Ancient Military

The book contains the translation in English and the original Latin text of De Bello Africo and a background taken from the second book of De Bello Civili, by Gaius Julius Caesar, which helps understanding the historical story.

La guerra civile che sconvolse l'impero romano d'Occidente tra il 350 e il 353 d.C. lasciò le frontiere indebolite, consentendo alle confederazioni dei Germani stanziate lungo il Reno di occupare parti della Gallia romana. Nel 355 l'imperatore Costanzo II nominò quindi cesare suo cugino Giuliano, di soli ventitré anni, affidandogli il comando, dapprima solo teorico, di tutte le truppe galliche. Nonostante la sua giovane età, Giuliano si dimostrò un comandante capace, riguadagnando progressivamente terreno e arginando per quasi due anni le reazioni degli Alemanni.

In ancient Rome, the use of slave labor in all levels of society was a part of the natural order. Eventually, like with any other empire, these less fortunate individuals, who found themselves with fewer rights than even livestock, would find the courage to stand up and fight for freedom against their all-powerful masters.

En la antigua Roma, el uso de mano de obra esclava en todos los niveles de la sociedad formaba parte del orden natural. Con el tiempo, como en cualquier otro imperio, estos individuos menos afortunados, que se encontraron con menos derechos que incluso el ganado, encontrarían el valor para levantarse y luchar por la libertad contra sus todopoderosos amos. Estas revueltas se convertirían en guerras sin cuartel y pasarían a los anales del tiempo como las guerras serviles.

Although the Romans gained the upper hand over Carthage in the wake of the First Punic War, the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal brought the Romans to their knees for over a decade during the Second Punic War. While military historians are still amazed that he was able to maintain his army in Italy near Rome for nearly 15 years, scholars are still puzzled over some of his decisions, including why he never attempted to march on Rome in the first place.

History records all the events of the past. In this audiobook, we're going to learn about the Story of the Crusades, and determine if it has a happy or sad ending.

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.

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.

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.

The Ancient Greeks have long been considered the forefathers of modern Western civilization, but the Golden Age of Athens and the spread of Greek influence across much of the known world only occurred due to one of the most crucial battles of antiquity: the Battle of Marathon.

The Peloponnesian War, as the great historian Thucydides wrote in the introduction to his eponymous book, which has become one of the greatest historical treatises of antiquity, was an event of such calamitous magnitude that Greece had never witnessed its like in all of recorded history. Not the Trojan War, not the Dorian Invasion, not even the recent Persian invasions could compare to the scale of the devastation that engulfed all of Greece for almost three decades, causing the deaths of tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands.

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.

Believed to have been penned around the eighth century BCE or seventh century BCE, the Iliad and the Odyssey served as both entertainment and a moral guidebook of sorts for the ancient Greeks, as well as the foundation for Western literature. Although there is some scholarly debate regarding the epic's authorship, it is generally attributed to Homer. Given that he lived nearly 2800 years ago, not much is actually known about Homer; even his birthplace is debated.

As far as I can remember, movie battle formations always fascinated me; tactics were deceptively simple, and many people in conversations slam this or that king or general as "not being a genius" by using very simple tactics. However, now knowing more, there are two reasons why things are simple.

L'ultimo secolo della Repubblica romana fu segnato dalle guerre civili. La stagione fu inaugurata nell'82 da Silla, che per primo condusse un esercito di romani contro la patria, e conclusa da Ottaviano nel 31, con la vittoria su Antonio e Cleopatra. Le regole della convivenza furono sconvolte, le cose sacre profanate, i cittadini contro i cittadini, i figli contro i padri, i fratelli contro i fratelli. I pilastri immateriali che per quattro secoli, anche nei momenti di crisi, avevano sostenuto la città, andarono in frantumi.

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.

Spartacus is the world’s most famous slave, and one of the most notorious figures of Ancient Rome. A slave enamored of freedom and willing to fight and die for it, he became especially popular in the years following the Enlightenment, after which he was widely viewed as a poignant champion of liberty in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a result, he became a symbol during struggles like the French Revolution, the American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the struggle for emancipation.

La guerra di Troia è narrata in prima persona da un ragazzo, un umile arciere al servizio del grande Ulisse. Le parole del giovane dipingono un affresco inedito del tragico conflitto che oppose i Greci ai Troiani, nel quale gli eroi del mito non sono più soltanto belli e coraggiosi, ma si mostrano anche avidi condottieri pronti a tutto pur di soddisfare i loro capricci e la loro avidità. Un racconto che riflette sui temi della guerra e della pace: la guerra non procura gloria e onore, ma solo dolore e sofferenza. I veri eroi sono coloro che hanno il coraggio di fermarla.

Legends of the Ancient World: The Life and Legacy of Hannibal looks at the life of the Carthaginian hero, explores some of the mysteries and myths surrounding his life and campaigns, and analyzes his legacy, which has remained strong over 2,000 years after his death and promises to last many more. You will learn about Hannibal like you never have before, in no time at all.

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.