Download or read book Battle Descriptions as Literary Texts written by Johanna Luggin and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-02-14 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Battle descriptions are usually seen as the raw material of the military historian, who uses them to explain why generals won or lost a given battle. This volume does not aim to contribute to this discussion; it rather approaches battle descriptions as literary texts that interact with the expectations of a given audience. Therefore literary traditions in structure, vocabulary and topics of battle descriptions should be explored. The transgression of genre-borders – also literary and fictional texts are included – and a broad comparative approach, combining evidence from the third millennium BC up to the 20th century AD, makes cultural specifics and differences more easily perceivable. Contents With contributions by Marcos Such-Guttiérrez, Pavel Čech, Hilmar Klinkott, Wolfgang Oswald, Kai Ruffing, Oliver Stoll, Martin M. Bauer, Reinhold Bichler, Christian Mileta, Simon Lentzsch, Sven Günther, Dennis Pulina, Johanna Luggin, Sonjar Koroliov, Magdalena Gronau and Martin Gronau. The Editors Dr. Johanna Luggin is a post-doc researcher in the ERC-funded project “NOSCEMUS – Nova Scientia: Early Modern Science and Latin” in Innsbruck, Austria. Dr. Sebastian Fink is a postdoctoral researcher at the Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence “Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions”.

Download or read book Alexander the Great in Erbil written by Andreas Parpas and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-11-27 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book deals with the battle of Gaugamela that took place on 1st October 331 B.C. between Alexander's Macedonian army and the armies of the Persian Empire. The date of the battle is an important date since its result shaped world history. On that date the first ever civilization ( The Mesopotamian Civilization), which expressed itself in cuneiform writing, was overaken by a second one ( The Classical Greek Civilization) which expressed itself through alphabets. The result of the battle was to establish Hellenism in the East and bring together two unique and equally brilliant cultures and civilizations which managed to coexist and establish a truly meaningful and productive exhange of ideas from a much closer proximity. At Gaugamela Alexander won a decisive military battle but at Arbela, modern Erbil, he achieved and manifested a major political victory. At Arbela Alexander was proclaimed King of Asia, the Persian Empire was officially declared utterly disolved and he demonstrated to the Greeks the justification of his campaign by giving back to the Greek cities their freedom. During the official proclamations Alexander performed magnificent sacrifices to the Gods most probabaly at the acropolis of Arbela, at the mound where the Erbil ciatadel is situated today. Therefore the victory celebrations were performed at the majestic mound in the centre of Arbela where the local Goddess of war and victory, Ishtar of Arbela, had her temple. Alexander named the mound where Ishtar Arbela had her sanctuary " Nikatorion" meaning the hill of victory. The book gives a detailed account of the actual battle where the Macedonians defeated a numerically superior Persian army. The Macedonians depended on their unbeatable sarissa phalanx and the Royal Companions commanded by Alexander while the Persians relied on their cavallry. The brilliant tactics employed by Alexander and his ferocious counterattack right at the point where a gap was created in the Persian cavalry line gave the final victory to the Macedonians. Darius was also well prepared and he based his strategy on the mobility of his superior army. His encirclement tactics almost succeded. He was unlucky that he had to face Alexander, a genious strategist and one of the most brilliant generals in world military history. In the first chapters of the book, before the battle, there is a comprehensive descrition of the Persian Empire and their military strength as well as a corresponding one for the Macedonian kingdom. There is also a detailed analysis of the local environment and on the build up and approach of two armies towards Arbela and Gaugamela. Finally the last chapters, after the battle, deal with the Alexander's Kingship of Asia which was first proclaimed at Arbela, and how the ideology of Alexander's Kingship that was bestowed on him at Arbela had influenced his behaviour later on and how his successors used his kingship and ideology to advance their own kingship and regional claims and interests.

Download or read book Great Battles of the Hellenistic World written by Joseph Pietrykowski and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pietrykowski analyses the Macedonian art of war from its development under Philip II, perfection under Alexander the Great, and further adaptation under the Successor States. Focussing on twenty battles spanning the era of Macedonian primacy, we see the evolving just the forces, strategies and tactics employed by Hellenistic generals and gain an understanding of their successes and ultimate failures when facing new foes such as the Romans. Clear diagrams make the action easy to follow.

