The History And Legacy Of The Greatest Empires In The Ancient Levant

Download The History And Legacy Of The Greatest Empires In The Ancient Levant full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online The History And Legacy Of The Greatest Empires In The Ancient Levant ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!

The History and Legacy of the Greatest Empires in the Ancient Levant

Author : Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781981676453
Total Pages : 164 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (764 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The History and Legacy of the Greatest Empires in the Ancient Levant by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book The History and Legacy of the Greatest Empires in the Ancient Levant written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-12-13 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading The pages of world history textbooks contain a litany of "lost" empires and civilizations, but usually, upon further review, it is revealed that these so called lost empires are often just lesser known cultures that had a less apparent impact on history than other more well-known civilizations. When one scours the pages of history for a civilization that was inexplicably lost, but had a great impact during its time, very few candidates can be found, but the Hittites are a notable example. Compared to some of their contemporaries - including the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians - the Hittites were somewhat distant both culturally and geographically. The Hittites were an Indo-European speaking in an ocean of Afro-Asiatic and Semitic groups, their homeland was to the north of Mesopotamia, and it contained no major river like the Nile, Tigris, or Euphrates Rivers. The Hittite empire was also far less enduring than its neighbors, as it only existed from about 1800-1200 BCE (van de Mieroop 2007, 156), which was considerably shorter than most of the other major kingdoms of the Near East. Of all the peoples of the ancient Near East, the Phoenicians are among the most recognizable but also perhaps the least understood. The Phoenicians never built an empire like the Egyptians and Assyrians; in fact, the Phoenicians never created a unified Phoenician state but instead existed as independent city-state kingdoms scattered throughout the Mediterranean region. However, despite the fact there was never a "Phoenician Empire," the Phoenicians proved to be more prolific in their exploration and colonization than any other peoples in world history until the Spanish during the Age of Discovery. The Phoenicians were well-known across different civilizations throughout the ancient world, and their influence can be felt across much of the West today because they are credited with inventing the forerunner to the Greek alphabet, from which the Latin alphabet was directly derived. Nonetheless, the Phoenicians left behind few written texts, so modern historians have been forced to reconstruct their past through a variety of ancient Egyptians, Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, and Roman sources. It's not even clear what the Phoenicians called themselves, because the name "Phoenician" is derived from the Greek word "phoinix," which possibly relates to the dyes they produced and traded (Markoe 2000, 10). The mystery of the ancient Phoenicians is further compounded by the fact that archaeologists have only been able to excavate small sections of the three primary Phoenician cities: Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre. Although the Biblical accounts of the Assyrians are among the most interesting and are often corroborated with other historical sources, the Assyrians were much more than just the enemies of the Israelites and brutal thugs. A historical survey of ancient Assyrian culture reveals that although they were the supreme warriors of their time, they were also excellent merchants, diplomats, and highly literate people who recorded their history and religious rituals and ideology in great detail. For a time, the Seleucids commanded the largest empire in the world as it stretched from the high plains and deserts of what is now Afghanistan in the east to parts of the Levant and Asia Minor in the west. The empire's early kings were strong and shrewd and committed to the ideas of Hellenism as much as holding power and expanding the realm of their empire, but later rulers did not prove as capable. In time, the Seleucid royal house often descended into orgies of violence which were driven by ambitious men and women. Despite its troubles and its sheer size and scope, the Seleucid Empire lasted for several centuries, and it would not truly reach its end until the 1st century BCE.

