Download or read book From Cyrus to Alexander written by Pierre Briant and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2002-06-23 with total page 1217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Around 550 B.C.E. the Persian people—who were previously practically unknown in the annals of history—emerged from their base in southern Iran (Fars) and engaged in a monumental adventure that, under the leadership of Cyrus the Great and his successors, culminated in the creation of an immense Empire that stretched from central Asia to Upper Egypt, from the Indus to the Danube. The Persian (or Achaemenid, named for its reigning dynasty) Empire assimilated an astonishing diversity of lands, peoples, languages, and cultures. This conquest of Near Eastern lands completely altered the history of the world: for the first time, a monolithic State as vast as the future Roman Empire arose, expanded, and matured in the course of more than two centuries (530–330) and endured until the death of Alexander the Great (323), who from a geopolitical perspective was “the last of the Achaemenids.” Even today, the remains of the Empire-the terraces, palaces, reliefs, paintings, and enameled bricks of Pasargadae, Persepolis, and Susa; the impressive royal tombs of Naqsh-i Rustam; the monumental statue of Darius the Great-serve to remind visitors of the power and unprecedented luxury of the Great Kings and their loyal courtiers (the “Faithful Ones”). Though long eclipsed and overshadowed by the towering prestige of the “ancient Orient” and “eternal Greece,” Achaemenid history has emerged into fresh light during the last two decades. Freed from the tattered rags of “Oriental decadence” and “Asiatic stagnation,” research has also benefited from a continually growing number of discoveries that have provided important new evidence-including texts, as well as archaeological, numismatic, and iconographic artifacts. The evidence that this book assembles is voluminous and diverse: the citations of ancient documents and of the archaeological evidence permit the reader to follow the author in his role as a historian who, across space and time, attempts to understand how such an Empire emerged, developed, and faded. Though firmly grounded in the evidence, the author’s discussions do not avoid persistent questions and regularly engages divergent interpretations and alternative hypotheses. This book is without precedent or equivalent, and also offers an exhaustive bibliography and thorough indexes. The French publication of this magisterial work in 1996 was acclaimed in newspapers and literary journals. Now Histoire de l’Empire Perse: De Cyrus a Alexandre is translated in its entirety in a revised edition, with the author himself reviewing the translation, correcting the original edition, and adding new documentation. Pierre Briant, Chaire Histoire et civilisation du monde achémenide et de l’empire d’Alexandre, Collège de France, is a specialist in the history of the Near East during the era of the Persian Empire and the conquests of Alexander. He is the author of numerous books. Peter T. Daniels, the translator, is an independent scholar, editor, and translator who studied at Cornell University and the University of Chicago. He lives and works in New York City.
Download or read book Darius in the Shadow of Alexander written by Pierre Briant and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2015-01-05 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Darius III ruled over the Persian Empire and was the most powerful king of his time, yet he remains obscure. In the first book devoted to the historical memory of Darius III, Pierre Briant describes a man depicted in ancient sources as a decadent Oriental who lacked Western masculine virtues and was in every way the opposite of Alexander the Great.
Download or read book Alexander the Great and His Empire written by Pierre Briant and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2010-07-21 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a short history of Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian empire, from the Mediterranean to Central Asia. This book sets the rise of Alexander's short-lived empire within the broad context of ancient Near Eastern history under Achaemenid Persian rule, as well as against Alexander's Macedonian background.
Download or read book From Cyrus to Seleukos written by Pierre Briant and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-02-01 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present volume is a collection of articles published in English by Professor Pierre Briant of the Collège de France, in various forms over the past three decades.
Download or read book The Persian Empire from Cyrus II to Artaxerxes I written by Maria Brosius and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of the Persian Empire and its rulers from c.620 to 424BC, based on a range of source material. Brosius ends this study with a general discussion of the organisation and administration of the Empire and its religious aspects. Also includes an index of people and gods, extensive notes on sources and lists of authors and texts, maps, family tree, calendrical and chronological information.