Download or read book The Landmark Arrian written by Arrian and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2012-01-17 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arrian’s Campaigns of Alexander, widely considered the most authoritative history of the brilliant leader’s great conquests, is the latest addition to the acclaimed Landmark series. After twelve years of hard-fought campaigns, Alexander the Great controlled a vast empire that was bordered by the Adriatic sea to the west and modern-day India to the east. Arrian, himself a military commander, combines his firsthand experience of battle with material from Ptolemy’s memoirs and other ancient sources to compose a singular portrait of Alexander. This vivid and engaging new translation of Arrian will fascinate readers who are interested in classical studies, the history of warfare, and the origins of East­–West tensions still swirling in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan today. Enriched by the series’ trademark comprehensive maps, illustrations, and annotations, and with contributions from the preeminent classical scholars of today, The Landmark Arrian: The Campaigns of Alexander is the definitive edition of this essential work of ancient history.

Download or read book The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World written by Edward Shepherd Creasy and published by . This book was released on 1852 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire 2 Volume Set written by Bruno Jacobs and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 1747 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A COMPANION TO THE ACHAEMENID PERSIAN EMPIRE A comprehensive review of the political, cultural, social, economic and religious history of the Achaemenid Empirem Often called the first world empire, the Achaemenid Empire is rooted in older Near Eastern traditions. A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire offers a perspective in which the history of the empire is embedded in the preceding and subsequent epochs. In this way, the traditions that shaped the Achaemenid Empire become as visible as the powerful impact it had on further historical development. But the work does not only break new ground in this respect, but also in the fact that, in addition to written testimonies of all kinds, it also considers material tradition as an equal factor in historical reconstruction. This comprehensive two-volume set features contributions by internationally-recognized experts that offer balanced coverage of the whole of the empire from Anatolia and Egypt across western Asia to northern India and Central Asia. Comprehensive in scope, the Companion provides readers with a panoramic view of the diversity, richness, and complexity of the Achaemenid Empire, dealing with all the many aspects of history, event history, administration, economy, society, communication, art, science and religion, illustrating the multifaceted nature of the first true empire. A unique historical account presented in its multiregional dimensions, this important resource deals with many aspects of history, administration, economy, society, communication, art, science and religion it deals with topics that have only recently attracted interest such as court life, leisure activities, gender roles, and more examines a variety of available sources to consider those predecessors who influenced Achaemenid structure, ideology, and self-expression contains the study of Nachleben and the history of perception up to the present day offers a spectrum of opinions in disputed fields of research, such as the interpretation of the imagery of Achaemenid art, or questions of religion includes extensive bibliographies in each chapter for use as starting points for further research devotes special interest to the east of the empire, which is often neglected in comparison to the western territories Part of the acclaimed Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire is an indispensable work for students, instructors, and scholars of Persian and ancient world history, particularly the First Persian Empire.

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 Battles of The Greek and Roman Worlds written by John Drogo Montagu and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2015-01-19 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Exciting and vivid . . . an excellent single-volume reference for classical battles” from the author of Greek & Roman Warfare (HistoryNet.com). This comprehensive reference book on the battles of the ancient world covers events from the eighth century BC down to 31BC, when Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium. The author presents, in an exciting and vivid style, complete with battle plans and maps, all of the land and sea battles of the Greek and Roman worlds, based on the accounts by historians of the time. “A chronology of ancient battles from earliest recorded Greek history to the end of the Roman Republic . . . This is a unique resource for which there are no comparable works. It will be useful to students, scholars, and enthusiasts of war gaming.” —Booklist “If you are interested in warfare of Greek and/or Roman times . . . this book should be your first port of call to decide on your next ancients project.” —Avon Napoleonic Fellowship “A magnificent compilation of ancient battles from the dawn of recorded history to 31 BC . . . remarkable . . . Ancient buffs need this book.” —Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

Download or read book The Origins Of War written by Arther Ferrill and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-05-04 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When did war begin? Standard military accounts tend to start with the Graeco-Persian wars, laying undue emphasis on the preeminence of Greek heavy infantry. But, as this strikingly original and entertaining book shows, the origins of war can be traced back not to the Iron Age, or even to the Bronze Age, but to the emergence of settled life itself nearly 10,000 years ago. The military revolution that occurred then?the invention of major new weapons, the massive fortifications, the creation of strategy and tactics?ultimately gave rise to the great war machines of ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Persia that dominated the Near East until the time of Alexander the Great.It is Arther Ferrill's thesis that in the period before Alexander there were two independent lines of military development?a Near Eastern one culminating in the expert integration of cavalry, skirmishers, and light infantry and a Greek one based on heavy infantry. When Philip and Alexander blended the two traditions in their crack Macedonian army, the result was a style of warfare that continued, despite technological changes, down to Napoleon.This newly revised edition presents detailed and copiously illustrated accounts of all the major battles on land and sea up to the fourth century b.c., analyzes weapons from the sling to the catapult, and discusses ancient strategy and tactics, making this a book for armchair historians everywhere.

