Ancient Biography

Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian Empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India.

The ancient historian Josephus is key to a proper understanding of the time of Christ and the early church era. This recording, an abridged paraphrase of two Josephus histories, will transport you back in time to the period 37 B.C. to A.D. 70, from the time Herod took Jerusalem to become "King of the Jews," to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.

In this dynamic and engaging biography, Anthony Everitt plunges us into the fascinating, scandal-ridden world of ancient Rome in its most glorious heyday. Accessible to us through his legendary speeches but also through an unrivaled collection of unguarded letters to his close friend Atticus, Cicero comes to life here as a witty and cunning political operator.

The mysterious boy king Tutankhamun came to the U.S. in 2008, bringing rare treasures, never before seen outside Egypt. For the millions of fans wanting a keepsake and chronicle of this magnificent new exhibition, this audiobook will delight. Created by world-renowned art historians under the guidance of Zahi Hawass - director of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and a well-known media personality - it surveys 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history by focusing on the lives and lifestyles of great pharaohs.

Ramesses II ruled the Nile Valley and the wider Egyptian empire from 1279 to 1213 B.C., one of the longest reigns in pharaonic history. He was a cultural innovator, a relentless self-promoter, and an astute diplomat—the peace treaty signed after the Battle of Kadesh was the first in recorded history. He outbuilt every other Egyptian pharaoh, leaving behind the temples of Abu Simbel; the great hypostyle hall of Karnak; the tomb for his wife Nefertari; and his own memorial, the Ramesseum.

Denied citizenship by the Roman Empire, a soldier named Alaric changed history by unleashing a surprise attack on the capital city of an unjust empire. Stigmatized and relegated to the margins of Roman society, the Goths were violent "barbarians" who destroyed "civilization," at least in the conventional story of Rome's collapse. But a slight shift of perspective brings their history, and ours, shockingly alive.

Meet extraordinary black heroes throughout history—biographies for kids ages 8 to 12. You’re invited to meet ancient Egyptian rulers, brilliant scientists, legendary musicians, and civil rights activists—all in the same book! Black Heroes introduces you to 51 black leaders and role models from both history and modern times. This black history book for kids features inspirational biographies of trailblazers from the United States, Egypt, Britain, and more.

Ancient Near Eastern texts such as The Baal Cycle portray the pagan god Baal as a rebel—the hero of a revolution, worshiped and glorified for his long string of victories. In The Baal Book: A Biography of the Devil, Fr. Stephen De Young shows that the Hebrew Scriptures consciously turn the Baal story on its head, depicting him as a failed and defeated rebel who nonetheless tries to steal the glory that belongs to Almighty God. From these Scriptures, the figure of the Devil emerged within Jewish and Christian Tradition.

Paul Cartledge, one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Greece, illuminates the brief but iconic life of Alexander (356-323 B.C.), king of Macedon, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and founder of a new world order. Alexander's legacy has had a major impact on military tacticians, scholars, statesmen, adventurers, authors, and filmmakers.

Before the emperors, there was the Republic. Before the Republic fell, there was the Rubicon. History of the Roman Empire: Power, Betrayal, and the End of the Republic is a sweeping, uncompromising account of how one of history’s most sophisticated democracies collapsed into autocracy—not through foreign invasion or sudden catastrophe, but through internal corrosion, political violence, and the dangerous allure of strongmen. Based entirely on verifiable sources, this work strips away myth and romanticism to reveal the hard truths of Roman political decay and the rise of imperial power. ...

The War of the Three Gods is a military history of the Near and Middle East in the seventh century - with its chief focus on the reign of the Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius (AD 610-641) - a pivotal and dramatic time in world history. The Eastern Roman Empire was brought to the very brink of extinction by the Sassanid Persians before Heraclius managed to inflict a crushing defeat on the Sassanids with a desperate, final gambit.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Most people assume that the world has been explored and true adventure is dead: This book is one man’s rebuttal. Explorer and conservationist Paul Rosolie shares his incredible life in the Amazon rainforest—and what we can learn from the people fighting to...

Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later.

Read by the author. A written and visual complement to the critically acclaimed movie, I Can Only Imagine 2. In The Origin of Hymns, Pastor Robert Morgan explores the history, evolution, and redemptive thread of 50 beloved hymns of the faithful. Ever wonder how a simple hymn can carry the weight...

Who was Hercules according to the ancient traditions? This book presents the complete life of Hercules, from his extraordinary birth to his immortality, as it was understood in the myths of antiquity. Free from modern simplifications, cinematic distortions, or empty spectacle, it offers a faithful reconstruction of the hero’s path in all its human, tragic, and sacred dimensions. Beyond the famous Twelve Labours, the reader will discover: the hero’s genealogy and his place between gods and mortals the trials imposed by fate and divine will madness, guilt, and atonement the great ...

The world remembers Leonidas for how he died. This is the story of how—and why—he lived. At the dawn of Western history, one man’s final stand against an empire forged a legend that would echo for millennia. Leonidas: The Last King of Sparta is the definitive retelling of the life and legacy of the warrior who defied Persia at the narrow pass of Thermopylae — not as a comic-book hero or marble statue, but as a flesh-and-blood king shaped by duty, law, and fate. In this sweeping historical narrative, A. K. Thompson reconstructs the world that made Leonidas: a Sparta without walls, ...

From USA Today Bestselling Author, Uvi Poznansky, comes an epic historical fiction trilogy with a modern twist: Volume I: Rise to Power Here is the story of David as you have never heard it before: from the king himself, telling the unofficial version, the one he never allowed his court scribes to recount. Rooted in ancient lore, his is a surprisingly modern memoir. Volume II: A Peek at Bathsheba The most torrid tale of passion ever told: David's forbidden love for Bathsheba, and his attempt to cover up the scandal. Will he muster the strength needed to protect her and save their son from ...

Named a “Best Book of the 21st Century” by Kirkus Reviews, this biography from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author brings to life the most intriguing woman in history: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and...

On March 7, 203, in the amphitheater at Carthage, Vibia Perpetua was one of five Christians who met their deaths after refusing to venerate Roman emperor Septimius Severus and his son. Perpetua stood out from the others, and in fact from all the other martyrs of her era and before: she was an aristocratic married woman with an infant son, and she is the first female prose author whose work survives. Offering a new translation of Perpetua's prison diary and situating the life behind it within the late Roman Empire, Sarah Ruden tells the story of Perpetua's feat of self‑invention as a martyr.

In this definitive biography of father and son, an eminent historian "brings to life the full drama of ancient history" (Wall Street Journal) Alexander the Great's conquests staggered the world. He led his army across thousands of miles, overthrowing the greatest empires of his time and building...