Ancient English History

From the city of Pompeii - frozen in time by volcanic ash and lava - to the Coliseum’s famed gladiators - treated like rock stars - ancient Rome had it all: Gods and Goddesses, infamous emperors, crippling warfare, and beautiful art. Spartacus, the famous gladiator and slave, led a revolt against a tyrannical government. Conspirators violently murdered Emperor Julius Caesar. Virgil wrote epic poetry, and Jesus of Nazareth was proclaimed the messiah.

Cyprian of Carthage is not just a name in the annals of history; he is a symbol of unwavering faith, intellectual rigor, and the ultimate sacrifice. But how well do we truly know this towering figure of early Christianity? Cyprian of Carthage for Beginners invites you to step into the life of a man who shaped the Church in ways that still echo today. Unveil the story of a man who transformed from a privileged Roman citizen into a beacon of Christian leadership. Cyprian's journey to becoming the Bishop of Carthage was marked by challenges that would test the faith of any ordinary person. Yet...

From the Koran to Shakespeare, this city with three names - Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - resonates as an idea and a place, real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between East and West, North and South, it has been the capital city of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. For much of its history it was the very center of the world, known simply as "The City", but, as Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city but a global story.

This entertaining companion to the massively popular history podcast tackles everything from Alexander the Great to Agatha Christie, the Wars of the Roses to Watergate—with a unique blend of wit, wisdom, and good old-fashioned banter. Featuring an introduction from podcast hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, this book cleverly demonstrates that the past—from modern to ancient and every time in between—is both closer to us than we might realize and bafflingly strange, all at once.

This kaleidoscopic book covers almost 3,000 years of Arab history and shines a light on the footloose Arab peoples and tribes who conquered lands and disseminated their language and culture over vast distances. Tracing this process to the origins of the Arabic language, rather than the advent of Islam, Tim Mackintosh-Smith begins his narrative more than a thousand years before Muhammad and focuses on how Arabic, both spoken and written, has functioned as a vital source of shared cultural identity over the millennia.

This remarkable work paints a comprehensive and colorful picture of the world that Jesus knew. From detailed, convincing portraits of John the Baptist, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Jesus himself, and other key figures, to the Jewish and Hellenistic leaders often ignored in scripture, Who's Who in the Age of Jesus is a critical, in-depth look at one of the most tumultuous eras in human history.

171 AD. Rome is at war with the northern tribes - and is yet to win a significant battle. The Germanic armies have crossed the Danube and have attacked the Empire, slaughtering thousands. The Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is losing the support of the people and the Senate. Yet he has formed a plan he believes will change the balance of power in the region. Aurelius has dispatched an officer in the Praetorian Guard, the centurion Gaius Maximus, to escort the son and daughter of a powerful German tribal chief.

If you read a standard history of magic, you learn that it begins in ancient Egypt with the resurrection of a goose in front of the Pharaoh. You discover how magicians were tortured and killed during the age of witchcraft. You are told how conjuring tricks were used to quell rebellious colonial natives. The history of magic is full of such stories, which turn out not to be true. Behind the smoke and mirrors, however, lies the real story of magic.

One of the most remarkable historical works of the 19th century came from the pen of French historian Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges, a native of Paris. This amazing analysis of family and religious life among the ancient Greeks and Romans is the key to understanding ancient Mediterranean civilizations. The story begins in the misty period of the Bronze Age as the Indo-Europeans began to filter down into the Italian and Greek peninsulas. They brought with them a patriarchy that was based on ancestor worship and the veneration of hearth gods.

Our age is obsessed by the idea of conspiracy. We see it everywhere---from Pearl Harbor to 9/11, from the assassination of Kennedy to the death of Diana. In this age of terrorism we live in, the role of conspiracy is a serious one---one that can fuel radical or fringe elements to violence. For award-winning journalist David Aaronovitch, there came a time when he started to see a pattern among these inflammatory theories.

