The Roman empire in the west was splitting into separate Germanic kingdoms, while the Near East, still under Roman rule from Constantinople, maintained a dense population and flourishing urban culture until the Persian and Arab invasions of the early seventh century. Averil Cameron places her emphasis on the material and literary evidence for cultural change and offers a new and original challenge to traditional assumptions of 'decline and fall' and 'the end of antiquity'. The book draws on the recent spate of scholarship on this period to discuss in detail such controversial issues as the effectiveness of the late Roman army, the late antique city and the nature of economic exchange and cultural life. With its extensive annotation, it provides a lively and often critical introduction to earlier approaches to the period, from Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire to the present day. No existing book in English provides so detailed or up-to-date an introduction to the history of both halves of the empire in this crucial period, or discusses existing views in such a challenging way. Averil Cameron is a leading specialist on late antiquity, having written about the period and taught it for many years. This book has much to say to historians of all periods. It will be particularly welcomed by teachers and students of both ancient and medieval history.

    and A.D. 800, from the rise of Mycenaean civilization to the fall of Ravenna and the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. John Warry tells of an age of great military commanders such as Alexander the Great, Hannibal, and Julius Caesar - men whose feats of generalship still provide material for discussion and admiration in the military academies of the world.The text is complemented by a running chronology, 16 maps, 50 newly researched battle plans and tactical diagrams, and 125 photographs, 65 of them in color.

    Mingling acute observation with often wild speculation, it offers a fascinating view of the world as it was understood in the first century AD, whether describing the danger of diving for sponges, the first water-clock, or the use of asses’ milk to remove wrinkles. Pliny himself died while investigating the volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompeii in AD 79, and the natural curiosity that brought about his death is also very much evident in the Natural History — a book that proved highly influential right up until the Renaissance and that his nephew, Pliny the younger, described ‘as full of variety as nature itself’. John F. Healy has made a fascinating and varied selection from the Natural History for this clear, modern translation. In his introduction, he discusses the book and its sources topic by topic. This edition also includes a full index and notes.

    Among those you'll investigate are the accounts of the creation of the world in Hesiod's Theogony and Ovid's Metamorphoses; the gods Zeus, Apollo, Demeter, Persephone, Hermes, Dionysos, and Aphrodite; the Greek heroes, Theseus and Heracles (Hercules in the Roman version); and the most famous of all classical myths, the Trojan War.Professor Vandiver anchors her presentation in some basics. What is a myth? Which societies use myths? What are some of the problems inherent in studying classical mythology? She also discusses the most influential 19th- and 20th-century thinking about myth's nature and function, including the psychological theories of Freud and Jung and the metaphysical approach of Joseph Campbell. You'll also consider the relationship between mythology and culture (such as the implications of the myth of Demeter, Persephone, and Hades for the Greek view of life, death, and marriage), the origins of classical mythology (including the similarities between the Theogony and Mesopotamian creation myths), and the dangers of probing for distant origins (for example, there's little evidence that a prehistoric "mother goddess" lies at the heart of mythology).Taking you from the surprising "truths" about the Minotaur to Ovid's impact on the works of William Shakespeare, these lectures make classical mythology fresh, absorbing, and often surprising.Disclaimer: Please note that this recording may include references to supplemental texts or print references that are not essential to the program and not supplied with your purchase.©2000 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2000 The Great Courses

    I. Finley in his classic work. The states of the ancient Mediterranean world had no recognizable real-property market, never fought a commercially inspired war, witnessed no drive to capital formation, and assigned the management of many substantial enterprises to slaves and ex-slaves. In short, to study the economies of the ancient world, one must begin by discarding many premises that seemed self-evident before Finley showed that they were useless or misleading. Available again, with a new foreword by Ian Morris, these sagacious, fertile, and occasionally combative essays are just as electrifying today as when Finley first wrote them.