The Maurya Empire

Author : Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781975859879
Total Pages : 74 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (598 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Maurya Empire by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book The Maurya Empire written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-08-30 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts describing the empire and its rulers *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading During the last centuries of the first millennium BCE, most of the Mediterranean basin and the Near East were either directly or indirectly under the influence of Hellenism. The Greeks spread their ideas to Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Persia and attempted to unify all of the peoples of those regions under one government. Although some of the Hellenistic kingdoms proved to be powerful in their own rights - especially Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Empire, which encompassed all of Mesopotamia, most of the Levant, and much of Persia during its height - no single kingdom ever proved to be dominant. The Hellenic kingdoms battled each other for supremacy and even attempted to claim new lands, especially to the east, past the Indus River in lands that the Greeks referred to generally as India. But as the Hellenistic Greeks turned their eyes to the riches of India, a dynasty came to power that put most of the Indian subcontinent under the rule of one king. The dynasty that came to power in the late fourth century BCE is known today as the Mauryan Dynasty, and although the ruling family was short-lived and their power was ephemeral, its influence resonated for several subsequent centuries and spread as far east as China and into the Hellenistic west. Through relentless warfare and violent machinations, the Mauryans were able to take a land that was full of disparate and often warring ethnic groups, religions, and castes and meld it into a reasonably cohesive empire. After establishing the empire, subsequent kings were able to focus their attentions on raising the living standards of their people. One particular Mauryan king, Ashoka, embarked on several ambitious public works projects and promoted the tenets of Buddhism. Due to its influence on religion and what many believe was the world's first attempt by a government to legitimately acknowledge human rights, the Maurya Empire continues to be a source of interest and inspiration today. The Maurya Empire: The History and Legacy of Ancient India's Greatest Empire looks at one of antiquity's most interesting empires. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Mauryans like never before.

Ugarit

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 86 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (574 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Ugarit by :

Download or read book Ugarit written by and published by . This book was released on 2020-06-27 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading "My father, behold, the enemy's ships came (here); my cities(?) were burned, and they did evil things in my country. Does not my father know that all my troops and chariots(?) are in the Land of Hatti, and all my ships are in the Land of Lukka? ... Thus, the country is abandoned to itself. May my father know it: the seven ships of the enemy that came here inflicted much damage upon us." - King Ammurapi Not far from the Latakia, Syria, near the Mediterranean Sea coast, is the politically insignificant town of Burj al-Qasab. Throughout most of its history, Burj al-Qasab was overshadowed by Latakia, but this was not always the case. More than 3,000 years ago, on a hill known as Ras Sharma located just outside Burj al-Qasab, a sprawling metropolis much more important and powerful than Latakia, or most other modern cities in the region for that matter once existed. Ras Sharma was the location of Ugarit, an extremely wealthy and powerful Bronze Age city-state that received and sent merchants far and wide through its gates. It also developed complex geopolitical relationships with some of the most powerful empires of the period, including the Hittites, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Mitanni. Ugarit was a truly cosmopolitan city, where dozens of languages were spoken, people from all over the Near East lived, and exotic goods were as common as the sands on its beaches. When Ugarit was at the pinnacle of its power and wealth, it was destroyed by foreign invaders and quickly forgotten. Thanks to modern archaeologists, philologists, and historians, the secrets of Ugarit were uncovered in the early 20th century when it was revealed that Ras Sharma was part of an ancient city. As scholars excavated the ancient site and documented the plethora of art and written texts found there, they realized that it was the important city of Ugarit that had been mentioned in texts and inscriptions by major Bronze Age Near Eastern kingdoms. Modern scholars learned that although Ugarit was not one of the major kingdoms or so-called Great Powers of the Late Bronze Age Near East, it was powerful and important in its own right. Ugarit was extremely important economically, as its merchants played the role of middlemen between the empires, bringing goods from major empires of the period to be traded in Ugarit's markets. The culture of Ugarit was also important - it was similar to other Canaanite peoples of the Levant region and also influenced later peoples of the region, especially in terms of religion. Ugarit also bore witness to the transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age during the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE, which arguably changed the structure and course of world history more fundamentally than any period before or since. During this period, numerous wealthy and enduring kingdoms of the eastern Mediterranean Sea region collapsed, and new ones rose in their places. At the center of this period of turmoil was a group of people known today as the Sea Peoples, the English translation of the name given to them by the Egyptians. Despite their prominent role in history, however, the Sea Peoples remain as mysterious as they were influential; while the Egyptians documented their presence and the wars against them, it has never been clear exactly where the Sea Peoples originated from, or what compelled them to invade various parts of the region with massive numbers. Whatever the reason, the Sea Peoples posed an existential threat to the people already living in the region, and ultimately the people of Ugarit would be among their many victims. Ugarit: The History and Legacy of the Kingdom of Ugarit in the Ancient Near East examines the origins of the settlement, and what life may have been like there. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Ugarit like never before.