Download or read book Alexander the Great and His Empire written by Pierre Briant and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-25 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A classic account of Alexander the Great's conquest and its impact on the conquered—now in English for the first time This is the first publication in English of Pierre Briant's classic short history of Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian empire, from the Mediterranean to Central Asia. Eschewing a conventional biographical focus, this is the only book in any language that sets the rise of Alexander's short-lived empire within the broad context of ancient Near Eastern history under Achaemenid Persian rule, as well as against Alexander's Macedonian background. As a renowned historian of both the Macedonians and the Persians, Briant is uniquely able to assess Alexander's significance from the viewpoint of both the conquerors and the conquered, and to trace what changed and what stayed the same as Alexander and the Hellenistic world gained ascendancy over Darius's Persia. After a short account of Alexander's life before his landing in Asia Minor, the book gives a brief overview of the major stages of his conquest. This background sets the stage for a series of concise thematic chapters that explore the origins and objectives of the conquest; the nature and significance of the resistance it met; the administration, defense, and exploitation of the conquered lands; the varying nature of Alexander's relations with the Macedonians, Greeks, and Persians; and the problems of succession following Alexander's death. For this translation, Briant has written a new foreword and conclusion, updated the main text and the thematic annotated bibliography, and added a substantial appendix in which he assesses the current state of scholarship on Alexander and suggests some directions for future research. More than ever, this masterful work provides an original and important perspective on Alexander and his empire.
Download or read book Cyrus Prince of Persia written by Alexander Jovy and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enter the enthralling world of Ancient Persia-the world¿s first great empire-and experience the life and times of Cyrus the Great.Blending fact with fiction, this novel will introduce you to the visionary leader whose heroism and strength of character won the loyalty of his subjects as well as the hearts of two extraordinary women: the beautiful warrior Roxana and the exquisite Cassadane.Cyrus was a fearless military leader, strategically adding ancient Lydia and the fabled city of Babylon¿the richest city in the world¿to his conquests. He freed forty thousand Jews from their plight as slaves and allowed them to return to their homeland. A visionary who was far ahead of his time, he built his empire on the foundation of religious tolerance and created a society where people of different backgrounds and cultures could live together in peace and harmony.After many years spent researching the life of this fascinating ancient king, critically acclaimed film director Alexander Jovy has created an imaginative historical novel that is full of action, passion, mystery, tragedy, and heroic virtue.
Download or read book Ancient Persia written by Matt Waters and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-01-20 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Achaemenid Persian Empire, at its greatest territorial extent under Darius I (r.522–486 BCE), held sway over territory stretching from the Indus River Valley to southeastern Europe and from the western Himalayas to northeast Africa. In this book, Matt Waters gives a detailed historical overview of the Achaemenid period while considering the manifold interpretive problems historians face in constructing and understanding its history. This book offers a Persian perspective even when relying on Greek textual sources and archaeological evidence. Waters situates the story of the Achaemenid Persians in the context of their predecessors in the mid-first millennium BCE and through their successors after the Macedonian conquest, constructing a compelling narrative of how the empire retained its vitality for more than two hundred years (c.550–330 BCE) and left a massive imprint on Middle Eastern as well as Greek and European history.
Download or read book History of the Persian Empire written by A. T. Olmstead and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2022-08-29 with total page 671 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Out of a lifetime of study of the ancient Near East, Professor Olmstead has gathered previously unknown material into the story of the life, times, and thought of the Persians, told for the first time from the Persian rather than the traditional Greek point of view. "The fullest and most reliable presentation of the history of the Persian Empire in existence."—M. Rostovtzeff
Download or read book I Am Cyrus written by Alexander Jovy and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I am Cyrus is a powerful, intensely vivid and beautifully-written novel which dramatises the life, conquests and passions of Cyrus the Great, the heroic leader of the world's first great empire: the Persian Empire.
Download or read book Discovering Cyrus written by Reza Zarghamee and published by . This book was released on 2018-05-22 with total page 728 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some of the most fascinating human epochs lie in the borderlands between history and mystery. So it is with the life of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire in the sixth century bce. By conquest or gentler means, he brought under his rule a dominion stretching from the Aegean Sea to the Hindu Kush and encompassing some tens of millions of people. All across this immense imperium, he earned support and stability by respecting local customs and religions, avoiding the brutal ways of tyranny, and efficiently administering the realm through provincial governors. The empire would last another two centuries, leaving an indelible Persian imprint on much of the ancient world. The Greek chronicler Xenophon, looking back from a distance of several generations, wrote: "Cyrus did indeed eclipse all other monarchs, before or since." The vision of the biblical prophet known as Second Isaiah anticipates Cyrus' repatriation of Jews living in exile in Babylon with these words of the Lord: "He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please." Despite what he achieved and bequeathed, much about Cyrus remains uncertain. Persians of his era had no great respect for the written word and kept no annals. The most complete accounts of his life were composed by Greeks. More fragmentary or tangential evidence takes many forms - among them, archaeological remains, administrative records in subject lands, and the always tricky stuff of legend. Given these challenges, Discovering Cyrus: The Persian Conqueror Astride the Ancient World is a remarkable feat of portraiture. In his vast sweep, Reza Zarghamee draws on sources of every kind, painstakingly assembling detail, and always weighing evidence carefully where contradictions arise. He describes the background of the Persian people, the turbulence of the times, and the roots of Cyrus' policies. His account of the imperial era itself delves into religion, military methods, commerce, court life, and much else besides. The result is a living, breathing Cyrus standing atop a distant world that played a key role in shaping our own.
