший искусством слова возвыситься до высот власти... Казалось бы, сами боги покровительствуют своему любимцу, усыпая его путь цветами. Но боги — существа переменчивые, человек в их руках — игрушка. И Рим — это не остров блаженных, Рим — это большая арена, где если не победишь ты, то соперники повергнут тебя, и часто со смертельным исходом. Козни влиятельных врагов во главе с народным трибуном Клодием, несправедливое обвинение и полтора года изгнания.

Diocleziano, che pure si ritiene aver posto fine con le sue riforme alla crisi del III secolo, è una figura di cui si sa relativamente poco. Le sue origini oscure, il suo ruolo nell'ultima grande persecuzione del cristianesimo, le sue dimissioni dalla carica imperiale nel 305, con la conseguente instabilità politica che portò, dieci anni dopo, al trionfo di Costantino: il libro traccia una sintetica biografia di Diocleziano mettendone in luce il progetto politico nel contesto della storia imperiale romana e illustrando i relativi problemi storiografici.

From pop culture and politics to tourism and heritage, and from the Jazz Age to the climate crisis, it's impossible to imagine the twentieth century without the discovery of Tutankhamun - yet so much of the story remains untold. Here, for the first time, Christina Riggs weaves compelling historical analysis with tales of lives touched by an encounter with Tutankhamun, including her own. Treasured offers a bold new history of the young pharaoh who has as much to tell us about our world as his own.

L'Imperatore romano Nerone è associato principalmente alla nefasta catastrofe che lui stesso provocò: il grave incendio che divorò Roma Antica nel 64 d.C. Ma chi era davvero Nerone? Questo saggio storico ripercorre la vita dello spietato despota, mostrandone però anche il lato meno noto: vittima, da un lato, di una psiche disturbata che lo spinse a uccidere la sua stessa madre, fu dall'altro anche uomo pronto a schierarsi dalla parte del popolo. E sono state proprio le sue eroiche gesta a cambiare per sempre il corso della storia.

Nerone è uno degli imperatori romani più noti al grande pubblico. Accusato fin dai tempi antichi di essere il responsabile del grande incendio che devastò Roma nel 64 d.C., nel corso dei secoli è diventato uno dei personaggi più negativi della storia: assassino sanguinario, esteta volubile, uomo assetato di potere, schiavo delle passioni, schiacciato dal peso di una madre troppo opprimente... Gli storici cristiani arrivarono perfino a descriverlo come l'Anticristo. Ma siamo sicuri che le cose siano andate così? Cosa sappiamo davvero di Nerone oggi al di là degli stereotipi?

Una originale biografia della regina egizia Cleopatra che riuscì a diventare un personaggio storico e letterario grazie alla sua intelligenza e alle sue doti personali di donna dal grande fascino e astuzia.

Charlemagne, while subjugating the people he conquered, modernized education, currency, art, music, and leadership to bring stability back to Europe, setting it on the path to thrive for years to come. Europe had been in upheaval, with threats from every direction, when Charlemagne came to power in the eighth century. The barbarian king worked to unite Germanic people into one kingdom and to spread Catholicism.

The audiobook begins with Caesar's early life, and the humble background from which he came. His accounts of great triumphs and great defeats are all included, as his exciting and eventful life is traced through the minutes of the book. Caesar was part of a time where record keeping was incredibly proficient, and the pieces we have to put together the life of this man and those around him are plentiful. Caesar's story is important down to the last detail, and this book encapsulates the details that matter.

An informative introduction to the life of Cleopatra. For more than 2,000 years, plays, poetry, movies, and television have portrayed Cleopatra as an ambitious woman who used her beauty to seduce powerful men like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony in a ruthless attempt to increase her own power and wealth. But is this the real Cleopatra, or one invented by male historians anxious to discredit an intelligent, competent woman who was the last great pharaoh of Egypt?

Given how bad some of Rome's emperors were, it's a testament to just how insane and reviled Caligula was that he is still remembered, nearly 2,000 years later, as the epitome of everything that could be wrong with a tyrant. The Romans had high hopes for him after he succeeded Tiberius in AD 37, and by all accounts he was a noble and just ruler during his first few months in power. But after that, he suffered a mysterious illness that apparently rendered him insane. Indeed, the list of Caligula's strange actions is long.

La figura di Caligola è estremamente complessa: passato alla storia come imperatore folle, Caligola è divenuto esempio di tiranno che non conosce limite ai suoi più turpi desideri. Ma la vita dell'imperatore cela luci e ombre: l'infanzia travagliata, la persecuzione di Tiberio e poi l'adozione da parte di quest'ultimo, l'inaspettata ascesa al potere, l'amore dei cittadini nei suoi confronti. Poi la malattia, la follia e, infine, la morte violenta, lo hanno consacrato come uno dei peggiori tiranni che la storia abbia mai conosciuto.

Nero ranks among the very worst of the caesars. He is a figure so hated that in many ancient Christian traditions, he is literally - without hyperbole - considered the Antichrist. He was the man who famously "fiddled while Rome burned" and his economic policies, according to many historians, virtually bankrupted Rome. Nero was an inveterate lecher, a murderous tyrant who showed little compunction in murdering his mother, and he liked to use Christian martyrs as sources of illumination by burning them alive at night.

Many are the exploits of Rome's emperors, but few were as infamous as Caligula. His reign was short, just fewer than four years. During that time he wallowed in depravity and lunacy. He came to power with the full backing of the people, but little did they know he would inspire their hatred soon into his reign. Caligula is a fascinating character because he was so complex.

When it came to Athens and their leaders, few were as influential as the politician and Stratego Nicias. In Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, he documents the Peloponnesian War and other great achievements of the time through the life of Nicias. Most importantly, he helped negotiate peace after a decades-long war, which made him popular after an unsuccessful start in politics. However, after many years of political truces and actions, his life took a turn for the worse.

Auf dem Höhepunkt der Kämpfe zwischen dem römischen Heer und den aufständischen Sklaven unter Führung des Spartacus (gest. 71 v. Chr.) kommt es zu einer Schlacht, die von den Legionen gewonnen wird. Der römische Feldherr fordert die gefangengenommenen Sklaven auf, ihren Anführer auszuliefern. Spartacus erhebt sich und ruft: "Ich bin Spartacus!" - doch dann rufen auch andere: "Ich bin Spartacus!" bis schließlich Tausende Gefangene einstimmen.