His death at the age of thirty-two spelled the end of that unity.The story of Alexander's conquest of the Persian empire is known to many readers, but the dramatic and consequential saga of the empire's collapse remains virtually untold. It is a tale of loss that begins with the greatest loss of all, the death of the Macedonian king who had held the empire together. With his demise, it was as if the sun had disappeared from the solar system, as if planets and moons began to spin crazily in new directions, crashing into one another with unimaginable force.Alexander bequeathed his power, legend has it, 'to the strongest,' leaving behind a mentally damaged half brother and a posthumously born son as his only heirs. In a strange compromise, both figures, Philip III and Alexander IV, were elevated to the kingship, quickly becoming prizes, pawns, fought over by a half-dozen Macedonian generals. Each successor could confer legitimacy on whichever general controlled him.At the book's center is the monarch's most vigorous defender; Alexander's former Greek secretary, now transformed into a general himself. He was a man both fascinating and entertaining, a man full of tricks and connivances, like the enthroned ghost of Alexander that gives the book its title, and becomes the determining factor in the precarious fortunes of the royal family.James Romm, brilliant classicist and storyteller, tells the galvanizing saga of the men who followed Alexander and found themselves incapable of preserving his empire. The result was the undoing of a world, formerly united in a single empire, now ripped apart into a nightmare of warring nation-states struggling for domination, the template of our own times.

    Easy to read and beautifully illustrated, it includes Heracles' mighty tasks, Pandora's box, King Midas's golden touch, and more!

    Includes a Gods and Goddesses Family Tree Poster and Stickers! Packed with action, adventure, tragedy, and triumph, A Child'sIntroduction to Greek Mythology acquaints kids ages 9-12 with all the fantastic and memorable classic Greek myths. The book is organized into two main parts. The first section introduces the gods and goddesses, from Apollo to Hades, as well as nymphs, satyrs, centaurs, and the mortal descendants of Zeus, such as Hercules and Midas. Part two is dedicated to the myths themselves: Pandora's Box, Prometheus' Discovery of Fire, the Trojan Horse and many more. Sidebars feature word definitions and fun facts, as well as games and projects. As with all of the other books in the Child's Introduction series, Meredith Hamilton's witty and charming illustrations add yet another dimension to the excellent and absorbing text.

    Its 2,000 footnotes and supplemental subject index are beneficial additions. It has been highly recommended by notable personalities such as Sheik Yusuf Estes, Dr. Zakir Naik, Dr. Sabeel Ahmed, Imam Siraj Wahaj and Dr. Bilal Philips.

    general Norman Schwarzkopf. But who was this great king of Macedon? And why is he so legendary?Go beyond the myth and learn about the man who changed the face of the ancient world and laid the foundation for the great traditions of the Roman Empire - all in fewer than 12 years. These 36 spellbinding lectures take you deep inside the world of Alexander to witness the astonishing feats of military genius that made his name renowned for millennia after his death.Through this detailed portrait, you'll go beyond the legends and the myths to truly understand what made Alexander great. Along the way, several Alexanders emerge: the military general, Macedonian king, Persian emperor, Egyptian pharaoh, and leader of the Hellenic League. You learn about the many aspects of this extraordinary individual - his passions, extraordinary talents, and the training that helped mold his character. You'll learn how battles were fought and won in the ancient world and examine Alexander's great martial achievements within this larger military history. You'll also head onto the battlefield to analyze some of Alexander's Average triumphs, including the Battle of the Granicus River and the Battle of the Hydaspes River.Alexander's empire did not survive beyond his lifetime, but his legacy has cast a long shadow on the history of the West. Join Professor Harl for this journey into the world of Alexander and see how the Western world - and, indeed, our world - still bear the marks of this legendary conqueror.