Download or read book The Confessions of Alexander the Great written by Ashkan Karbasfrooshan and published by Granicus Pub. This book was released on 2004-10-01 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tells history through the eyes of the greatest military commander of all time, Alexander the Great, who died one month shy of his thirty-third birthday. Broken up into thirty-three chapters, this book offers a first-person narrative glimpse into the body, soul and mind of the most important secular figure in history.
Download or read book Ctesias History of Persia written by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-12-04 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Towards the end of the fifth century BC Ctesias of Cnidus wrote his 23 book History of Persia. Ctesias is a remarkable figure: he lived and worked in the Persian court and, as a doctor, tended to the world’s most powerful kings and queens. His position gave him special insight into the workings of Persian court life and access to the gossip and scandal surrounding Persian history and court politics, past and present. His History of Persia was completed at a time when the Greeks were fascinated by Persia and seems very much to cater to contemporary interest in Persian wealth and opulence, powerful Persian women, the institution of the harem, kings and queens, eunuchs and secret plots. Presented here in English translation for the first time with commentaries, Ctesias offers a fascinating insight into Persia in the fifth century BC.
Download or read book The Persian Boy written by Mary Renault and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2013-09-10 with total page 818 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times–bestselling novel of the ancient king of Macedon and his lover by the author Hilary Mantel calls “a shining light.” The Persian Boy centers on the most tempestuous years of Alexander the Great’s life, as seen through the eyes of his lover and most faithful attendant, Bagoas. When Bagoas is very young, his father is murdered and he is sold as a slave to King Darius of Persia. Then, when Alexander conquers the land, he is given Bagoas as a gift, and the boy is besotted. This passion comes at a time when much is at stake—Alexander has two wives, conflicts are ablaze, and plots on the Macedon king’s life abound. The result is a riveting account of a great conqueror’s years of triumph and, ultimately, heartbreak. The Persian Boy is the second volume of the Novels of Alexander the Great trilogy, which also includes Fire from Heaven and Funeral Games. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary Renault including rare images of the author. “Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. She shows us their strangeness; discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us.” —Hilary Mantel
Download or read book Cyrus the Great written by Harold Lamb and published by Rare Treasure Editions. This book was released on 2024-04-09T00:00:00Z with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dramatic retelling of the life of the tough and bellicose sixth-century King of Persia, Cyrus the Great.
Download or read book The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c 500 1492 written by Jonathan Shepard and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-06-30 with total page 1228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Byzantium lasted a thousand years, ruled to the end by self-styled 'emperors of the Romans'. It underwent kaleidoscopic territorial and structural changes, yet recovered repeatedly from disaster: even after the near-impregnable Constantinople fell in 1204, variant forms of the empire reconstituted themselves. The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c.500-1492 tells the story, tracing political and military events, religious controversies and economic change. It offers clear, authoritative chapters on the main events and periods, with more detailed chapters on outlying regions and neighbouring societies and powers of Byzantium. With aids such as maps, a glossary, an alternative place-name table and references to English translations of sources, it will be valuable as an introduction. However, it also offers stimulating new approaches and important findings, making it essential reading for postgraduates and for specialists. The revised paperback edition contains a new preface by the editor and will offer an invaluable companion to survey courses in Byzantine history.
Download or read book Cyrus the Great written by Samuel Willard Crompton and published by Infobase Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During his time, Cyrus was proclaimed the greatest leader of his era and, perhaps, of the ancient world. Much of what we know about him comes from pieces of the Old Testament, the Babylonian Chronicle, and the writings of ancient historians Herodotus and Xenophon. Through these writings from his friends and foes, we gather a view of this extraordinary man. Though he can be compared to Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan for his military accomplishments, Cyrus was also a master at diplomacy and tact. He welded together groups of people as disparate as Afghani tribesmen and Turkish farmers, creating the first world empire known in the Western world. His legacy in the Middle East lives on, for he was the leader who initiated the Persians' and Iranians' national destinies more than 2,000 years ago.