The Greatest Empires & Civilizations of the Ancient East: Egypt, Babylon, The Kings of Israel and Judah, Assyria, Media, Chaldea, Persia, Parthia & Sasanian Empire

Download The Greatest Empires & Civilizations of the Ancient East: Egypt, Babylon, The Kings of Israel and Judah, Assyria, Media, Chaldea, Persia, Parthia & Sasanian Empire PDF Online Free

Author : George Rawlinson
Publisher : e-artnow
ISBN 13 : 8027244250
Total Pages : 3099 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (272 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Greatest Empires & Civilizations of the Ancient East: Egypt, Babylon, The Kings of Israel and Judah, Assyria, Media, Chaldea, Persia, Parthia & Sasanian Empire by : George Rawlinson

Download or read book The Greatest Empires & Civilizations of the Ancient East: Egypt, Babylon, The Kings of Israel and Judah, Assyria, Media, Chaldea, Persia, Parthia & Sasanian Empire written by George Rawlinson and published by e-artnow. This book was released on 2018-11-02 with total page 3099 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This carefully edited historical collection has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The Ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, ancient Iran Asia Minor and Armenian Highlands, the Levant, Cyprus and the Arabian Peninsula. This book covers the history of the entire region through the period of over three millennia. It brings political and cultural history of eight most important kingdoms and empires of the region: Egypt, Parthia, Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylon, Persia and Sasanian Empire. Content: Egypt Phoenicia Chaldea Assyria Media Babylon Persia Parthia Sasanian Empire The Kings of Israel and Judah The History of Herodotus: The Original Source

The History and Legacy of Asia Minor's Most Important Ancient Civilizations

Author : Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781987676204
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (762 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The History and Legacy of Asia Minor's Most Important Ancient Civilizations by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book The History and Legacy of Asia Minor's Most Important Ancient Civilizations written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-04-09 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading The pages of world history textbooks contain a litany of "lost" empires and civilizations, but usually, upon further review, it is revealed that these so called lost empires are often just lesser known cultures that had a less apparent impact on history than other more well-known civilizations. When one scours the pages of history for a civilization that was inexplicably lost, but had a great impact during its time, very few candidates can be found, but the Hittites are a notable example. In fact, the Hittites are an ancient people who remain somewhat enigmatic, and perhaps little known to most people, but their influence on the ancient Near East is undeniable. From high on their capital of Hattusa in central Anatolia, the Hittites were able to conquer and control a kingdom that roughly comprised the area of the modern nation-states of Turkey, Syria, and parts of Iraq and Lebanon through a combination of brute military force and shrewd diplomatic machinations. Among the peoples of the ancient Near East, few are more misunderstood than the Scythians. The Scythians swept into Anatolia in the early first millennium BCE and left a large swath of destruction in their wake. They challenged old, strong, and venerable kingdoms such as the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Medes, until they were defeated by the Medes and then gradually disappeared into historical obscurity once more. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, the Scythians ruled a large part of the Near East for nearly 30 years, but before they disappeared from the historical record, the Scythians greatly impacted the history of the Near East. Of all the empires and kingdoms in the ancient world, few could compare with the Lydians in terms of wealth and opulence. From the early 7th century BCE until the middle of the 6th century BCE, the Lydians played an important role in the history of the eastern Mediterranean region as they took on the role of middleman between the empires of the Near East and the emerging Hellenic civilization in Greece. From their capital in Sardis, the Lydian kings traded and made alliances and war with numerous kings, tyrants, and generals, which ultimately cemented their role as a brief but historically important people and kingdom in the ancient world. The Phrygians built a powerful and wealthy kingdom, but they were overshadowed by their more powerful and wealthier neighbors, the Lydians. Although the Phrygians were literate, most of their surviving texts have been little use to modern historians who desire to reconstruct their chronology, so they are left to use often biased Classical and Assyrian sources. Problems concerning nomenclature have also clouded the modern understanding of Phrygia and the Phrygians; the Greeks would often refer to numerous non-Phrygian peoples as Phrygians, and while the Persians acknowledged the Phrygians as a distinct people, they only considered them so as part of a satrapy or province in the vast Achaemenid Persian Empire. The History and Legacy of Asia Minor's Most Important Ancient Civilizations looks at the groups that dominated the region in antiquity and the influence they left upon Asia Minor and their contemporaries. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the history of Asia Minor's most important civilizations like never before.

