Download or read book The Rise of Persia and the First Greco Persian Wars written by Manousos E. Kambouris and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-05-05 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This ancient military history examines the rise of Achaemenid Persia as it expanded into Europe to become the era’s dominant superpower. In this enlightening history, Manousos Kambouris examines the first Greco-Persian War from the Persian perspective, framing it within the larger narrative of Achaemenid Empire’s rise. After relating the earlier Persian campaigns in Europe, Kambouris shows how the Ionian Revolt—by the Greeks of Asia Minor already under Persian rule—played a role in the subsequent conflict. Darius I, the Persian King of Kings, ordered the invasion of Greece ostensibly to punish the Athenians for their support of the Revolt, but in truth he sought to achieve god-ordained world dominance. Describing the invasion in great detail, the author analyses the king's immense (even if occasionally exaggerated) army, considering its composition and logistical constraints. The campaign leading to Marathon and the decisive battle itself are then clearly narrated. Kambouris' meticulous research brings fresh insights to this timeless tale of defiance and victory for the underdog.
Download or read book The Battle of Marathon written by Peter Krentz and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2010-09-07 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did the city-state of Athens defeat the invaders from Persia, the first world empire, on the plain of Marathon in 490 BCE? Clever scholars skeptical of our earliest surviving source, Herodotus, have produced one ingenious theory after another. In this stimulating new book, bound to provoke controversy, Peter Krentz argues that Herodotus was right after all. Beginning his analysis with the Athenians’ first formal contact with the Persians in 507 BCE, Krentz weaves together ancient evidence with travelers’ descriptions, archaeological discoveries, geological surveys, and the experiences of modern reenactors and soldiers to tell his story. Krentz argues that before Marathon the Athenian army fought in a much less organized way than the standard view of the hoplite phalanx suggests: as an irregularly armed mob rather than a disciplined formation of identically equipped infantry. At Marathon the Athenians equipped all their fighters, including archers and horsemen, as hoplites for the first time. Because their equipment weighed only half as much as is usually thought, the Athenians and their Plataean allies could charge almost a mile at a run, as Herodotus says they did. Krentz improves on this account in Herodotus by showing why the Athenians wanted to do such a risky thing.
Download or read book The Persian Wars written by Herodotus and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2023-11-19 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Herodotus, the great Greek historian, wrote this famous history of warfare between the Greeks and the Persians in a delightful style. Herodotus portrays the dispute as one between the forces of slavery on the one hand and freedom on the other. This work covers the rise of the Persian influence and a history of the Persian empire, a description and history of Egypt, and a long digression on the landscape and traditions of Scythia. Because of the comprehensiveness of this work, it was considered the founding work of history in Western literature. A must-have for history enthusiasts.
Download or read book Persian Fire written by Tom Holland and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2007-06-12 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A "fresh...thrilling" (The Guardian) account of the Graeco-Persian Wars. In the fifth century B.C., a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece. The story of how their citizens took on the Great King of Persia, and thereby saved not only themselves but Western civilization as well, is as heart-stopping and fateful as any episode in history. Tom Holland’s brilliant study of these critical Persian Wars skillfully examines a conflict of critical importance to both ancient and modern history.
Download or read book Herodotus The Persian War written by Herodotus and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1982-02-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trans, from the Greek.
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 Greek Mercenaries written by Matthew Trundle and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-09-09 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greek Mercenaries is an analysis of the political, social and economic aspects of classical Greek mercenary service.
Download or read book The History of Herodotus written by Herodotus and published by Biblo & Tannen Booksellers & Publishers. This book was released on 1928 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!
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 War and Peace in Ancient and Medieval History written by Philip de Souza and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2008-03-13 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a major study of the ideas and practices involved in the making and breaking of peace treaties and truces from Classical Greece to the time of the Crusades. Leading specialists on war and peace in ancient and medieval history examine the creation of peace agreements, and explore the extent to which their terms could be manipulated to serve the interests of one side at the other's expense. The chapters discuss a wide range of uses to which treaties and other peace agreements were put by rulers and military commanders in pursuit of both individual and collective political aims. The book also considers the wider implications of these issues for our understanding of the nature of war and peace in the ancient and medieval periods. This broad-ranging account includes chapters on ancient Persia, the Roman and Byzantine Empires, Anglo-Saxon England and the Vikings.
Download or read book On the War for Greek Freedom written by Herodotus and published by Hackett Publishing. This book was released on 2003-03-15 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designed for students with little or no background in ancient Greek language, history, and culture, this new abridgment presents those selections that comprise Herodotus’ historical narrative. These are meticulously annotated, and supplemented with a chronology of the Archaic Age, Historical Epilogue, glossary of main characters and places, index of proper names, and maps.
Download or read book Persian Interventions written by John O. Hyland and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this book, Hyland examines the international relations of the First Persian Empire (the Achaemenid Empire) as a case study in ancient imperialism. He focuses in particular on Persian's relations with the Greek city-states and its diplomatic influence over Athens and Sparta. Previous studies have emphasized the ways in which Persia sought to protect its borders by playing the often warring Athens and Sparta off each other, prolonging their conflicts through limited aid and shifts of alliance. Hyland proposes a new model, employing Persian ideological texts and economic documents to contextualize the Greek narrative framework, that demonstrates that Persian Kings were less interested in control of the Ionian region where Greece bordered the empire than in displays of universal power through the acquisition of Athens or Sparta as client states. On the other hand, the establishment of "Pax Persica" beyond the Aegean was delayed by Persian efforts to limit the interventions' expense, and missteps in dealing with fractious Greek allies. This reevaluation of Persia's Greek relations marks an important contribution to scholarship on the Achaemenid empire and Greek history, and has value for the broader study of imperialism in the ancient world."--Provided by publisher.