Download or read book Alexander the Great written by Philip Freeman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-10-18 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the first authoritative biography of Alexander the Great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian Philip Freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror. The celebrated Macedonian king has been one of the most enduring figures in history. He was a general of such skill and renown that for two thousand years other great leaders studied his strategy and tactics, from Hannibal to Napoleon, with countless more in between. He flashed across the sky of history like a comet, glowing brightly and burning out quickly: crowned at age nineteen, dead by thirty-two. He established the greatest empire of the ancient world; Greek coins and statues are found as far east as Afghanistan. Our interest in him has never faded. 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. Alexander spent nearly all his adult life away from his homeland, and he and his men helped spread the Greek language throughout western Asia, where it would become the lingua franca of the ancient world. Within a short time after Alexander’s death in Baghdad, his empire began to fracture. Best known among his successors are the Ptolemies of Egypt, whose empire lasted until Cleopatra. In his lively and authoritative biography of Alexander, classical scholar and historian Philip Freeman describes Alexander’s astonishing achievements and provides insight into the mercurial character of the great conqueror. Alexander could be petty and magnanimous, cruel and merciful, impulsive and farsighted. Above all, he was ferociously, intensely competitive and could not tolerate losing—which he rarely did. As Freeman explains, without Alexander, the influence of Greece on the ancient world would surely not have been as great as it was, even if his motivation was not to spread Greek culture for beneficial purposes but instead to unify his empire. Only a handful of people have influenced history as Alexander did, which is why he continues to fascinate us.

Download or read book Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus written by Marcus Junianus Justinus and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents the first authoritative English translation and scholarly commentary on a little known but important ancient historical source: the 2nd/3rd century Roman historian Justin's epitome or abridged version of the Philippic History by Pompeius Trogus (27 BC-AD 14). This book covers books 11-12 and represents one of the five major sources for historians on the life and times of Alexander the Great.

Download or read book Ghost on the Throne written by James Romm and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2012-11-13 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-two, his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea in the west all the way to modern-day India in the east. In an unusual compromise, his two heirs—a mentally damaged half brother, Philip III, and an infant son, Alexander IV, born after his death—were jointly granted the kingship. But six of Alexander’s Macedonian generals, spurred by their own thirst for power and the legend that Alexander bequeathed his rule “to the strongest,” fought to gain supremacy. Perhaps their most fascinating and conniving adversary was Alexander’s former Greek secretary, Eumenes, now a general himself, who would be the determining factor in the precarious fortunes of the royal family. James Romm, professor of classics at Bard College, brings to life the cutthroat competition and the struggle for control of the Greek world’s greatest empire.

Download or read book In the Path of Conquest written by Waldemar Heckel and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2020 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Face of Panhellenic War: Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, 340-334 -- The Long Road to Asia Minor: Resistance in Macedonia and Greece -- First Clash in Asia Minor -- From the Aegean to Cappadocia -- Persian Counter Measures: The War in the Aegean -- The Great King and his Armies -- The Campaign in Cilicia -- The Levant and Egypt: Collaboration and Resistance -- Darius' Last Stand and the Collapse of Persian Resistance -- The End of Darius III -- War in Central Asia -- Persianizing and the Internal Enemy -- From the Hindu Kush to the Indus -- From the Panjāb to Pattala -- Return to the West: Problems of Consolidation and the Revival of Old Grievancesv--Appendix: Sources for the History of Alexander.