Ancient Empires

Author : Eric H. Cline
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 0521889111
Total Pages : 387 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (218 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Ancient Empires by : Eric H. Cline

Download or read book Ancient Empires written by Eric H. Cline and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-06-27 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to the ancient Near East, Mediterranean and Europe, including the Greco-Roman world, Late Antiquity and the early Muslim period.

The Sassanid Empire

Author : Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781979659109
Total Pages : 68 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (591 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Sassanid Empire by : Charles River Editors

Download or read book The Sassanid Empire written by Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-11-11 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading During the first half of the 1st millennium CE, an empire arose in Persia that extended its power and influence to Mesopotamia in the east, Arabia in the south, the Caucasus Mountains in the north, and as far east as India. This empire, known alternatively as the Sasanian Empire or Sassanid Empire, was the last of three great dynasties in Persia-the Achaemenid and the Parthian being the first two dynasties-before the rise of Islam. In fact, many scholars consider the Sasanian Empire to be the last great empire of the ancient Near East because once it had been obliterated, Islam became the standard religion of the region, ushering in the Middle Ages. The Sasanian Empire was important for a number of reasons. Besides being the last of three great Persian dynasties, they carried on many Persian cultural traditions relating to religion and kingship. The Sasanians fostered and promoted the native religion of Zoroastrianism to the point of persecuting other religions from time to time. It was during the Sasanian period that the numerous Zoroastrian hymns, prayers, and rituals were collected under one book, known as the Avesta. Thanks to the Sasanians' efforts with regard to religion, modern scholars know much more about Zoroastrianism than they would have if the religion continued to disseminate orally. Their efforts also protected Zoroastrian knowledge in later years after the dynasty was long gone and Islam became ascendant in Persia. The Sasanians, like the Achaemenids and Parthians, also carried forth the Persian conflicts with the Hellenic world. Although the Achaemenids fought the Macedonian Greeks and the Parthians challenged the imperial Romans for control of Mesopotamia, the Sasanians faced Rome in its later stages of collapse and subsequently fought the revitalized Byzantine Empire. An examination of Sasanian chronology and culture reveals that it was a much more important dynasty and empire than most may think. The Sassanid Empire: The History and Legacy of the Neo-Persian Empire Before the Arab Conquest and Rise of Islam examines the history of one of the most important empires of the ancient world. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Sassanid Empire like never before.

The Assyrians

Author : Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781502392398
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (923 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Assyrians by : Charles River Editors

