Ancient Biography

In ancient Athens, thousands would attend theatre festivals that turned writing into a fierce battle for fame, money, and laughably large trophies. While the tragedies earned artistic respect, it was the comedies - the raunchy jokes, vulgar innuendo, outrageous invention, and barbed political commentary - that captured the imagination of the city.

Era el siglo IV a.C. y Alejandro Magno había fundado un gran imperio, fusionando dos grandes civilizaciones, la occidental y la cristiana; asimismo las polis griegas habían sido heridas de muerte y el malestar de la época se manifestaba de varias maneras. Súbitamente, un griego desvergonzado, audaz y desafiante de las convenciones sociales surgió para provocar el escándalo y la hilaridad.

The story of the ancient Church is one of a people who were finding their way over many years by the light that God shined forth for them. Today, we are looking back over the centuries with many more years of understanding but we stand on the shoulders of those who braved persecution, death, debate, and mystery on behalf of generations to come.

He appears once in the New Testament, mentioned only in passing in the Acts of the Apostles; only a few verses in the canon, but for the primitive Church, there is a whole corpus about Simon Magus, its most formidable antagonist, an enemy of such colossal proportions that he deserved to be called "the father of all heresies." His only mention in the Bible occurs at the beginning of the second volume of Luke the Evangelist where he had a minor confrontation with Saint Peter which nonetheless had a happy ending.

Do you want to learn about Julius Caesar? Cаеѕаr wаѕ a роlіtісіаn аnd gеnеrаl оf thе lаtе Rоmаn Rерubliс whо grеаtlу еxtеndеd the Rоmаn Empire bеfоrе ѕеizing роwеr аnd mаkіng hіmѕеlf dictator оf Rоmе, paving thе wау fоr the imреriаl ѕуѕtеm.

Cleopatra Thea Philopator se negó a hacer lo que le dijeron. En una época en la que el patriarcado negaba la ciudadanía plena incluso a las mujeres romanas más elitistas, Cleopatra gobernaba su Egipto decidida a mantenerlo independiente y libre del control romano, a cualquier precio que fuera necesario. Demonizada como una simple seductora por Cayo Julio César Octavio (el futuro César Augusto) y sus aliados políticos, Cleopatra VII demostró ser igual a tres de los hombres más poderosos del mundo romano: Cayo Julio César, Marco Antonio y Octavio César.

Despite the fact that Marius’ achievements, both personally and as a leading statesman, far outweigh the vast majority of Rome’s emperors, Marius is not a well-known figure outside academic circles. Gaius Marius: The Life and Legacy of the General Who Reformed the Roman Army chronicles how Marius rose through the ranks, his reforms of the military, and his lasting legacy.

A literary celebrity during his lifetime, Stevenson now ranks among the 30 most translated authors in the world, just below Charles Dickens. He has been greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling, Marcel Schwob, Vladimir Nabokov, J. M. Barrie, and G. K. Chesterton, who said of him that he, "seemed to pick the right word up on the point of his pen, like a man playing spillikins."

The common view of the Romans is that they were only interested in watching gladiators hack one another to pieces, and in lying on couches while they stuffed large meals down their throats. But of course they were a busy and clever people, who built up a great empire to prove it, with fine cities and harbours, bath houses and roads, laws and good government. In this audiobook you can hear the stories of the great Roman emperors and the enduring legacy that they left for later generations.

Una originale biografia della regina egizia Cleopatra che riuscì a diventare un personaggio storico e letterario grazie alla sua intelligenza e alle sue doti personali di donna dal grande fascino e astuzia.

Espartaco, un esclavo de origen tracio cuyos primeros años de vida están escondidos en las brumas de la historia, es una de las figuras más famosas de la antigüedad. Probablemente fue el gladiador más famoso de todos y parte de su historia sirvió de inspiración para la galardonada película Gladiador. A pesar de que millones de personas están familiarizadas con su historia, Espartaco sigue siendo una figura extrañamente misteriosa y su faceta más íntima nunca ha sido revelada al mundo.

King Xerxes I: The Life and Legacy of the Achaemenid Persian Empire’s Most Notorious Ruler looks at the life of the Persian leader and the major conflicts he led. You will learn about Xerxes like never before.

Some say he was the greatest warrior in history, building an empire that extended from Europe to Africa and on to India and Central Asia. In a stirring narrative, famed historian John Gunther tells the story of Alexander the Great who, at only age 21, became King of Macedonia and set off on a 12-year journey to conquer the known world and extend the boundaries of Greek civilization.

History records few individuals as brilliant, powerful, and ruthless as Julius Caesar. Born into the Roman aristocracy, he surpassed the reputation of his family and altered the history of Rome and the Mediterranean world. When Caesar was born in 100 B.B., Rome was a city-state with a republican form of government. When he died in 44 B.C., Rome was on its way to becoming an empire. In those short 56 years, Caesar conquered the Gauls, began the Roman conquest of Britain, and campaigned from Spain to Egypt.

Carthage was one of the great ancient civilizations, and at its peak, the wealthy Carthaginian empire dominated the Mediterranean against the likes of Greece and Rome, with commercial enterprises and influence stretching from Spain to Turkey.

Scipio Africanus: The Life and Legacy of the Roman General Who Defeated Hannibal During the Second Punic War chronicles how Scipio rose to prominence, his legendary victory at Zama, and the legacy he had on antiquity.

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) was one of the most famous Romans in his day, and posterity has been even kinder to him. Cicero was a legend in his own time for his oratory abilities, which he used to persuade fellow senators and denounce enemies like Catiline and Mark Antony, but he was also one of Rome's most prodigious writers and political philosophers. Alongside Pericles, Cicero was one of antiquity's greatest politicians, and he has remained one of the most influential statesmen in history.

Además de Jesús, no hay otro personaje trazado más vívidamente en los evangelios que Pedro. Es en los momentos decisivos, donde se requiere una acción rápida y categórica, donde el líder de los apóstoles brilla; ahí Pedro no tiene rival en el círculo interno de personas que seguían a Jesús de Nazareth.

While he was one of the most influential men in the ancient world, research on Cyrus the Great is simultaneously fascinating and frustrating. Of course, this reality has deepened the mystique that surrounds Cyrus even to this day, and it has elevated his status from conqueror and king to enlightened humanist monarch and ideal ruler. Whatever the underlying issues, the incredible achievements of Cyrus distinguish him as one of the greatest kings in history, and his life, conquests, reforms, and rule continue to be of great interest over 2,500 years later.

Pericles was a statesmen, general, and speaker during the Golden Age of Athens. His impact on the city-state would be so great that Thucydides, an honored historian, would refer to him as the city's First Citizen. In what would be titled the "Age of Pericles", he would turn the Delian League from an alliance to an Athenian Empire and foster the arts and sciences within his country more than any leader had before him. He is responsible for starting the great projects of Athens, like the Acropolis and Parthenon, which can still be seen in their glory today.