What if everything you thought you knew about history was wrong—or worse, deliberately rewritten? The Lost Civilization of Tartaria explores the mysteries of a forgotten empire that once spanned the globe. From buried architecture and impossible feats of engineering to orphan trains and suspiciously timed “natural disasters,” this book uncovers the patterns pointing to a massive global reset—and the systematic erasure of an advanced civilization from our collective memory. Through compelling evidence and provocative questions, you'll journey into the world of Tartaria, where star ...

A detailed, illustrated exploration of 20 of the world's greatest mysteries. Go back in time and history and explore the wonders that have captured man's imagination for centuries. Be dazzled by a manuscript still undeciphered, an oasis in the desert abandoned, a legendary island lost, and a forgotten city rediscovered. Learn about the first computer, listen to the myths and legends, and visit cryptic sanctuaries beyond imagination. Crisscross the globe for answers, consider possibilities, and marvel at the ingenuity of past cultures and civilizations. Are they mysteries, lessons, or warnings?

Long before the first pharmaceutical companies opened their doors in the 1850s, doctors treated people, not symptoms. And although we've become used to popping pills, Americans have finally had it with the dangerous side effects, addiction, and over-prescribing - and they're desperate for an alternative. Here's the good news: That alternative has been here all along in the form of ancient treatments used for eons in traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Greek medicine.

The mysterious boy king Tutankhamun came to the U.S. in 2008, bringing rare treasures, never before seen outside Egypt. For the millions of fans wanting a keepsake and chronicle of this magnificent new exhibition, this audiobook will delight. Created by world-renowned art historians under the guidance of Zahi Hawass - director of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and a well-known media personality - it surveys 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history by focusing on the lives and lifestyles of great pharaohs.

Why did humans abandon hunting and gathering for sedentary communities dependent on livestock and cereal grains and governed by precursors of today's states? Most people believe that plant and animal domestication allowed humans, finally, to settle down and form agricultural villages, towns, and states, which made possible civilization, law, public order, and a presumably secure way of living. But archaeological and historical evidence challenges this narrative.

A gripping intellectual adventure story, Sailing from Byzantium sweeps you from the deserts of Arabia to the dark forests of northern Russia, from the colorful towns of Renaissance Italy to the final moments of a millennial city under siege.

Uncover the Wonders of Japan—Its Legends, History, and Incredible Facts! Did you know Japan is home to thousands of islands? Or that the first-ever novel in history was written there? From fearless samurai warriors to legendary dragons, Japan’s rich history is filled with amazing stories, fascinating traditions, and mind-blowing inventions. This book takes young explorers on a thrilling journey through Japan’s ancient myths, epic battles, and modern marvels. With stunning images, detailed maps, and engaging stories, history comes alive like never before! Plus, interactive quizzes and ...

In 63 BC, frustrated by his failure to be elected leader of the Roman Republic, the aristocrat Catiline tried to topple its elected government. Backed by corrupt elites and poor, alienated Romans, he fled Rome while his associates plotted to burn the city and murder its leading politicians. The attempted coup culminated with the unmasking of the conspirators in the Senate. In How to Stop a Conspiracy, Josiah Osgood presents a brisk, modern new translation of the definitive account of these events, Sallust's The War with Catiline.

What terrible secret was buried in Shi Huangdi's tomb? Did nomads like lizard stew? What happened to Anansi the Spider in the Village of the Plantains? And how did a six-year-old become the last emperor of Rome? Told in a straightforward, engaging style that has become Susan Wise Bauer's trademark, The Story of the World series covers the sweep of human history from ancient times until the present. Africa, China, Europe, the Americas—find out what happened all around the world in long-ago times.

In the waning years of Egypt's 18th Dynasty, when female power can only come at an unsettling price, four royal women struggle against the shadowy influence of Akhenaten, the infamous heretic pharaoh. Akhenaten wields control of a strange emerging religion unlike anything Egypt has seen. His power can't be denied, but whoever can maintain her grip on the unpredictable pharaoh will hold all of Egypt in her hands - and better still, will remain mistress of her own fate.