Illustrations by Simon Noyes. Endpaper maps by Reg Piggott.Contains "Auðun's Tale", "Grænlendinga Saga", "Eirík's Saga", "The Tale of Thorstein Stangarhögg (Staff-Struck)", "Egil's Saga", "Hrafnkel's Saga", "Eyrbyggja Saga", "Vopnfirðinga Saga", "Bandamanna Saga", "Gunnlaug's Saga", "The Tale of Thiðrandi and Thórhall" and "Njál's Saga".

    We believe that this is the most detailed published work available on the subject and includes a full English translation of the ancient Sanskrit text Shiva Swarodaya. This is an important text for advanced yoga practitioners and yoga teachers.

    In spite of his preeminent stature, this is the first edition of Po Chü?-i's poetry to appear in the West. It encompasses the full range of his work, from the early poems of social protest to the later recluse poems, whose spiritual depths reflect both his life-long devotion to Taoist and Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist practice. David Hinton's translations of ancient Chinese poetry have earned wide acclaim for creating compelling English texts that have altered our conception of Chinese poetry. Among his books published by New Directions are The Selected Poems of Tu Fu, and The Selected Poems of Li Po. His work has been supported by fellowships from The National Endowment for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Humanities.

    Many ancient techniques from the Upanishads are adapted for the modern mind. This book is designed for those already familiar with the fundamentals of meditation and have a degree of mastery in the pratyahara (sensory withdrawal) practices.

    Scholars have also admired the text's deep political and military dimensions.Written in the fifth century B.C.E., the "History of the Peloponnesian War" has been placed alongside Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and Carl von Clausewitz's "On War" as one of the great treatises on strategy. The perfect companion to Thucydides's impressive text, this volume details the strategic concepts at work within the "History of the Peloponnesian War" and demonstrates how, through case studies of recent conflicts in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, Thucydidean thought remains vital to the analysis of strategic operations.Some scholars have credited Thucydides with founding the discipline of international relations. Written by scholars with extensive experience in this and related fields, "Thucydides on Strategy" situates the historian solidly within the annals of classical history and within the world of modern war.

    It covers all the principal stories, characters (divine, human, and animal), sacred sites, and important events that shaped past civilizations...and our own. Extensive quotations from the original sources and over 100 illustrations enliven more than 400 articles.

    Contents: The Ant and the Grasshopper The Twelve dancing princesses The Brave little tailor The City mouse and the Country mouse Saint George and the Dragon The Golden Goose Demeter and Persephone George Washington and the Cherry Tree Thumbelina A Brer Rabbit story Androcles and the Lion The Brownie of Blednock Icarus and Daedalus The Wild Swans Ali Baba Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Gulliver's Travels The Nightingale Rip Van Winkle

    Iscium, an isolated Roman town in the west of Britain, is cut off from the collapsing Empire. Most of the town senators and officials are primarily concerned with keeping a low profile with the neighboring barbarians and renovating the city baths--with the exception of the crotchety old bishop. But when young Falx runs away, and finds a lost barbarian girl, things begin to happen. The children are brought back by a one-eyed merchant who returns them to an Iscium quivering with the possibility of a barbarian invasion. The mysterious merchant has a plan--involving two talking ravens and The Hallelujah Chorus--and life is never quite the same again, for either the Romans or their invaders. A zany mix of history, humor, and the miraculous--in the satisfying tradition of Don Camillo. Ages 14 and up.

    Nor ever before in such a charming, conversational yet dramatic and modern way. The tellings of Athena. Aphrodite, and Hera intertwine (though none repeats a myth), enabling us to hear more than one perspective on events and motives -- say, for instance, their wrangle over the golden apple and the outbreak of the Trojan War. And the cast of Olympian, mortal, and animal characters is unforgettable, as it has been since the times of Homer, Hesiod, Virgil, and Ovid, whose originals are the author's first sources here. Miraculous births, triumphs and sorrows in love, spats and adventures are all given a personal vividness, the voice of each goddess bring distinctly her own. An introduction in the author's voice oasis light on the Greeks' sense of right and wrong, and on their attitudes toward the social/political position of women (debased on earth, exalted on high), as well as explaining how children helped in the shaping of this book. In an Epilogue/Afterword, the goddesses personally invite readers to Olympus to choose among them as the young shepherd Paris had to. But now, their rivalries stilled, a sense of sisterhood prevails. Opulent original paintings adorn their tellings; back-matter pages of sculptures, vases, and friezes show how Classical artists imagined the goddesses, whose selves have proved to be deservedly immortal.

    Age 8+

    Studying Achaemenid history has been difficult in the past because original sources include texts from hugely disparate origins, many different languages and various periods in history; the risk is to rely too heavily on biased and often inaccurate Greek and Roman sources. Amelie Kuhrt presents here an unprecedented collection of key texts to form a balanced representation of all aspects of the Empire, in translations from their original Greek, Old Persian, Akkadian, Hebrew, Aramaic, Egyptian or Latin. Kuhrt selects from classical writers, the Old Testament, royal inscriptions, administrative documents and Babylonian historical writing, as well as the evidence of monuments, artefacts and archaeological sites. All material is accompanied by a detailed introduction to the sources and guidelines to their interpretation. A truly monumental achievement, this collection will prove to be a major resource for any student of Persian history, from undergraduate level to the advanced scholar.