Download or read book Thermopylae written by Paul Cartledge and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2006-11-02 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of a clash of ancient cultures: “Beautifully written and stirring . . . An outstanding retelling of one of the seminal events in world history.” —Booklist In 480 BC, a huge Persian army, led by the inimitable King Xerxes, entered the mountain pass of Thermopylae as it marched on Greece, intending to conquer the land with little difficulty. But the Greeks, led by King Leonidas and a small army of Spartans, took the battle to the Persians at Thermopylae, and halted their advance—almost. It is one of history’s most acclaimed battles, one of civilization’s greatest last stands. And in Thermopylae, renowned classical historian Paul Cartledge looks anew at this history-altering moment and, most impressively, shows how its repercussions have bearing on us even today. The invasion of Europe by Xerxes and his army redefined culture, kingdom, and class. The valiant efforts of a few thousand Greek warriors, facing a huge onrushing Persian army at the narrow pass at Thermopylae, changed the way generations to come would think about combat, courage, and death. “A class in Western Civilization that both instructs and entertains.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Download or read book Great Naval Battles of the Ancient Greek World written by Owen Rees and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2018-12-31 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Naval warfare is the unsung hero of ancient Greek military history, often overshadowed by the more glorified land battles. Owen Rees looks to redress the balance, giving naval battles their due attention. This book presents a selection of thirteen naval battles that span a defining century in ancient Greek history, from the Ionian Revolt and Persian Invasion to the rise of external naval powers in the Mediterranean Sea, such as the Carthaginians.Each battle is set in context. The background, wider military campaigns, and the opposing forces are discussed, followed by a narrative and analysis of the fighting. Finally, the aftermath of the battles are dealt with, looking at the strategic implications of the outcome for both the victor and the defeated. The battle narratives are supported by maps and tactical diagrams, showing the deployment of the fleets and the wider geographical factors involved in battle. Written in an accessible tone, this book successfully shows that Greek naval warfare did not start and end at the battle of Salamis.
Download or read book The Histories Book 7 Polymnia written by Herodotus and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-08-24 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who lived in the fifth century BC (c.484 - 425 BC). He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a well-constructed and vivid narrative. The Histories-his masterpiece and the only work he is known to have produced-is a record of his "inquiry", being an investigation of the origins of the Greco-Persian Wars and including a wealth of geographical and ethnographical information. The Histories, were divided into nine books, named after the nine Muses: the "Muse of History", Clio, representing the first book, then Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope for books 2 to 9, respectively.
Download or read book After Thermopylae written by Paul Cartledge and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-05-09 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Battle of Plataea in 479 BCE is one of world history's unjustly neglected events. It decisively ended the threat of a Persian conquest of Greece. It involved tens of thousands of combatants, including the largest number of Greeks ever brought together in a common cause. For the Spartans, the driving force behind the Greek victory, the battle was sweet vengeance for their defeat at Thermopylae the year before. Why has this pivotal battle been so overlooked? In After Thermopylae, Paul Cartledge masterfully reopens one of the great puzzles of ancient Greece to discover, as much as possible, what happened on the field of battle and, just as important, what happened to its memory. Part of the answer to these questions, Cartledge argues, can be found in a little-known oath reputedly sworn by the leaders of Athens, Sparta, and several other Greek city-states prior to the battle-the Oath of Plataea. Through an analysis of this oath, Cartledge provides a wealth of insight into ancient Greek culture. He shows, for example, that when the Athenians and Spartans were not fighting the Persians they were fighting themselves, including a propaganda war for control of the memory of Greece's defeat of the Persians. This helps explain why today we readily remember the Athenian-led victories at Marathon and Salamis but not Sparta's victory at Plataea. Indeed, the Oath illuminates Greek anxieties over historical memory and over the Athens-Sparta rivalry, which would erupt fifty years after Plataea in the Peloponnesian War. In addition, because the Oath was ultimately a religious document, Cartledge also uses it to highlight the profound role of religion and myth in ancient Greek life. With compelling and eye-opening detective work, After Thermopylae provides a long-overdue history of the Battle of Plataea and a rich portrait of the Greek ethos during one of the most critical periods in ancient history.
Download or read book Herodotus and the Persian Wars written by John Claughton and published by . This book was released on 2008-01-03 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greece and Rome: Texts and Contexts provides students with direct access to the ancient world by offering new translations of extracts from the key texts of its literature, history and civilization, and by setting them in their historical, social and cultural contexts. The series is suitable for both advanced secondary school and undergraduate study, giving translations that are accurate and accessible, accompanied by notes that will enable all students to engage with the primary sources. Key features of the series include: questions which prompt students to develop their own informed opinions, and to consider the relevance of ancient texts to the modern world notes alongside the texts for easy reference stimulating illustrations throughout. Herodotus, writing in the second half of the 5th century BC, is the first historian of western civilization. His narrative tells of the expansion of the Persian Empire in the 6th and 5th centuries BC and the wars between Greece and Persia in 490, 480 and 479 BC. Some of the most famous battles of history Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis - are dramatically described in his work. However, Herodotus' greatness lies not only in the momentous nature of the events he describes. His purpose is to explain why the wars happened, and his sophisticated and complex answer encompasses the relation of gods to men, the nature of different peoples and the character of individuals. Herodotus says that he will write equally about the two sides of the war, and his narrative of the clash between East and West, between democracy and autocracy, has striking and disturbing modern resonances. Book jacket.