Download or read book A History of War in 100 Battles written by R. J. Overy and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Their very names--Gettysburg, Waterloo, Stalingrad--evoke images of great triumph and equally great suffering, moments when history seemed to hang in the balance. Considered in relation to each other, such battles--and others of less immediate renown--offer insight into the changing nature of armed combat, advances in technology, shifts in strategy and thought, as well as altered geopolitical landscapes. The most significant military engagements in history define the very nature of war. In his newest book, Richard Overy plumbs over 3,000 years of history, from the Fall of Troy in 1200 BC to the Fall of Baghdad in 2003, to locate the 100 battles that he believes the most momentous. Arranged by themes such as leadership, innovation, deception, and courage under fire, Overy presents engaging essays on each battle that together provide a rich picture of how combat has changed through the ages, as well as highlighting what has remained consistent despite advances in technology. The battles covered here offer a wide geographic sweep, from ancient Greece to China, Constantinople to Moscow, North to South America, providing a picture of the dominant empires across time and context for comparison between various military cultures. From familiar engagements like Thermopylae (480 BC), Verdun (1916), and the Tet Offensive (1968) to lesser-studied battles such as Zama (202 BC), Arsuf (1191), and Navarino Bay (1827), Overy presents the key actors, choices, and contingencies, focusing on those details--sometimes overlooked--that decided the battle. The American victory at the Battle of Midway, for example, was determined by only ten bombs. It was, as Wellington said of Waterloo, a "near run thing." Rather than focusing on the question of victory or defeat, Overy examines what an engagement can tell us on a larger level about the history of warfare itself. New weapons and tactics can have a sudden impact on the outcome of a battle--but so too can leadership, or the effects of a clever deception, or raw courage. Overy offers a deft and visually captivating look at the engagements that have shaped the course of human history, and changed the face of warfare.

Download or read book The Monsoon Diaries written by Calvin D. Sun and published by Harper Horizon. This book was released on 2022-09-27 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "There are heroes among us, and Dr. Calvin Sun is one of them. Read this book." -Lisa Ling, journalist The Monsoon Diaries is the firsthand account of Dr. Calvin Sun, an emergency room doctor who worked tirelessly on the front lines in multiple hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing upon the lessons he learned from his adventures traveling to more than 190 countries in ten years, as well as from the grief he experienced as a teen when his father died, Dr. Sun shares his journey, from growing up as a young Asian American in New York to his calling first to medical school and then to the open road. He believes that the fight for a better world creates meaning when all feels meaningless, and he hopes that telling his story will help readers reframe this tragic moment in our lifetimes into possibility, with the goal of building a more empathetic society.

Download or read book Alexander written by Peter G. Tsouras and published by Potomac Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2011 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.E.), who reigned as king of Macedonia for only thirteen years, set a flame of conquest that introduced the dynamism of Hellenism to the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and South Asian worlds. Re-creating their ossified cultures, he established a standard of leadership and military conquest that the most successful of Roman emperors, medieval knights, and steppe barbarians would never truly match. Julius Caesar wept that he could not surpass Alexander, while Napoleon could only dream of such invincibility. Alexander had the great fortune to be born the able son of Philip II, one of the most talented men of war and politics produced by the Hellenic world, who created for Alexander the foundation of the Macedonian state and army that would be the tools of his future greatness. Alexander's invincibility was the product of his profound genius - the perfection of body, boundless energy, imagination, daring, intellect, and vision in one man. He was a master tactician, strategist, logistician, diplomat, and statesman, with an ability to win the affection and quick obedience of others. Even his enemies fell victim to his valor and charm. His personal attributes and accomplishments were so far removed from those of ordinary men that he achieved almost superhuman status within his lifetime. Above all, he was the preeminent man of war. Even today, as the noise of battle rattles Kandahar, a city in Afghanistan that Alexander named for himself, war clings to his name.

Download or read book Shadows in the Desert written by Kaveh Farrokh and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2009-03-24 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The empires of ancient Persia remain as mysterious today as they were to contemporary Western scholars. Although Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia is legendary, the military successes of the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanian empires, along with their revolutionary military technology, tactics, and culture have been almost forgotten in the sands of the East. Containing information never before published in English, Shadows in the Desert offers a comprehensive history of Persia's wars with East and West which spanned over a millennium, and offers an insight into the exchange of ideas and culture that occurred during these clashes between East and West, not only military technology, but influences in the arts, medicine, religion and science. This beautifully illustrated book delves into the rich heritage of the Persians, which was spread around the world through war and conquest, and which, after the fall of the Sassanians, continued to impact upon civilizations around the world.