    But in Constantine and the Bishops, historian H. A. Drake offers a fresh and more nuanced understanding of Constantine's rule and, especially, of his relations with Christians.Constantine, Drake suggests, was looking not only for a god in whom to believe but also a policy he could adopt. Uncovering the political motivations behind Constantine's policies, Drake shows how those policies were constructed to ensure the stability of the empire and fulfill Constantine's imperial duty in securing the favor of heaven.Despite the emperor's conversion to Christianity, Drake concludes, Rome remained a world filled with gods and with men seeking to depose rivals from power. A book for students and scholars of ancient history and religion, Constantine and the Bishops shows how Christian belief motivated and gave shape to imperial rule.

    Few visit its shores-until Poseidon marries a beautiful woman named Cleito and transforms the island into a rich and fertile paradise, where all things flourish. A magnificent city arises. Poseidon names his perfect island Atlantis. Atlantis prospers and its people live in peace, but as the years pass, Poseidon's descendants start to act less like gods and more like men. When the people incur the wrath of their god, a terrible curse is carried out and the entire island sinks forever beneath the waves.This retelling of the history of fabled Atlantis is based on Plato's Timaeus and Critias. It features a note by internationally known historian Geoffrey Ashe, who has written extensively in the area of mythology.

    Through the epic adventures of colorful characters--from kings and beggars to gods and demons--the reader may glimpse the ancient wisdom of early humankind.Spanning the centuries from Atlantis to the civilizations of India, Persia, Babylonia, and Egypt, the author portrays human development, from primitive hunters to builders of magnificent cities and the great pyramids. Buddha, Krishna, Rama, Zarathustra, Gilgamesh, Isis, and Osiris are just a few of the lively participants in the unfolding historical narrative.

    Erik Hornung, the world's leading authority on these religious texts, surveys what is known about them today.The contents of the texts range from the collection of spells in the Book of the Dead, which was intended to offer practical assistance on the journey to the afterlife, to the detailed accounts of the hereafter provided in the Books of the Netherworld. Hornung looks closely at these latter works, while summarizing the contents of the Book of the Dead and other widely studied examples of the genre. For each composition, he discusses the history of its ancient transmission and its decipherment in modern times, supplying bibliographic information for any text editions. He also seeks to determine whether this literature as a whole presents a monolithic conception of the afterlife. The volume features many drawings from the books themselves--drawings that illustrate the nocturnal course of the sun god through the realm of the dead.Originally published in German and now available in a fluid English translation, this volume offers an accessible and enlightening introduction to a central element of ancient Egyptian religion.

    Based on olive oil, fish, herbs and vegetables, it was the origin of modern European cooking and, in particular, of what we now call the Mediterranean diet.

    The history, philosophy and literature continue to intrigue and enthral. Now John Hazel has compiled the definitive biographical guide to the Greek and Hellenistic world from 750 BC to the end of the Roman Empire.The lives of Alexander the Great, Socrates and Plato are opened up, but so too are those of lesser-known figures: Bacchylides the lyric poet; Chares the general; and the traitor Ephialtes, giving a thorough and fascinating overview of life in Ancient Greece.

    Not only did it occur, but the history of the ancient Southwest cannot be understood without noting the intensity and impact of this warfare.Most people today, including many archaeologists, view the Pueblo people of the Southwest as historically peaceful, sedentary corn farmers. Our image of the Hopis and Zunis, for example, contrasts sharply with the more nomadic Apaches whose warfare and raiding abilities are legendary. In Prehistoric Warfare in the American Southwest Steven LeBlanc demonstrates that this picture of the ancient Puebloans is highly romanticized. Taking a pan-Southwestern view of the entire prehistoric and early historic time range and considering archaeological and ethnohistorical evidence and oral traditions, he presents a different picture.War, not peace, was commonplace and deadly throughout the prehistoric sequence. Many sites were built as fortresses, communities were destroyed, and populations massacred. The well-known abandonments of much of the Southwest were warfare related. During the late prehistoric period fighting was particularly intense, and the structure of the historic pueblo societies was heavily influenced by warfare.Objectively sought, evidence for war and its consequences is abundant. The people of the region fought for their survival and evolved their societies to meet the demands of conflict. Ultimately, LeBlanc asserts that the warfare can be understood in terms of climate change, population growth, and their consequences.

    The purpose of these poems is unclear, but they seem to have some connection with cult songs used in religious festivals--for example, those honoring Dionysus and Demeter. In this completely new Loeb Classical Library edition of early Greek iambic poetry, Douglas Gerber provides a faithful and fully annotated translation of the fragments that have come down to us. Archilochus expressed himself in colorful and vigorous language. Famous throughout antiquity for his winged barbs, he is often considered the archetypal poet of blame. Other major poets in this volume are Semonides, best known for a long misogynistic poem describing ten types of wives; and Hipponax, who was much admired by the poets of Hellenistic Alexandria, in part for his depictions of the licentious and seamy side of society.

    This illustrated book is packed with facts about the ancient world; traces the rise and fall of civilizations with vivid scenes, historical events, stunning reconstructions, maps, timelines, and important dates.

    

    Some argued for immediate and decisive military action, while others pleaded that a war should not be fought over Serbia. War broke out within four weeks. Uncovered Editions are historic official papers which have not previously been available in a popular form.

    It examines the ways in which these texts were created, disseminated and read.Beside covering the major Roman historical authors such as Livy and Tacitus, he also considers the contributions of authors in other genres like: * Cicero* Lucian* Aulus Gellius.Literary Texts and the Roman Historian provides an accessible and concise introduction to the complexities of Roman historiography