    These were the soldiers that defied the might of Persia at Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea and, more often, fought each other in the countless battles of the Greek city-states. For around two centuries they were the dominant soldiers of the Classical world, in great demand as mercenaries throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Yet, despite the battle descriptions of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon etc, and copious evidence of Greek art and archaeology, there are still many aspects of hoplite warfare that are little understood or the subject of fierce academic debate.Christopher Matthew's groundbreaking reassessment combines rigorous analysis of the literary and archaeological evidence with the new disciplines of reconstructive archaeology, re-enactment and ballistic science. He focuses meticulously on the details of the equipment, tactics and capabilities of the individual hoplites. In so doing he challenges some long-established assumptions. For example, despite a couple of centuries of study of the hoplites portrayed in Greek vase paintings, Matthew manages to glean from them some startlingly fresh insights into how hoplites wielded their spears. These findings are supported by practical testing with his own replica hoplite panoply and the experiences of a group of dedicated re-enactors. He also tackles such questions as the protective properties of hoplite shields and armour and the much-vexed debate on the exact nature of the 'othismos' , the climax of phalanx-on-phalanx clashes.This is an innovative and refreshing reassessment of one of the most important kinds of troops in ancient warfare, sure to make a genuine contribution to the state of knowledge.

    NOTE: This title is now replaced by the author's version, The Divine Blueprint: Temples, Power Places, and the Global Plan to Shape the Human Soul.Can a temple transform a person into an extraordinary being?In this ground-breaking book, researcher and best-selling author Freddy Silva explores the origin of sacred sites and discovers that behind ancient temples lies a secret, spiritual technology whose roots lie with a race that survived a global flood in 9703 BC.According to surviving texts, groups of sages set out to “rebuild the former mansions of the gods” by creating a vast, interconnected network of power places on the Earth’s hotspots of energy — temples that would serve as self-help centers for future generations.Based on solid evidence, this original work reveals how a measurable energy in these sacred sites is capable of inducing altered states, essentially validating ancient accounts which describe such portals as living intermediaries between matter and spirit that serve to “transform men into gods.”And what’s more, these portals are still working.From Stonehenge and the sacred places of Egypt, to India, the Americas, Pacific islands and the Far East, it is a 17,000-year journey of levitating stones, underwater “cities of knowledge,” 15-foot tall gods, and the secret esoteric groups who’ve kept their single-minded vision alive throughout recent history. The aim? The spiritual transformation of every person on Earth.

    

    Kyle Harper challenges traditional interpretations of a transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages, arguing instead that a deep divide runs through 'late antiquity', separating the Roman slave system from its early medieval successors. In the process, he covers the economic, social and institutional dimensions of ancient slavery and presents the most comprehensive analytical treatment of a pre-modern slave system now available. By scouring the late antique record, he has uncovered a wealth of new material, providing fresh insights into the ancient slave system, including slavery's role in agriculture and textile production, its relation to sexual exploitation, and the dynamics of social honor. By demonstrating the vitality of slavery into the fourth century, the author shows that Christianity triumphed amidst a genuine slave society.

    Her cries went unbidden. No one was brave enough to seek out the source. Over time, the screams lessen, then stop. Eventually, even the memories slipped away, forgotten.Six centuries later, two over-eager research assistants find and release the young half vampire, Chloe-unaware of events they unwittingly unleash with her.Far away, other forces are aware of her awakening. Zaccarius, greatest of all the Slayers, is sent by the Council of Nine to seek out Chloe, determine her worth and render justice. Enticed by her purity and innocence, he becomes her protector. However, Jochad, the Dark Master and his army of evil vampires are eager to claim Chloe.In the battle that ensues, Zaccarius falls beneath Jochad's army. To save her lover, Chloe must make a choice. Ancient and dying, Jochad needs her blood to reanimate. His ultimatum-her blood or Zaccarius' life.

    The year 167 B.C.E. marked the beginning of a period of intense persecution for the people of Judea, as Seleucid emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted forcibly and brutally to eradicate traditional Jewish religious practices. In Apocalypse against Empire Anathea Portier-Young reconstructs the historical events and key players in this traumatic episode in Jewish history and provides a sophisticated treatment of resistance in early Judaism. Building on a solid contextual foundation, Portier-Young argues that the first Jewish apocalypses emerged as a literature of resistance to Hellenistic imperial rule. She makes a sturdy case for this argument by examining three extant apocalypses, giving careful attention to the interplay between social theory, history, textual studies, and theological analysis. In particular, Portier-Young contends, the book of Daniel, the Apocalypse of Weeks, and the Book of Dreams were written to supply an oppressed people with a potent antidote to the destructive propaganda of the empire renewing their faith in the God of the covenant and answering state terror with radical visions of hope.