Download or read book The Assyrians written by Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2014-09-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Discusses Assyrian military tactics, religious practices, and more *Includes ancient Assyrian accounts documenting their military campaigns and more *Includes a bibliography for further reading "I fought daily, without interruption against Taharqa, King of Egypt and Ethiopia, the one accursed by all the great gods. Five times I hit him with the point of my arrows inflicting wounds from which he should not recover, and then I laid siege to Memphis his royal residence, and conquered it in half a day by means of mines, breaches and assault ladders." - Esarhaddon "I captured 46 towns...by consolidating ramps to bring up battering rams, by infantry attacks, mines, breaches and siege engines." - Sennacherib When scholars study the history of the ancient Near East, several wars that had extremely brutal consequences (at least by modern standards) often stand out. Forced removal of entire populations, sieges that decimated entire cities, and wanton destruction of property were all tactics used by the various peoples of the ancient Near East against each other, but the Assyrians were the first people to make war a science. When the Assyrians are mentioned, images of war and brutality are among the first that come to mind, despite the fact that their culture prospered for nearly 2,000 years. Like a number of ancient individuals and empires in that region, the negative perception of ancient Assyrian culture was passed down through Biblical accounts, and regardless of the accuracy of the Bible's depiction of certain events, the Assyrians clearly played the role of adversary for the Israelites. Indeed, Assyria (Biblical Shinar) and the Assyrian people played an important role in many books of the Old Testament and are first mentioned in the book of Genesis: "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech, and Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Ashur and built Nineveh and the city Rehoboth and Kallah." (Gen. 10:10-11). Although the Biblical accounts of the Assyrians are among the most interesting and are often corroborated with other historical sources, the Assyrians were much more than just the enemies of the Israelites and brutal thugs. A historical survey of ancient Assyrian culture reveals that although they were the supreme warriors of their time, they were also excellent merchants, diplomats, and highly literate people who recorded their history and religious rituals and ideology in great detail. The Assyrians, like their other neighbors in Mesopotamia, were literate and developed their own dialect of the Akkadian language that they used to write tens of thousands of documents in the cuneiform script (Kuhrt 2010, 1:84). Furthermore, the Assyrians prospered for so long that their culture is often broken down by historians into the "Old", "Middle", and "Neo" Assyrian periods, even though the Assyrians themselves viewed their history as a long succession of rulers from an archaic period until the collapse of the neo-Assyrian Empire in the 7th century BCE. In fact, the current divisions have been made by modern scholars based on linguistic changes, not on political dynasties (van de Mieroop 2007, 179). The Assyrians: The History of the Most Prominent Empire of the Ancient Near East traces the history and legacy of Assyria across several millennia. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the history of the Assyrians like never before, in no time at all.

The Great Empires of the Ancient East

Author : George Rawlinson
Publisher : Good Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 2228 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (596 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Great Empires of the Ancient East by : George Rawlinson

Download or read book The Great Empires of the Ancient East written by George Rawlinson and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2023-11-17 with total page 2228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, ancient Iran Asia Minor and Armenian Highlands, the Levant, Cyprus and the Arabian Peninsula. This book covers the history of the entire region through the period of over three millennia. It brings political and cultural history of eight most important kingdoms and empires of the region: Egypt, Parthia, Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylon, Persia and Sasanian Empire. Content: Egypt Phoenicia Chaldea Assyria Media Babylon Persia Parthia Sasanian Empire The Kings of Israel and Judah The History of Herodotus: The Original Source

The Achaemenid Persian Empire

Author : Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781979759663
Total Pages : 198 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (596 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Achaemenid Persian Empire by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book The Achaemenid Persian Empire written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-11-16 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "By the favor of Ahuramazda these are the countries which I got into my possession along with this Persian people, which felt fear of me and bore me tribute: Elam, Media, Babylonia, Arabia, Assyria, Egypt, Armenia, Cappadocia, Lydia, the Greeks who are of the mainland and those who are by the sea, and countries which are across the sea, Sagartia, Parthia, Drangiana, Aria, Bactria, Sogdia, Chorasmia, Sattagydia, Arachosia, Hindus, Gandara, Sacae, Maka." - An inscription on a terrace wall in Persepolis, circa 521 CE Lying in the middle of a plain in modern day Iran is a forgotten ancient city: Persepolis. Built two and a half thousand years ago, it was known in its day as the richest city under the sun. Persepolis was the capital of Achaemenid Persian Empire, the largest empire the world had ever seen, but after its destruction, it was largely forgotten for nearly 2,000 years, and the lives and achievements of those who built it were almost entirely erased from history. Alexander the Great's troops razed the city to the ground in a drunken riot to celebrate the conquest of the capital, after which time and sand buried it for centuries. It was not until the excavations of the 1930s that many of the relics, reliefs, and clay tablets that offer so much information about ancient Persian life could be studied for the first time. Through archaeological remains, ancient texts, and work by a new generation of historians, a picture can today be built of the Achaemenid Persian empire and their capital city of Persepolis. Although the city had been destroyed, the legacy of the Persians survived, even as they mostly remain an enigma to the West and are not nearly as well understood as the Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians. In a sense, the Achaemenid Persian Empire holds some of the most enduring mysteries of ancient civilization. Of course, one of the reasons the Persians aren't remembered like the Greeks is because of the way the Greco-Persian Wars ended. 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 the Greeks' victory in two of history's most important wars. In 491 BCE, following a successful invasion of Thrace over the Hellespont, the Persian emperor Darius sent envoys to the main Greek city-states, including Sparta and Athens, demanding tokens of earth and water as symbols of submission, but Darius didn't exactly get the reply he sought. According to Herodotus in his famous Histories, "Xerxes however had not sent to Athens or to Sparta heralds to demand the gift of earth, and for this reason, namely because at the former time when Dareios had sent for this very purpose, the one people threw the men who made the demand into the pit and the others into a well, and bade them take from thence earth and water and bear them to the king." The Achaemenid Persian Empire: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Greeks' Most Famous Enemy looks at one of history's largest empires. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the first Persian empire like never before.

