Ancient Biography

Christmas is the most important holiday of the year. After the corresponding days that exalt the national pride of each country, such as Independence Day in the US, Victory Day in Russia, or Bastille Day in France, it's December 25 that articulates the life, the work, and the economy in much of the world, including many non-Christian countries. Since ancient times, the beginning of winter has been the occasion for most people to eat, drink, dance, and get together to beat the drum and take a break.

Few images in history have managed to capture and hold the popular imagination quite like that of Hannibal, the fearless North African, perched on a monstrous elephant, leading his mercenaries over the Alps and then, against all odds, descending the ice-covered peaks to challenge Rome in her own backyard for mastery of the ancient world. It was a bold move, and it established Hannibal as one of history's greatest commanders. But this same brilliant tactician is also one of history's most tragic figures; fate condemned him to win his battles but not his war.

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.

In this classic of social history, the author describes the lives of six obscure men and women of the Middle Ages. She draws on account books, records, letters, diaries, and wills to make the life of those times as concrete and comprehensible as our own.

The zenith of the Byzantine Empire was reached in the middle of the sixth century during the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527-565). The internal stabilization of the Byzantine state was completed, and Justinian then embarked on a wide range of external re-conquests. Justinian's prime directive was to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory in the west.

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.

“I will not be triumphed over.” Step into a realm where ambition sparks and kingdoms teeter on the edge—where Cleopatra VII is more than a distant legend. She’s a fearless ruler forging her destiny against Rome’s unstoppable might. Whether you know her from Hollywood whispers or dusty textbooks,this immersive audiobook dismantles every cliché and pulls you into the raw heart of an empire’s final stand. Inside This Audiobook: A Ruthless Court: Assassins. Rivals. Political vipers hiding behind marble columns.

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.

Socrates: A Life Worth Living traces the life and ideas of one of Western civilization’s founding philosophers, whose influence is still felt more than two thousand years later. Socrates is famous for how he died, executed by the Athenian government for corrupting the youth of Athens, but his most important contribution was to challenge the people around him to test their ideas and beliefs in conversation with each other, in the belief that in this way we could become a society that knows the difference between truth and falsehood, and find what makes a life worthwhile.

Una biografía completa del padre del imperio romano que resalta además los aspectos menos tratados de Julio César como su importancia como literato o su labor en Hispania. La vida de Julio César es una de las más apasionantes de todas las grandes personalidades de Roma: su ascenso social, sus conquistas, su capacidad como administrador, el complot que acabó con su asesinato y en el que participó su hijo, la sucesión, ya como emperador, de su hijo adoptivo Octavio Augusto, han dado lugar a numerosos manuales y ensayos, pero también a obras dramáticas.

Su nombre ha llegado hasta nosotros como un mito lejano y sin tiempo, uno de los filósofos más conocidos de la Antigüedad clásica. En su célebre escuela, denominada el Jardín, eran admitidos por igual hombres y mujeres, los cuales gozaban de los mismos derechos. Para él, la filosofía es un instrumento útil para conquistar la felicidad. ¿Cómo conquista el ser humano la felicidad? Cuando pone el placer como finalidad. Sin embargo, no es el placer sensual vinculado a las apetencias del cuerpo lo que el ser humano debe perseguir, sino....

All major historians agree that Gaius Caesar Caligula ruled as a depraved, cruel, and ruthless emperor. Yet some discrepancies in the historical accounts raise questions about what was true and what was libel intended to discredit Caligula as an utter raging, evil madman. This audiobook reexamines the evidence to reveal the exaggerations of history while still detailing the verified truth of Caligula’s monstrous ways.

The beautiful hetaera Thais was a real woman who inspired poets, artists, and sculptors in Athens, Memphis, Alexandria, Babylon, and Ecbatana. She traveled with Alexander the Great's army during his Persian campaign and was the only woman to enter the capitol of Persia - Persepolis. Love, beauty, philosophy, war, religion - all that and more in a historic masterpiece by Ivan Yefremov.

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.

Cleopatra: lover, seductress, and Egypt's greatest queen. A woman more myth than history, immortalized in poetry, drama, music, art, and film. She captivated Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, the two greatest Romans of the day, and died in a blaze of glory, with an asp clasped to her breast - or so the legend tells us. But the real-life story of the historical Cleopatra VII is even more compelling. She was the last of seven Cleopatras who ruled Egypt before it was subsumed into the Roman Empire. These extraordinary women keep a close grip on power in the wealthiest country of the ancient world.

Caligula’s father was a beloved military leader, so the Romans were initially glad to see his son take the throne, but Suetonius recounts the less flattering aspects of Caligula’s life and rule that followed his ascension. The narcissistic Caligula believed he was a god, and often replaced the busts of deities with his own. A devoted fan of gladiator fights, he also often had people assassinated, covered up the deed, and then claimed the deceased had committed suicide. Suetonius concludes this biography by detailing the omens that foreshadowed Caligula’s eventual assassination.

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.

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.

For hundreds of years, Palmyra’s wealth was a testament to its greatness, and its leaders displayed their political acumen by playing the middleman between the powerful Roman and Parthian Empires. As a result, the Palmyrenes built an eclectic culture that was as sophisticated as any of their contemporaries, but eventually the leadership of Palmyra overestimated their power and the greatness of their city quickly came crumbling down. One of the most significant females in late antiquity was Zenobia, who for just a few short years in the late 3rd century CE ruled the wealthy Palmyra.

Moses Ben Maimon, frequently called Maimonides, was a medieval philosopher who revolutionized thinking about ethics, reason, and the Jewish Torah through his emphasis on reason and evidence. His works were broadly accepted by the Sephardi Jewish community and spread across the medieval world, reaching the Jewish populations as far as Yemen, and though he lived in the 12th century, Maimonides continues to be one of the most studied scholars of Jewish law, philosophy, and theology.