    What we know of him comes exclusively from Roman historians who had every interest in minimizing his success, exaggerating his failures, and disparaging his character. The charges leveled against Hannibal include greed, cruelty and atrocity, sexual indulgence, and even cannibalism. But even these sources were forced to grudgingly admit to Hannibal’s military genius, if only to make their eventual victory over him appear greater.Yet there is no doubt that Hannibal was the greatest Carthaginian general of the Second Punic War. When he did not defeat them outright, he fought to a standstill the best generals Rome produced, and he sustained his army in the field for sixteen long years without mutiny or desertion. Hannibal was a first-rate tactician, only a somewhat lesser strategist, and the greatest enemy Rome ever faced. When he at last met defeat at the hands of the Roman general Scipio, it was against an experienced officer who had to strengthen and reconfigure the Roman legion and invent mobile tactics in order to succeed. Even so, Scipio’s victory at Zama was against an army that was a shadow of its former self. The battle could easily have gone the other way. If it had, the history of the West would have been changed in ways that can only be imagined. Richard A. Gabriel’s brilliant new biography shows how Hannibal’s genius nearly unseated the Roman Empire.

    In answer to the prayers of his oppressed citizens, the gods create Enkidu, a wild man whose destiny is to first fight Gilgamesh, and then become his life-long friend. They embark on adventures together, but when they - together - kill the Bull of Heaven, Enkidu must pay the ultimate price. In his grief and fear of his own death, Gilgamesh goes on a journey to discover the secret to immortality...

    contain references to a land known as “Ahhiyawa,” which most scholars now identify with the Late Bronze Age Mycenaean world. The subject of continuing study and controversy since they were first published in 1924, the letters are still at the center of Mycenaean-Hittite studies and are now considered in studies and courses concerned with Troy, the Trojan War, and the role of both Mycenaeans and Hittites in that possible conflict. This volume offers, for the first time in a single source, English translations of all twenty-six Ahhiyawa texts and a commentary and brief exposition on each text’s historical implications. The volume also includes an introductory essay to the whole Ahhiyawa “problem” as well as a longer essay on Mycenaean-Hittite interconnections and the current state of the discipline.

    The games have been seen as celebrations of the violence of empire or of Rome's martial heritage or as manifestations of the emperor's power. The desire to watch has therefore been limited to the Roman context & rendered alien to modern sensibilities. Yet the historical record reveals that people living in quite different times & circumstances (including our own) have regularly come out in large numbers to watch public rituals of violence such as executions, floggings, animal-baiting, cudgeling, pugilism & so on. Appreciating the social-psychological dynamics at work in attracting people to watch such events not only deepens our understanding of the spectator at the Roman games but also suggests something important about ourselves.

    Playing an extremely important role in the economic life of the Roman world, they were also a key instrument for replenishing and even increasing the size of the citizen body. This book presents an original synthesis, for the first time covering both Republic and Empire in a single volume. While providing up-to-date discussions of most significant aspects of the phenomenon, the book also offers a new understanding of the practice of manumission, its role in the organisation of slave labour and the Roman economy, as well as the deep-seated ideological concerns to which it gave rise. It locates the freedman in a broader social and economic context, explaining the remarkable popularity of manumission in the Roman world.

    Hephaestus Books represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge. This particular book is a collaboration focused on Chinese history texts.

    Rama, a temple-palace enforcer, does his best to maintain order. But when the alien Blue God summons him, and tells him to arrest Rawana, Rama's arch rival, events take a dramatic turn for the worse. Rawana has betrayed the Blue Gods in favor of their enemies, the Cold-Dark Dwellers. Fleeing the temple-palace, he kidnaps Sita, Rama's wife.Now Rama must not only kill or capture Rawana, but somehow save his wife, as well. And then when the Ape King warns him of war, events take an even worse turn. Somehow, he must save his beloved Sita. Then they must make their way in an uncertain and dangerous world. Faced with the angry "Blue Gods," conspiracies of evil aliens, the dire warnings of the Ape King, and ultimately even nuclear devastation when total war breaks out, they must find their way to sanctuary--but where? Inspired by the original text of the Indian Mahabharata, this novella is packed with excitement and action. Do legends have a basis in fact? Read The Mahabharata Codex ANCIENT ALIENS, by Rob Shelsky and find out for yourself!