The Armenian Empire

Author : Charles River
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (724 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Armenian Empire by : Charles River

Download or read book The Armenian Empire written by Charles River and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-12-20 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For a time, Seleucus I and his successors commanded the largest empire in the world as it stretched from the high plains and deserts of what is now Afghanistan in the east to parts of the Levant and Asia Minor in the west. The empire's early kings were strong and shrewd and committed to the ideas of Hellenism as much as holding power and expanding the realm of their empire, but later rulers did not prove as capable. In time, the Seleucid royal house often descended into orgies of violence which were driven by ambitious men and women. One general tied to the Seleucids was Artaxias, who founded the Artaxiad dynasty and managed to unite various Armenian regions under his rule and establish a strong central government, which enabled him to wage successful military campaigns against neighbouring powers. Artaxias I the Pious also built the capital city of Artaxata, which became a cultural and economic centre for the Armenian people. The succeeding kings of the Artaxiad dynasty continued to expand the territory of Greater Armenia, which at its height, stretched from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea and from the Caucasus Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea. During the reign of the Artaxiad dynasty, Armenia became a hub of trade and commerce, connecting the Silk Road and the Mediterranean world. The Armenian kings encouraged the development of agriculture, commerce, and arts, and the kingdom became renowned for its skilled artisans, writers, and philosophers. Of course, given its central location, the dynasty also faced numerous challenges, including repeated invasions by the Roman and Parthian empires, internal conflicts, and economic hardships. The dynasty's resilience and adaptability enabled it to survive for nearly two centuries, leaving behind a rich cultural and political legacy that has endured in the region, even as its historical memory was overshadowed by its more powerful neighbors. After the collapse of the Artaxiad dynasty (at the onset of the 1st century BCE), Rome and the kingdom of Parthia engaged in a competition for political influence in the vast territory of Greater Armenia. The Parthian Arshakunis endeavored to expel Rome from the region, aiming to establish the dominance of their own lineage. The political strategy devised by Parthian King Artabanus III, however, remained unrealized, as his sons Vorodes and Arshak I, who held the throne in Great Armenia, were deposed due to the intervention of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. By inciting the Alban, Georgian, and other neighboring tribes against the Armenians, Tiberius facilitated the ascendancy of Mithridates, the brother of Iberian King Pharasmanes, to the throne of Greater Armenia in the year 36. With the approval of the Roman emperor, the Goderdzak province of Greater Armenia was annexed to Iberia in 37, and Armenian Mesopotamia was incorporated into Adiabene. Simultaneously, Tiberius elevated the Armenian kingdoms of Commagene and Lesser Armenia to the status of Roman territories. Tiberius's anti-Armenian stance further exacerbated the discontent and animosity of the Armenian populace towards Rome. Consequently, in 37, the Armenians revolted and, under the leadership of General Demonax, successfully overthrew Mithridates of Iberia, expelling him from their land. The newly crowned Roman Emperor Caligula acknowledged the sovereignty of Greater Armenia and reinstated the kingdoms of Lesser Armenia and Commagene. Caligula's successor, Claudius, continued to follow the political trajectory of Tiberius in relation to Armenia. In 43, with the combined forces of Rome and Iberia, he once again installed Mithridates on the throne of Greater Armenia. However, Mithridates was neither acknowledged by nor received support from the Armenians. The Armenians responded with indifference to the assassination of Mithridates in the year 51 by his nephew and son-in-law, Rhadamistus.