    Some of the major tales in the 'Fall of Troy' are: how the Amazonian Queen, Penthesileia, died for Troy; the death of Memnon; how Apollo slayed Achilles; and the death of Paris.

    The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines celebrates mushrooms, olives and olive oil, squid, sesame, artichokes, lamb, chestnuts, beans, duck, asparagus, and other ingredients that have been prepared for centuries among the Chinese, Greeks, and Romans.

    Whether one is interested in literature or art, philosophy or law, mythology or science, intimate details of daily life or broad cultural and historical trends, the OCD is the first place to turn for clear, authoritative information on ancient culture. This newly revised and completely up-to-date third edition of this historic reference adequately reflects the recent expansion in the scholarship and scope of classical studies. Here, in over six thousand entries ranging from long articles to brief identifications, readers can find information on virtually any topic of interestathletics, bee-keeping, botany, magic, Roman law, religious rites, postal service, slavery, navigation, and the reckoning of time. The Dictionary profiles every major figure of Greece and Rome-and lesser known figures not found in other references-from Homer and Virgil, to Plato and Aristotle, to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. Readers will find entries on mythological and legendary figures, on major cities, famous buildings, and important geographical landmarks, and on legal, rhetorical, literary, and political terms and concepts, as well as extensive thematic articles that offer superb coverage of topics of interest to both scholars and general readers, exploring everything from medicine and mathematics to music, law, and marriage. With contributions and guidance from some of the finest classical scholars in the world, the Oxford Classical Dictionary has no equal in any language. It is the definitive summation of classical scholarship as it stands today. The Dictionary covers: politics, government, economy - from political figures to systems, terms and practices, histories of major states and empires, economic theory, agriculture, artisans and industry, trade and markets religion and mythology - deities and mythological creatures, beliefs and rituals, sanctuaries and sacred buildings, astrology and magic law and philosophy - from biographies of lawgivers and lawyers to legal terms and procedures, from major and minor philosophers to philosophical schools, terms, and concepts science and geography - scientists and scientific theory and practice, doctors and medicine, climate and landscape, natural disasters, regions and islands, cities and settlements, communications languages, literature, art, and architecture - languages and dialects, writers and literary terms and genres, orators and rhetorical theory and practice, drama and performance, art, painters and sculptors, architects, buildings and materials archaeology and historical writing - amphorae and pottery, shipwrecks and cemeteries, historians, and Greek and Roman historiography military history - generals, arms and armour, famous battles, attitudes to warfare social history, sex, and gender - women and the family, kinship, peasants and slaves, attitudes to sexuality

    Providing vital evidence of the views of the Greek philosophers of the Hellenistic age, Cicero also casts light on the intellectual life of first-century Rome. When these Greek beliefs are translated into the Roman context they result in a fascinating clash of ideologies.This new translation of a work whose importance is becoming increasingly recognized is complemented by an invaluable introduction to the main philosophical issues, as well as substantial and helpful annotation.

    Her future will be measured not in years, but in months. Nicki makes a decision: in the time she has left, she is determined to live. Accompanied by friends, Nicki embarcks on a last-fling cruise to the Greek Islands--she wants to fill her days with as much beauty and pleasure as she can. But when she meets Michael Schuster, a handsome British photographer, she realizes she's found the last thing she'd ever thought she'd find--true love. Deciding to hide her illness, Nicki hopes to spare the man she loves the truth she cannot avoid. Can a life time of love be had in only a few weeks? And is love strong enough to overcome everything--even death? Nicki is about to find out....Twenty years old, smart, gorgeous and hip, college valedictorian Nicki McBain is on the fast track, poised to begin a high-powered law carreer when she hears devastating news: Her future will be measured not in years, but in months. Her body has dealt her a death sentance, but in the time she has left, Nicki has decided to live. Accompanied by friends, Nicki embarks on a last-fling cruise to the Greek islands, determined to fill her last days with as much beauty and pleasure as she can grab. But when she meets Michael Schuster, a handsome British photographer, she realizes she's found the last thing she was looking for: true love. By hiding her illness, Nicki hopes to spare the man she loves the truth she cannot avoid, and to experience a lifetime of love, if only for a few weeks.Twenty years old, smart, gorgeous and hip, college valedictorian Nicki McBain is on the fast track, poised to begin a high-powered law carreer when she hears devastating news: Her future will be measured not in years, but in months. Her body has dealt her a death sentance, but in the time she has left, Nicki has decided to live.Accompanied by friends, Nicki embarks on a last-fling cruise to the Greek islands, determined to fill her last days with as much beauty and pleasure as she can grab. But when she meets Michael Schuster, a handsome British photographer, she realizes she's found the last thing she was looking for: true love. By hiding her illness, Nicki hopes to spare the man she loves the truth she cannot avoid, and to experience a lifetime of love, if only for a few weeks.