    This digital edition was derived from ACLS Humanities E-Book's (http://www.humanitiesebook.org) online version of the same title.

    In this retelling of nine tales of ancient Egypt, Marcia Williams uses her signature comic-strip style to capture the rich mythology and early history of this great civilization. Beginning with powerful Ra rising from the waters of the Nile to create the gods of the earth, sky, and rain, Ancient Egypt takes readers through the curse of King Tut's tomb and the rise of Cleopatra-- with Rami, Ra's beloved cat, highlighting Egypt's many cultural and technological advances along the way. An instantly engaging, accessible introduction to an ancient civilization, this collection of stories is sure to fascinate and inspire young Egyptologists.

    His story has many more episodes than those of other heroes, concerning his life and death as well as his battles with myriad monsters and other opponents. In literature, he appears in our earliest Greek epic and lyric poetry, is reinvented for the tragic and comic stage, and later finds his way into such unlikely areas as philosophical writing and love poetry.　 In art, his exploits are amongst the earliest identifiable mythological scenes, and his easily-recognisable figure with lionskin and club was a familiar sight throughout antiquity in sculpture, vase-painting and other media. He was held up as an ancestor and role-model for both Greek and Roman rulers, and widely worshipped as a god, his unusual status as a hero-god being reinforced by the story of his apotheosis. Often referred to by his Roman name Hercules, he has continued to fascinate writers and artists right up to the present day.In Herakles, Emma Stafford has successfully tackled the ‘Herculean task’ of surveying both the ancient sources and the extensive modern scholarship in order to present a hugely accessible account of this important mythical figure. Covering both Greek and Roman material, the book highlights areas of consensus and dissent, indicating avenues for further study on both details and broader issues. Easy to read, Herakles is perfectly suited to students of classics and related disciplines, and of interest to anyone looking for an insight into ancient Greece’s most popular hero.

    This edition has some unique features:- Complete Study Bible containing the Bible text as well as Matthew Henry’s devotional study notes.- Bible text and devotional notes are fully integrated. You can read the bible text and notes without the need to jump back and forth to different locations. No need to switch between Bible and Commentary. You find Bible text and Matthew Henry notes close to each other, clearly distinguished from each other by typeface and background.- Contains Bible text, pericope titles and devotional study notes- Easy and quick navigation to every book, chapter and pericope- Optimised in design as well as readability. Clear distinction between bible text and commentary.- Available in 5 different editions: King James with footnotes, Revised King James (Webster), American Standard, Darby or Young’s Literal- Published by Importantia Publishing, a specialised Bible Publisher with experience in electronic publishing since 1992.- Text of both the Bible as well as Matthew Henry devotional study notes are fully proofed.- Much time, research and experience is invested to develop this Matthew Henry Study Bible. This is not simply a text taken from an unproved source and quickly converted to an ebook. This is the fruit of a well-thought project undertaken by a Bible publisher with the mission to publish quality ebook editions of the Matthew Henry Study Bible.The revision of the King James Version by Noah Webster contains a more familiar language than the original King James Version, without tampering with the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek.

    Sold at auction in 1998, it has since been the subject of a privately funded project to conserve, image and transcribe its texts. In this volume the scientists, conservators, classicists and historians involved in the project discuss in full their techniques and their discoveries. These include new speeches by the classical Athenian orator Hyperides, a lost commentary on Aristotle's Categories from the second or third century AD and substantial re-readings and reinterpretations of the works by Archimedes. The book discusses the pioneering imaging and post-processing techniques used to reveal the texts and includes detailed codicological descriptions of all eight manuscripts comprising the Palimpsest. It will be of interest to manuscript scholars, classicists and historians of science.