Ancient Empires

The land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is called the “cradle of civilization”, and for good reason! Although Mesopotamia’s first civilization, Sumer, developed parallel with those of Egypt and nearby Elam, it was a place of many firsts for humanity. Some of them are well known, such as the wheel and the writing script. But it was the ancient Mesopotamians who first came up with the concept of time, the mathematical sexagesimal system, and a calendar with 12 months.

Attila is a household name. But his true character and impact on the Roman Empire have always remained elusive. Until now. In the first major work written about Attila in decades, Nick Holmes rewrites the story of Attila and Rome. Contrary to his brutal legend, Attila was a complex and captivating personality. A great warlord who despised ostentation, admired bravery, and valued loyalty.

Find out how the people of this country fought against nature to cultivate land below sea level. Discover how they survived wars, invasions, and natural disasters and developed a trading nation that would become the envy of Europe. Uncover the truth behind bloody battles fought between medieval royalty, warlords, and rebellious guilds of Dutch workers, all of which shaped the country we know today.

The fall of the Roman Empire has long been considered one of the greatest disasters in history. But in this groundbreaking book, Walter Scheidel argues that Rome's dramatic collapse was actually the best thing that ever happened, clearing the path for Europe's economic rise and the creation of the modern age. Ranging across the entire premodern world, Escape from Rome offers new answers to some of the biggest questions in history: Why did the Roman Empire appear? Why did nothing like it ever return to Europe? And, above all, why did Europeans come to dominate the world?

Pompeii was destroyed by the horrific eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, which buried at least 2,000 unlucky people. Pompeii became a mysterious tomb, hiding secrets of Rome and other civilizations that influenced the life and culture of the city and its people. Who were the Pompeiians, and how did they live before that dreadful day? What did the last days of Pompeii look like, and did the Pompeiians know that the fate of their city would be sealed that day, not to be uncovered for centuries to come?

In contrast to their Danish and Norwegian cousins, Swedish Vikings traveled east rather than west in search of riches, land, and power. The extensive river systems of Russia provided economic and military “superhighways” to the adventurers from the north who journeyed down them all the way to the Black Sea and Constantinople in search of fame and riches. In Captivating History’s History of Sweden, you will learn more about these Swedish adventurers along with other parts of Sweden’s fascinating history.

Step into the captivating world of ancient Rome with 'Julius Caesar: The Julio-Claudian Dynasty Emperors of Rome.' In this compelling narrative, renowned author Dan Wilson unravels the dramatic rise and fall of one of history's most influential figures and the far-reaching implications of the dynasty he seeded. Wilson guides you through the expansive landscape of Caesar's world, from the battle-ridden fields of Gaul to the intrigue-infused corridors of power in Rome itself. This epic tale charts Caesar's ascendancy to the zenith of power, his radical reforms, and the transformation of the ...

The House of Life & Death by Vann Chow is an epic narrative that spans generations, weaving together love, betrayal, history, and the supernatural. Elise’s world turns upside down when she stumbles upon her grandmother’s ancient diary, leading her into a web of dark family secrets and haunting supernatural forces. The diary reveals a deep connection to the House of Life, a mystical realm where the souls of the dead linger, shaped by Chinese folklore and ancient rituals. As Elise uncovers her family’s legacy, she learns that the House of Life is tied to a centuries-old curse rooted in ...

La primera parte de este libro incluye: Los Comienzos de la República, Logros Militares de los Comienzos de la República: Tomar Italia, y El Ascenso y la Caída de Julio César y el Fin de la República Romana....

Der Westen befindet sich in einer Krise: Unsere Demokratie ist angeschlagen, die Deindustrialisierung bedroht den Wohlstand und Flüchtende machen sich auf in westliche Länder und stehen vor den Toren.In diesem außergewöhnlichen historischen Vergleich erkunden die Autoren die unheimlichen Parallelen–und produktiven Unterschiede–zwischen dem Untergang Roms und dem Fall des Westens, um aus der antiken Geschichte neue Lehren zu ziehen.