    It is the ideal reference tool for anyone with an interest in the Classics or those seeking to explore the many allusions to its mythology that abound in later literature.

    The first special edition in the Travelers' Tales series, A Woman's World brings together more than 50 contemporary voices in which women tell their tales, offer pearls of advice and warning, and share their dreams and ambitions with fellow travelers.

    He is sent into exile to Spinalonga, a rock island of Crete where there is no food, no electricity, no medical help, no supplies, nothing. He catches an eagle as a unique way to source food then, armed with his education and natural instincts he decides to create a life of dignity for the inhabitants of Spinalonga in the style of the city state system of Ancient Greece. Pavlos a thug criminal sent there by the state from prison does everything in his power to maintain chaos and terror so as to keep control of the island. World War 2 breaks out and the Nazis invade and inflict horrors upon the Greek people. Nikos and the people of Spinalonga outsmart the Nazis and play a major role in the resistance.

     Grab a cocktail, sit back, relax and Escape to the Islands... Life is sweet for Joanna Nelson until the day she gets a call from a lawyer in Greece that knocks her for six. Her father, whom Joanna has never met, has died. Her mum was always reticent to discuss her brief holiday romance many years before on a tiny Greek Island called Skiathos, and all her life Joanna’s tried to fill in the blanks. It seems her dad ran a small hotel on the island, and according to the lawyer, has left the property to her. Her boyfriend immediately advises Joanna to sell the place but it seems things aren't so simple. The persuasive lawyer tells her that though now worn and run-down, the hotel is the heart and soul of a small seaside community in Skiathos and it would break her father's heart to see it sold. Could Joanna perhaps come and see for herself? Intrigued by the idea of visiting the Greek island and discovering more about her heritage and her parents’ romance, Joanna agrees to visit Skiathos in early spring. Upon arrival she is very quickly seduced by the soft sand, blue skies and tumbling bougainvillaea, as well as the welcoming Greek community, who are only too happy to impart information about the father she never knew, teach her all about their beloved island and most importantly, reveal the truth about her parents' romance. And all too soon, Joanna begins to wonder if her mother made a huge mistake in leaving beautiful Skiathos so many years before… Escape to the Islands SPRING IN SKIATHOS SUMMER IN SANTORINI AUTUMN IN CRETE WINTER IN RHODES

    when the belligerent Sugambrian tribe leaves their beloved forest to cross the Rhenus River into Gaul. While on their foraging rampage meant simply to gather supplies for the coming winter, they cross paths with the Roman Fifth Legion. An ever-so brief battle ensues. Though short, this encounter will set in motion a conflict lasting more than two decades with the tribes struggling under the might of the professional legions. The outcome of these wars, in forthcoming works, will prove to have lasting repercussions. In fact, we still feel them today in the global order.The Wald is chock full of heroism, brotherhood, adventure, wit, and even history. Read it today to find out how tribesmen Berengar and his friend Ermin will fare against the likes of Drusus, Tiberius, and Augustus.