History Ancient Empire

Imperialism and the motivations behind it are a controversial and complex subject. But what powers the formation of an empire? Is it the fundamental urge to strike out into uncharted territory to discover "brave new worlds"? The sheer need for more territory? The desire to spread cultural, political, and religious influences? Or a straightforward lust for conquest, dominance, and plunder?

The Achaemenid dynasty ruled Persia from 553-330 BC. Cyrus II "The Great" was the leader of the Pasargadae tribe who revolted against the Median Empire and in 550 BC defeated them. His son and successor Cambyses II (529-522 BCE) added Egypt to the Persian Empire. Darius I "the Great" added the Indus Valley to the empire and built the city of Persepolis.

In this chapter of Lynn Thorndike’s History of Medieval Europe, the author describes the economic and population decline of the late Empire. There was also the decay of civic religion, civil strife, and the spread of oriental religion. The decline was first seen in Italy and Greece.

This chapter of Lynn Thorndike’s History of Medieval Europe deals mainly with the German tribes of northern Europe, based on the works of Tacitus. There are also sections on those Germans settled within the Roman Empire, Goths, Sarmatians, and the Nomads of Turkestan.

En el siglo I de nuestra era vivió un hombre llamado Jesús en Judea, en ese tiempo una provincia de Roma. El hombre de origen rural era considerado por unos como un profeta, por otros como un loco y por otros más como un peligro para la seguridad de Israel. En sus últimos días predicó en Jerusalén sobre la inminente destrucción de la ciudad santa y de su templo. Su profecía incluía lenguaje parabólico.