AD 381. Five years have gone by since a Roman governor ordered the deaths of a Gothic king and his attendants at a feast in their honor. This disastrous act led to warfare in the Roman Empire and the death of the Emperor Valens. The Empire is now at peace, but the powerful brother of the murdered king has sworn revenge on the regicides, and will not rest until they are hunted down. For the eight legionaries who carried out the killings, the bloodshed is only just beginning.

As modern empires rise and fall, ancient Rome becomes ever more significant. We yearn for Rome's power but fear Rome's ruin—will we turn out like the Romans, we wonder, or can we escape their fate? That question has obsessed centuries of historians and leaders, who have explored diverse political, religious, and economic forces to explain Roman decline. In New Rome, Paul Stephenson looks beyond traditional texts and well-known artifacts to offer a novel, scientifically minded interpretation of antiquity's end.

Was there an empire older and more important than mighty Egypt? There were a few, but the Akkadian Empire, born out of the cradle of civilization, is thought to be the first. And it was a game-changer. Its creation inspired conquerors and other empire-builders throughout history and spawned two world powers. Its epics, legends, and beliefs influence religions and cultures even today—and make for some darn good listening.

Suetonius wrote his Lives of the Twelve Caesars in the reign of Vespasian around 70AD. He chronicled the extraordinary careers of Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, and Domitian and the rest in technicolour terms. They presented some high and low times at the heart of the Roman Empire. The accounts provide us with perspicacious insights into the men as much as their reigns.

Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro are based on the eastern border of the Empire, facing Rome's deadly enemy, Parthia. The signs are that Parthia is preparing for war. And the two battle-hardened veterans are ready for their greatest-ever military challenge.

Torn between love and duty Constantine faces disaster. Juliana, his mistress, has been kidnapped by a raiding party and taken to northern Germania, out of reach of his legions. Ignoring his mother’s demands for him to marry quickly, Constantine assembles a Roman cavalry cohort and heads into the endless forest. Somewhere far ahead is the meeting place of the tribes where Juliana is facing a fight to the death among a people who collect skulls as ornaments and are ruled by a queen with a strong blood lust. Constantine then finds out that his young son has been taken to Rome as a hostage. ...

One of the most notable ancient cultures of South America is undoubtedly the Inca civilization. They once ruled over the largest empire in South America. Not only that - their empire was also the largest in the world at the time. There are many mysteries surrounding the Incas. Where did the Incas originate? And how did they come to rule over their vast empire that incorporated mountaintops, tropical jungles, and coastal lands? What were the most notable achievements of their great kings?

The second novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Roman series. When Centurion Macro arrives on British soil as one of Emperor Claudius's invasion force in 43 AD, he is facing one of the toughest campaigns of his battle-scarred career. In a series of bloody skirmishes, Macro and his young subordinate, Optio Cato, and the desperately outnumbered Roman army must find and defeat the enemy before he grows strong enough to overwhelm the legions. But the Britons are not the only foe facing Macro and Cato....

The Minoan-Mycenaean Empire is one of the most compelling of the lost civilizations, so how does an advanced civilization vanish as if into thin air? This kingdom wasn’t limited to Greece and its Mediterranean tributaries, the Mycenaean Empire of Greek gods extended around the world, even into the Americas. Their technology included analog computers, humanoid robots, talking oracles, flying machines, transparent windows, hot and cold running water, flushing toilets, sewer systems, loose-stone pyramids that pulled water out of the air, and transcontinental ships with voice navigation.

In the years 434-454 A.D., the fate of Europe hung upon the actions of one man: Attila, king of the Huns. The decaying Roman Empire still stood astride the Western World, but it was threatened by a new force, the much-feared barbarian hordes. Attila was the one-man wrecking ball that helped put the final boot into Rome's decaying splendor.