Ancient Empires

In Romantic Whispers of the Lyre, Roman scholar Lucius journeys to Palmyra seeking ancient musical secrets—only to fall for Mara, a gifted musician hiding her identity as a warrior princess. As forbidden love blossoms, Lucius and Mara must navigate betrayal, political intrigue, and their own divided loyalties in a world on the edge of war. Amid ancient ruins and rising tension, their passion may unite two worlds—or be silenced forever by the shadows of empire.

During the first half of the first millennium CE, an empire arose in Persia that extended its power and influence to Mesopotamia in the east, Arabia in the south, the Caucasus Mountains in the north, and as far east as India. This empire, known alternatively as the Sasanian Empire or Sassanid Empire, was the last of three great dynasties in Persia before the rise of Islam. In fact, many scholars consider the Sasanian Empire to be the last great empire of the ancient Near East.

The Civil War is Julius Caesar's account of the years of turmoil during which he battled Pompey the Great for control of Rome. The third member of their ruling First Triumvirate - Crassus - had been killed waging war in Syria while Caesar was in Gaul extending the empire to the shores of the English Channel. The jealous joint-ruler Pompey intimidated the Senate into ordering Caesar to disband his army, but Caesar refused and crossed the Rubicon into Roman territory, effectively declaring war on Pompey, the Senate, and Rome itself.

Darkness falls. Evil returns. Belgada lies on the precipice of ruin. Even with the rebels under Zagros defeated and the Fifteenth Legion surviving their trials, further demons simmer from deep within the empire. A terrifying old danger arises from high in the Cyna Mountains, thrusting Air Captain Martius and Empress Talia into another struggle. War explodes as the gryphon riders flee north to the loyalist army. Martius and Avorian worry about their friends and allies and fret at what further schemes the rebel Paulus has waiting for them. The penultimate novel of the War Gryphon Saga is here...

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.

One day ago I was a programmer, and one day later I actually traveled to Rome to become a Roman warrior. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of ancient Rome, where political maneuvering, clandestine plots, and the insatiable pursuit of power take center stage. Sheila Gates weaves a gripping narrative that will transport you to a world of honor, deceit, and the struggle for the soul of an empire. Dive into the heart of the Roman Senate, where Valerius Aurelius, a cunning and influential senator, finds himself entangled in a web of schemes and hidden agendas. As alliances shift and secrets ...

This book contains the daily life, culture, training, battles, history, and kings of the Spartan Empire. From the birth of their city to the end, the Spartans endured a history of violence and war. Similar to their stories, the traditional Spartan warrior also lived the daily life of a soldier. From the moment they were born and if they were allowed to live, they were trained and conditioned to be some of the most efficient and lethal killing machines. Dominating the land through some of the most famous battles of all time, the Spartans were a force to be reckoned with.

The 12 months known in history as the "Year of the Four Emperors" was a pivotal chapter in the long epoch of the Roman Empire. It marked the tumultuous end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the advent of a year of civil war, renewal, and realignment, the result of which was the establishment of a new era and the founding of a new (and arguably more rational and responsible) imperial dynasty.

Brazil has a rich and complicated history that few outside South America know about. It leads the world in some of the most profitable exports (gold, sugar, oil, and coffee), yet Brazil has one of the largest wealth disparities in the world, being known for crime and poverty.

You’ve probably heard about Egypt and the amazing pyramids they built, but did you know that there is a lot more to ancient African history than just the Egyptians? They were only a small part of Africa’s amazing history.

Do you know why the Romans were considered the most powerful nation in the world for many centuries? How did they live? What was life like in early Rome? In this audiobook, you’ll discover how they lived, what they ate, and how they entertained themselves. Discover the story of how Rome began and why the Roman Empire fell. Learn about some of the greatest soldiers who led the Roman armies into battle and the kinds of weapons they used. Learn about famous emperors and whether they were loved or hated—and why.

The Severan dynasty came shortly after the Five Good Emperors, and it also consisted of five emperors who ruled the empire from 193-235, except for a brief interlude between 217 and 218 when Macrinus held the imperial throne. The Severans' story encapsulates many highs and lows, including able and venal emperors, expansion and loss of territory, great artistic achievements, and intellectual advancements coupled with some of the worst cruelty ever perpetrated by Romans.

No discussion of the 19th Century is complete without Napoleon. We begin with Charles Phillips’ eulogy, summarizing the strangeness and contradiction of the most influential man of his time. Followed by 7 brief speeches by Napoleon himself.

Precursors to the Aztecs (amazing in their own right), the Toltec people were the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilization honored for their artisanship and tactile warfare - considered so fierce and respectable that the Aztecs claimed descendancy from them! How did this empire come to be regarded as the apex of culture, sophistication, and civilization? Why did the Aztecs overtake them, and how? And…which came first: the Mayans, the Toltecs, or the Aztecs? Explore these questions and more as you step into amazing architectural sites in Indiana Jones-eque style.

It is probably the greatest story in all history: how the people in a tiny village on the Tiber River took over the entire known world of its day and developed brilliant literature, buildings, armies, roads, and laws that we still talk about thousands of years later. Discover the glorious history of Rome.

When scholars study the history of the ancient Near East, several wars that had extremely brutal consequences (at least by modern standards) often stand out. Forced removal of entire populations, sieges that decimated entire cities, and wanton destruction of property were all tactics used by the various peoples of the ancient Near East against each other, but the Assyrians were the first people to make war a science. When the Assyrians are mentioned, images of war and brutality are among the first that come to mind, despite the fact that their culture prospered for nearly 2,000 years.

Life is short and cheap in Nero’s arenas. A single stab can annihilate humanity. Rome, 54 AD: Rawena overcomes a lion with just a spear and a dagger, making the emperor believe she’s a sorceress. Cursed to unleash a plague when steel pierces her heart, the immortal Celtic woman fears that Nero’s desire to learn her secrets will trigger a catastrophe. Her fight against destiny pulls Rawena into a whirlpool of dazzling perils. The rat-goddess who cursed her strives to drag her soul into a pestilential swamp. Her sister longs to destroy her. So does the man Rawena once loved. Then the ...

The slave army has been crushed, any hope of freedom has been obliterated by the legions of Rome. A lone gladiator is surrounded by his captors, his body beaten and bloodied. He expected only death and yet the blades did not rise and fall. A figure picked its way through the crowd, the clean, whiteness of his garments stood in stark contrast against its surroundings. The gladiator raised his head, fighting against his injuries and exhaustion, he would not show fear before this prancing peacock sent from Rome. His days may well be coming to an end, but he had dared to challenge Rome and he ...

Glory. Power. Legend. Come and Take Them. Martius flies above his army on the back of the great gryphon Avorian. No matter how hard they fight, Belgada spirals further into chaos. The traitor Paulus roams free. Princess Talia is adrift and lost. New enemies await behind every shadow. The Fifteenth Legion has a trial before it, and all the world is watching. With victory comes legend. With defeat, devastation. Can Martius find the strength to fight and the bravery to lead? Or are greater forces at work, pulling him and the empire toward darkness and disaster? The next chapter of Martius's ...

The Hittites are an ancient people who remain somewhat enigmatic, but their influence on the ancient Near East is undeniable. From high in their capital of Hattusa in central Anatolia, the Hittites were able to conquer and control a kingdom that roughly comprised the area of modern Turkey, Syria, and parts of Iraq and Lebanon through a combination of brute military force and shrewd diplomatic machinations.