Ancient Europe

On 8 June AD218, a fourteen-year-old Syrian boy, egged on by his grandmother, led an army to battle in a Roman civil war. Against all expectations, he was victorious. Varius Avitus Bassianus, known to the modern world as Heliogabalus, was proclaimed emperor. The next four years were to be the strangest in the history of the empire. Heliogabalus humiliated the prestigious Senators and threw extravagant dinner parties for lower-class friends. He ousted Jupiter from his summit among the gods and replaced him with Elagabal.

How did we get here, to this time and place in history? Are we repeating history's mistakes because we did not learn about the pivotal events that shaped the modern world? This three-book history course helps you quickly understand the nuances and the impact of three crucial periods portrayed in countless films: the Crusades and of the rise and fall of two great empires, the Roman and British.

Few mixtures are as toxic as absolute power and insanity. When nothing stands between a leader's delusion whims and seeing them carried them out, all sorts of bizarre outcomes are possible. Whatever their background, these rulers show that dynastic politics made sure that a rightful heir always got on the throne - despite that heir's mental condition - and that power can destroy a mind worse than any mental illness.

Do you know whose culture outlasted the mighty Romans? The Celts! Their culture still sparks wonder today. But who were these incredible people, and how did their legacy shape the world we know? Journey Back to the Iron Age! Imagine a time over three thousand years ago in Western Europe, where the Celts lived vibrant lives long before the Romans and Anglo-Saxons stepped onto the scene. Discover a world where history is not just about dates but about astonishing tales of resilience and creativity.

Wildly swinging axes and swords upon majestic boats, Vikings have been a long-appreciated symbol of rage and power. They have been romanticized as overbearingly-manly warriors that plunder, loot and pillage villages all for the sake of dominance. They've always been in modern media, but where did they come from? How did they start? What brought them to the apex of influence that still makes them relevant up to this day? Their colorful history starts in the form of a migration. These warriors started out as nomads looking for new places to inhabit to prolong their lineage.

On his deathbed, some historians claim that when he was pressed to name a successor, Alexander the Great muttered that his empire should go "to the strongest". Other sources claim that he passed his signet ring to his general Perdiccas, thereby naming him successor, but whatever his choices were or may have been, they were ignored.

The Catacombs of Rome and Paris: The History and Legacy of Europe’s Most Famous Ossuaries examines the origins of these necropolises, their development throughout the years, and the period of rediscovery that put these subterranean cemeteries on the map. You will learn about the Roman and Parisian catacombs like never before.

It is hard to find an island on the map more central than Sicily. Located at the crossroads between Europe and Africa, and between the eastern and western Mediterranean, Sicily has rarely been governed as an independent, unified state. Nonetheless, the island has always occupied a front-row seat to some of the most important events in history.

Cuando J. R. R. Tolkien estaba escribiendo su obra más conocida, El señor de los anillos, entre 1937 y 1949, se inspiró en varias fuentes, siendo el folclore europeo la mayor fuente de inspiración. Sin embargo, según algunas fuentes, también usaría figuras históricas de la vida real y basaría sus personajes en ellas. Tomemos a Théoden, por ejemplo. Théoden era un anciano rey de Rohan que, después de que Gandalf el mago lo ayudara a quitarle el yugo de Grima Lengua de Serpiente, se lanzó a la batalla y murió aplastado por su caballo.

La maravillosa epopeya del gran Julio César en los desconocidos campos del sur de Francia, en un emotivo audiolibro que recoge el grueso de los episodios vividos y también relatados por el propio César entre el año 58 y 51 antes de Cristo.

Modern perceptions of Classical Greece are almost invariably based on Athens and Sparta, but there are perhaps few areas as consistently undervalued as the island of Rhodes. Although solidly part of the Greek world for as long as there has been one, Rhodes, located just off the coast of Asia Minor, was also from its earliest times a port opening to the civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean, and Rhodes was involved in every significant moment in ancient Greek history.

About 225 miles west of Ulaanbaatar, the present-day capital city of Mongolia, are the ruins of Karakorum, the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire. Located in the Orkhon River Valley, at the foot of the Khangai Mountain range, the city was founded by Genghis Khan in 1220 CE. Under his son and successor, Ögedei Khan, Karakorum grew into a thriving city, with high walls enclosing an urban landscape of brick-built structures and paved roads, divided into different districts with a palace, craft workshops, and marketplaces.

Naples (or, in Italian, Napoli) is the local capital of Campania and Italy's third-largest city, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 967,069 people living within the city's administrative limits since 2017. With a population of 3,115,320 people, its province-level town is Italy's third-most inhabited urbane city, and its city periods for around twenty miles outside the city walls. Naples, established by Greeks in the first millennium BC, is just one of the world's oldest constantly occupied cities.

Let's travel the final leg of a captivating musical odyssey with "Harmonies of Antiquity: A Scholarly Exploration of Ancient European Music - Book 3." This concluding volume, spanning chapters 17 to 24, delves deep into the evolution of musical manuscripts, the decline and transformation of ancient European music, the rediscovery of ancient melodies, and the enduring legacy of antiquity on contemporary compositions. From the illuminated pages of musical manuscripts to the cultural crossroads where ancient traditions met the challenges of time, this book paints a vivid picture of the ...

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.

Unlock the hidden secrets of the Crusades in The Supernatural Crusades: Hidden Mystical Forces and Dark Magic in the Holy Wars, a captivating exploration of the shadowy undercurrents that influenced some of the most iconic battles in history. This comprehensive and meticulously researched account delves deep into the untold stories of ancient spells, forbidden rituals, and supernatural forces that were wielded by both Christian and Muslim warriors in their relentless pursuit of victory and divine favor.

La historia de los tres enfrentamientos militares más famosos de la Antigüedad. Roma y Cartago, las dos potencias de la época, se enfrentaron encarnizadamente en pos de la supremacía mundial. En un principio, el éxito parecía sonreír a los romanos, sin embargo, muy pronto los cartagineses cambiarían el curso de los acontecimientos tras la aparición de quizás el mayor genio militar de la historia: Aníbal.

Historia menor de Grecia toma directamente las fuentes históricas para plasmar de forma literaria una reveladora colección de gestos humanos: decisiones, testimonios, ejemplos de conducta, personajes y hechos de la "segunda fila" de la historia, que ilustran de manera esclarecedora y emotiva la conformación y la supervivencia del espíritu humanista desde la Antigüedad hasta nuestros días.

The story of the Silk Road has been a popular topic among tourists, academics, economists, state parties, and daydreaming children for many centuries. In many ways the Silk Road can be seen everywhere, and it has existed for as long as people have traveled across Eurasia. Its impact is widely felt among the diverse peoples that live on the continent, through the unique regional art and architectural styles, as well as in countless films, books, academic studies, and organized tours devoted to the ancient trade routes.

The Netherlands has a history that dates far back, even before Roman times. Let’s take a look at what happened during the times of the Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire, or during it, we slowly see a transition into different cultures, habits, and beliefs, which inaugurated, at the time, the Medieval centuries, or the Middle Ages. Let’s explore what happened to the Netherlands area during that time as well.