Ancient Biography

Nero’s extravagance has become nothing short of legendary. In its day, it was incredibly destructive to his people, particularly after the Great Fire of Rome - a fire that he may have even started. Instead of assisting the ten districts that had been damaged by the fire, Nero took advantage of the extra space to build himself a golden palace. He murdered, among others, his own mother, his ex-wife, and his stepbrother. He was additionally a rapist, a child molester, and a brutal abuser.

Some say he was the greatest warrior in history, building an empire that extended from Europe to Africa and on to India and Central Asia. In a stirring narrative, famed historian John Gunther tells the story of Alexander the Great who, at only age 21, became King of Macedonia and set off on a 12-year journey to conquer the known world and extend the boundaries of Greek civilization.

King Xerxes I: The Life and Legacy of the Achaemenid Persian Empire’s Most Notorious Ruler looks at the life of the Persian leader and the major conflicts he led. You will learn about Xerxes like never before.

The personalities of the Twelve Caesars of ancient Rome - Julius Caesar and the first 11 Roman emperors who followed him - have profoundly impressed themselves upon the world. They bore the perilous responsibility of governing an empire comparable in its gigantic magnitude and diversity to the United States and the Soviet Union of the 1980s. It is a matter of perennial concern to investigate how the potentates who wield such vast might, and the men who advise them, cope with their task.

How much do you know about the key role women played in shaping the theatre we all know and love today? Perhaps you know little about the women who made theatre what it is today, and you are searching for a book that will help you improve your knowledge of musicals and their history. Or maybe you already have a strong understanding of the history of Broadway musicals, and you are searching for a book that covers the biographies of women in theatre in great detail. The truth is women’s role in the rise of theatre is greatly underappreciated. That is, until now. Introducing The Wonderful ...

It would be hard if not outright impossible to overstate the impact Roman Emperor Constantine I had on the history of Christianity, Ancient Rome, and Europe as a whole. Best known as Constantine the Great, the kind of moniker only earned by rulers who have distinguished themselves in battle and conquest, Constantine remains an influential and controversial figure to this day. He achieved enduring fame by being the first Roman emperor to personally convert to Christianity.

Plato recorded the final days of his mentor, Socrates, who was tried and condemned in Athens in 399 B.C. on trumped-up charges of being a heretic and corrupter of the young. This collection comprises 4 books: Euthyphro, in which Socrates engages Euthyphro in a debate on the steps of the courthouse where he is to stand trial, The Apology, in which Socrates argues on his own behalf, Crito, in which Socrates's friends and supporters visit him in prison and urge him to recant.

Acclaimed as "the first citizen of Athens", Pericles was one of the greatest statesmen ancient Greece ever produced. During the Golden Age of Athens, in the much admired 5th century B.C., Pericles epitomized the influential politician. But he was also a brilliant orator and military leader brought up in the competitive environment of Greek democracy.

A little over 2000 years ago a man named Julius Caesar changed the world. Even if you have never heard of him, his lasting legacy has no doubt had an impact on your life. Even the very calendar that you use is based upon the system he created, with the month of July bearing his name. So who was this man that single-handedly changed the course of history? This audiobook follows the life and legacy of the man whose life stood between Republic and Empire.

Alexander of Macedon was only 33 years old when he died, leaving behind him a sprawling empire of impressive size, which encompassed dozens of different people groups, religions, cultures, customs, and - of course - problems. Naturally, Alexander is well-known as a figure, but how well do we really know him? How much of his fascinating story is true, and how much is mere legend?

Nessun antico sovrano ha ispirato più leggende di Gaio Giulio Cesare. Sotto la sua guida, Roma conquistò territori in tutta l'Europa e nel Mediterraneo, raggiungendo il Mare del Nord e la Gran Bretagna. Il suo acume tattico e la comprensione intuitiva di come lavoravano soldati ed eserciti fece nascere una struttura militare che ha permesso ai generali romani di espandere i confini dell'impero per generazioni future, e la sua visione di un'Europa unita ha ispirato altri leader militari per centinaia di anni.

The biography of Titus Pomponius Atticus was one of Nepos' greatest writings during his life. Considered by many to be one of the most upstanding men in ancient history, and the friend of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, he lived during one of the most turbulent and important periods of ancient Rome. Learn how a politican could actually manage to maintain honor and fulfill his duty without being swayed or tempted by personal interest and gain.

Espartaco, un esclavo de origen tracio cuyos primeros años de vida están escondidos en las brumas de la historia, es una de las figuras más famosas de la antigüedad. Probablemente fue el gladiador más famoso de todos y parte de su historia sirvió de inspiración para la galardonada película Gladiador. A pesar de que millones de personas están familiarizadas con su historia, Espartaco sigue siendo una figura extrañamente misteriosa y su faceta más íntima nunca ha sido revelada al mundo.

Though the Romans were known for having contributed much to culture and the arts, there was one facet that was unrivaled when it came to ancient civilizations: their published works. Philosophy was their forte, and it goes without saying that the meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a superb piece of philosophical writings and musings. What is interesting about this collection is that it chronicles his thoughts during the time of his reign as Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180.

Years ago, archaeologists excavating near Pompeii unearthed a hoard of Roman treasures, among them a bowl depicting a woman with thick, curly hair and sporting an elephant-scalp headdress. For decades, theories circulated about her identity―until, at last, she was ascertained to be Cleopatra Selene, the only surviving daughter of Roman Triumvir Marc Antony and Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII. Using this discovery as her starting point and creating a narrative from mere fragments in the archaeological record, historian Jane Draycott reconstructs the exceptional life of this woman.

Cleopatra’s palace shimmered with onyx and gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Though her life spanned fewer than 40 years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. Famous long before she was notorious, Cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Stacy Schiff boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order, a generation before the birth of Christ.

This new, original translation of Cornelius Nepos's Lives of the Great Commanders is the first to appear in many generations. The Roman writer Cornelius Nepos (circa 110 BC to 25 BC) was one of the first biographers in the Western tradition. He composed memorable and entertaining sketches of some of the most famous statesmen of antiquity.

Africa may have given rise to the first human beings, and Egypt probably gave rise to the first great civilizations, which continue to fascinate modern societies across the globe nearly 5,000 years later. From the Library and Lighthouse of Alexandria to the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Ancient Egyptians produced several wonders of the world, revolutionized architecture and construction, created some of the world’s first systems of mathematics and medicine, and established language and art that spread across the known world.

El llamado 'Azote de Dios', fue el último y más poderoso caudillo de los hunos, tribu procedente probablemente de Asia, cuyas posesiones se extendían desde la Europa Central hasta el Mar Negro, y desde el río Danubio hasta el mar Báltico. Su fama de hombre cruel, sanguinario y guerrero, pero a la vez inteligente y estadista, maravillaron a los europeos antiguos.

He was the first emperor of one of the greatest empires ever known to man. He commanded unmatched authority in the ancient world and was always one step ahead of his opponents. He had an intellect and a sharp wit that could cut down his foes just as easily as the steel of his sword. The life of Octavian - later known as Augustus - was rich and full. Although he lived and died over 2,000 years ago, this founder of the Roman Empire is as intriguing as ever.