Ancient Military History

La cesura più lacerante nella storia dell'Atene classica fu, per effetto della sconfitta militare dell'aprile 404 a.C., il divampare di una guerra civile che era in incubazione da decenni. Da sempre, la democrazia politica era stata vissuta da una parte dei ceti possidenti come una forzatura intollerabile. Essi avevano auspicato la sconfitta della propria città nel lunghissimo conflitto con Sparta; e quando finalmente la sconfitta giunse, essi presero il potere con l'aiuto delle armi spartane.

Although revered in history for their civilization and culture, the Greeks were always in a constant state of warfare amongst themselves. With the likes of Athens, Sparta, and Thebes asserting dominance over the Ionian Peninsula, none of the other city-states could amass an army strong enough to challenge their superiority in the area, much less take on all challengers and invade Persia. However, none of these other city-states had a ruler named Alexander.

At its heart, The Art of War is a Taoist work. Its core principle is to blend with the natural order of things. That is the book’s approach to conflict and friction as it is to restoration and maintenance of peace.

This audiobook offers the perfect explanation of how the Roman empire began, how it was run, what some of the emperors did, and much more. You’ll also find out why and how it ended, how the wars influenced their expansion and shrinkage, and other facts.

It would be hard if not outright impossible to overstate the impact Roman Emperor Constantine I had on the history of Christianity, Ancient Rome, and Europe as a whole. Best known as Constantine the Great, the kind of moniker only earned by rulers who have distinguished themselves in battle and conquest, Constantine remains an influential and controversial figure to this day.

Many ancient civilizations have influenced and inspired people in the 21st century, and the Greeks and Romans continue to fascinate the West today, but of all the world’s civilizations, none have intrigued people more than the Mayans, whose culture, astronomy, language, and mysterious disappearance all continue to captivate people. In the past decade especially, there has been a renewed focus on the Mayans, whose advanced calendar led many to speculate the world would end on the same date the Mayan calendar ended in 2012.

Some of the most iconic symbols of the Roman Empire that have survived into the modern world today are the arches that Romans erected to commemorate military victories and glorify individual emperors. The story of how arches came to be used throughout the Roman world in such a way is one that involves the evolution of the military and its leaders into the political forces that came to dominate the state, and those arches, along with the triumphs that came to be associated with many of them, were key parts in the process of exhibiting the might of both Rome.

No other civilization in human history has fascinated the world quite like the Roman Empire. On the battlefield, the Romans were a force the world had never seen before, an unparalleled war machine that could sweep through cities and absorb entire countries into its borders. At the heart of it all was Rome, the epicenter of the world. But what was it really like to live there? Where did the common Roman person live? What were the Roman games really like? From the streets to the senate to the games, this is what life was like in ancient Rome.

Winston Churchill said, “History is written by the victors,” and never has this been truer than in the case of the Parthian Empire. The Parthians left few written records, and most of what we know about the empire comes from its two main adversaries—first the Greeks and then, for most of its history, the Romans. Fortunately, modern scholarship and archaeology have recently helped us to understand a little more about this ancient empire.

The author tells of Alexander's violent suppression of the Theban rebellion, his defeat of Persia, and campaigns through Egypt and Babylon - establishing new cities and destroying others in his path. While Alexander emerges as a charismatic leader, the author succeeds brilliantly in creating an objective portrait of a man of boundless ambition who was exposed to the temptations of power.

Alexander the Great is considered one of the most successful commanders of all time and was known to be undefeated in battle. He is mentioned in the Bible as well as the Qur’an, and is on the shortest of short lists whenever the world’s best military leaders are catalogued. When asked to name other great military leaders, Caesar reportedly said Alexander was the only great one.

The Gallic Wars, the series of campaigns waged by Julius Caesar on behalf of the Roman Senate between 58-50 BC, were among the defining conflicts of the Roman era. Not only was the expansion of the Republic's domains unprecedented (especially when considering it was undertaken under the auspices of a single general), it had a profound cultural impact on Rome itself as well.

Nessun antico sovrano ha ispirato più leggende di Gaio Giulio Cesare. Sotto la sua guida, Roma conquistò territori in tutta l'Europa e nel Mediterraneo, raggiungendo il Mare del Nord e la Gran Bretagna. Il suo acume tattico e la comprensione intuitiva di come lavoravano soldati ed eserciti fece nascere una struttura militare che ha permesso ai generali romani di espandere i confini dell'impero per generazioni future, e la sua visione di un'Europa unita ha ispirato altri leader militari per centinaia di anni.

Non è semplice spiegare cos'ha rappresentato Sparta per il mondo antico. La polis ellenica infatti non solo è stata la storica rivale di Atene, ma un vero simbolo per tutta la Grecia classica e non solo. Il mito di Sparta oggi, dopo più di 2 mila anni, è ancora vivo più che mai grazie alle pluripremiate graphic novel di Frank Miller e alle loro trasposizioni cinematografiche. Può un popolo vivere soltanto in funzione della guerra e del valore militare? Per quanto possa sembrare assurdo la risposta è sì. L'incredibile storia di Sparta è qui a dimostrarcelo.

Of all the generals in the ancient world, none matches the accomplishments of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Hannibal of Carthage. Whatever their backgrounds, these rulers showed that the right military commander at the right time in history can destroy an empire, change civilization, and alter the course of world history forever.

Alexander of Macedon was only 33 years old when he died, leaving behind him a sprawling empire of impressive size, which encompassed dozens of different people groups, religions, cultures, customs, and - of course - problems. Naturally, Alexander is well-known as a figure, but how well do we really know him? How much of his fascinating story is true, and how much is mere legend?

A comienzos del siglo III a. de C., el Mediterráneo era testigo de la existencia de dos extraordinarias potencias: Cartago y Roma. Tras la espectacular expansión del segundo y su victoria en la primera guerra púnica, surgió la definitiva rivalidad entre ambos, la cual estalló militarmente otra vez en el 218 a. de C, cuando una de las figuras militares más importantes de todos los tiempos, el gran Aníbal, cruza los Alpes y ataca a Roma desde su propio territorio.

Considerada como el enfrentamiento militar más importante y crucial de la antigüedad, las consecuencias nacidas tras este emocionante episodio histórico marcaron el rumbo definitivo no sólo de Grecia y Persia, sino de todo el mundo occidental. Ambas naciones, a la sazón las dos naciones más grandes de la época, se enfrascaron en una guerra colosal que empezó en el siglo V antes de Cristo, que duró más de 60 años, y que concluyó con la derrota de quien menos se esperaba: Persia.

Un momento crucial para la sobrevivencia del mundo occidental. Hacia 500 años antes de Cristo, el imperio Persa, acaso el más grande de su tiempo, anhelaba conquistar Europa. Sin embargo, nunca imaginó que en el estrecho paso de las Termópilas conocería la fuerza de un pueblo, el griego, que haría de su amor por la libertad su mejor arma.

La larga pugna entre el naciente Estado Judío de comienzos de la era cristiana, y la opresión de sus conquistadores, los romanos, en este audiolibro que pretende rescatar los momentos más álgido de estas guerras. Por las consecuencias de estos hechos, su escucha resulta imprescindible.