Ancient Greek History

Asesinatos, incestos, venganzas, héroes, historias de amor y lujuria. La mitología griega es un auténtico crisol de los vicios y las virtudes del ser humano. Los mitos en la antigua Grecia tenían una función social, relataban comportamientos de dioses y héroes y enseñaban a los hombres cómo debían actuar ante determinadas situaciones, como las vidas de los santos en el cristianismo, relataban comportamientos virtuosos y ejemplares, los dioses griegos eran virtuosos, pero no ejemplares.

When Athenians suffered the shame of having lost a war from their own greed and foolishness, around 404 BCE the public's blame was directed at Socrates, a man whose unique appearance and behavior, as well as his disapproval of the democracy, made him a ready target. Socrates was subsequently put on trial and sentenced to death. However, as René Girard has pointed out, no individual can be held responsible for a communal crisis.

Nearly all kinds of ancient mythology and religions were constructed from early civilizations trying to make sense of their surroundings. The idea of science was completely unknown to them; rather they explained natural phenomena as done by mythical deities. In Greek mythology this is how we come to certain instances like Apollo, the sun god, or Zeus, the god of the heavens and sky.

Tyranny in ancient Greece was not a phenomenon limited to any particular period. Tyrants could be found in power throughout Greece, ruling poleis from the 7th century BC right through to the 2nd century BC, when Roman domination effectively put an end to this form of government throughout the Hellenistic world. That said, the heyday of tyranny was undoubtedly the 7th and 6th centuries BC, and it is in this period, known as the Age of Tyrants, that large numbers of tyrannies arose, particularly in the Peloponnese.

Pocos relatos han seducido tanto como los de Alejandro, Pericles, Troya, o Salamina. El libro La gran aventura de los griegos los narra de una forma diferente. Ofrecemos un extracto del capítulo de la batalla de las Termópilas. La Razón: Siguiendo La gran aventura de los griegos se tiene, como en otros pueblos pero aquí mucho mejor documentado, un catálogo de la humanidad, de sus aciertos, sus vicios, y sus miserias.

Greek Mythology takes you on an amazing journey of discovery, as you learn about the Titans, Olympians, and heroes of old. You'll learn how the primordial forces came together to shape the world. You'll also learn the fascinating tales of how the Titans clashed with each other and the Olympians that came after them. Also, you'll learn about the heroic adventures of the mighty Heracles!

Although a simulacrum of the historic literary pieces of Homer and Hesiod, this eBook gives a crisp yet fulfilling account of the Titans, the Olympian gods, their affairs, feuds and rivalries; it provides a through account of the Trojan war and heroes such as Achilles, Hercules and Odysseus. It also includes bonus chapters divulging some enthralling secrets that are less known about the characters of the Greek Mythology.

As we explore the ancient deities from Greece (also copied and somewhat altered by the Romans), we can find many fascinating stories and dramatic characteristics in them. Aside from looking at gods like Mercury and Hades, we will also look at stories that involve Eros (or Cupid), Psyche (the origin of a lot of our words in the dictionary), and the infamous and seductive nymphs and satyrs.

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 a time of mythical beasts and powerful gods, tales of heroism and mankind's beginnings proliferated through the ancient world and endured for centuries thereafter. From the origins of the universe, to the creation of man, Greek mythology has formed the bedrock of Western culture and civilization. Its influence has captivated people for thousands of years and traces remain everywhere, from our literature, films, and everyday language.

Modern perceptions of classical Greece are almost invariably based on Athens and Sparta, but there are perhaps few areas as consistently undervalued as the island of Rhodes. Although solidly part of the Greek world for as long as there has been one, Rhodes, located just off the coast of Asia Minor, was also from its earliest times a port opening to the civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean, and Rhodes was involved in every significant moment in ancient Greek history.

Pergamon reached the height of its power during the Hellenistic period, becoming the capital of the Attalid kings, which ruled during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. During the Roman period, the city was the first capital of the Asian province, but it ultimately lost this status to its local rival, Ephesus. Thanks to its royalty-decreed monopoly on parchment fabrication (“pergamon” in the Ancient Greek language) and tissues and its transnational commercial activity, the city became an important multicultural center for the entire empire.

Magic - as opposed to religion, personal or otherwise - is a notoriously difficult concept to pin down. In ancient Greece, "magic was not distinct from religion, rather an unwelcome, improper expression of it." In other words, it's important not to think of it as a different definition of magic but to instead understand how the ancient Greeks believed certain aspects of magic functioned in their world.

Slavery was a universal and totally accepted feature of ancient Greek society, so much so that while the conditions under which slaves lived and worked varied considerably, many ordinary citizens kept at least one slave, often working alongside their owners, while larger commercial enterprises involved huge numbers, many of whom could rise to positions of authority and wealth. It was possible for some slaves to buy their freedom, while others lived and died in conditions of appalling brutality.

In the third century BC, Stoicism arose in response to and under the influence of these older schools, combining many of the best theories from each into a more cohesive whole. With a greater flexibility and more practical application to everyday life, Stoicism quickly became a very popular school of thought, a growth made exponential by its introduction to the Romans.

This comprehensive collection introduces you to Greek mythology and will also captivate your attention and imagination, so you can relive the tales of the most fabulous Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters.

In virtually all fields of human endeavor, Athens was so much at the forefront of dynamism and innovation that the products of its most brilliant minds remain not only influential, but entirely relevant to this day. In the field of medicine, the great physician Hippocrates not only advanced the practical knowledge of human anatomy and care-giving, but changed the entire face of the medical profession.

In Blood and Ashes provides the first historical study of the development and dissemination of ritualized curse practice from 750-250 BCE, documenting the cultural pressures that drove the use of curse tablets, charms, spells, and other private rites. This book expands our understanding of daily life in ancient communities, showing how individuals were making sense of the world and coping with conflict, vulnerability, competition, anxiety, desire, and loss, all while conjuring the gods and powers of the Underworld.

From the foundation of the Roman Monarchy to the whispered end of the Western Roman Empire, here’s your chance to learn all the key events of the intricate dance of power, passion, and prophecy that shaped the rise, decline, and fall of Rome. The Wolves of Mars is your key to over 1,200 years of Roman social, political, economic, military, and intellectual history.

Breve Historia de la Mitología Griega nos ofrece un panorama completísimo de las deidades del mundo clásico. Fernando López Trujillo no se detiene en una enumeración de los Dioses Olímpicos y sus atributos, sino que primero nos hace ver la importancia rectora de la mitología en el mundo antiguo, para mostrar a continuación las apasionantes historias que pueblan esta mitología.