The Dynamics of Ancient Empires : State Power from Assyria to Byzantium

Author : Ian Morris Professor of Classics and History Stanford University
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0199707618
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Dynamics of Ancient Empires : State Power from Assyria to Byzantium by : Ian Morris Professor of Classics and History Stanford University

Download or read book The Dynamics of Ancient Empires : State Power from Assyria to Byzantium written by Ian Morris Professor of Classics and History Stanford University and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2008-12-12 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world's first known empires took shape in Mesopotamia between the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, beginning around 2350 BCE. The next 2,500 years witnessed sustained imperial growth, bringing a growing share of humanity under the control of ever-fewer states. Two thousand years ago, just four major powers--the Roman, Parthian, Kushan, and Han empires--ruled perhaps two-thirds of the earth's entire population. Yet despite empires' prominence in the early history of civilization, there have been surprisingly few attempts to study the dynamics of ancient empires in the western Old World comparatively. Such grand comparisons were popular in the eighteenth century, but scholars then had only Greek and Latin literature and the Hebrew Bible as evidence, and necessarily framed the problem in different, more limited, terms. Near Eastern texts, and knowledge of their languages, only appeared in large amounts in the later nineteenth century. Neither Karl Marx nor Max Weber could make much use of this material, and not until the 1920s were there enough archaeological data to make syntheses of early European and west Asian history possible. But one consequence of the increase in empirical knowledge was that twentieth-century scholars generally defined the disciplinary and geographical boundaries of their specialties more narrowly than their Enlightenment predecessors had done, shying away from large questions and cross-cultural comparisons. As a result, Greek and Roman empires have largely been studied in isolation from those of the Near East. This volume is designed to address these deficits and encourage dialogue across disciplinary boundaries by examining the fundamental features of the successive and partly overlapping imperial states that dominated much of the Near East and the Mediterranean in the first millennia BCE and CE. A substantial introductory discussion of recent thought on the mechanisms of imperial state formation prefaces the five newly commissioned case studies of the Neo-Assyrian, Achaemenid Persian, Athenian, Roman, and Byzantine empires. A final chapter draws on the findings of evolutionary psychology to improve our understanding of ultimate causation in imperial predation and exploitation in a wide range of historical systems from all over the globe. Contributors include John Haldon, Jack Goldstone, Peter Bedford, Josef Wiesehofer, Ian Morris, Walter Scheidel, and Keith Hopkins, whose essay on Roman political economy was completed just before his death in 2004.

The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East Volume V

Author : Karen Radner
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190687665
Total Pages : 1089 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (96 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East Volume V by : Karen Radner

Download or read book The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East Volume V written by Karen Radner and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023-04-18 with total page 1089 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking, five-volume series offers a comprehensive, fully illustrated history of Egypt and Western Asia (the Levant, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran), from the emergence of complex states to the conquest of Alexander the Great. Written by a diverse, international team of leading scholars whose expertise brings to life the people, places, and times of the remote past, the volumes in this series focus firmly on the political and social histories of the states and communities of the ancient Near East. Individual chapters present the key textual and material sources underpinning the historical reconstruction, paying particular attention to the most recent archaeological finds and their impact on our historical understanding of the periods surveyed. The fifth and final volume of the Oxford History of the Ancient Near East covers the period from the second half of the 7th century BC until the campaigns of Alexander III of Macedon (336-323 BC) brought an end to the Achaemenid Dynasty and the Persian Empire. Tying together areas and political developments covered by previous volumes in the series, this title covers also the Persian Empire's immediate predecessor states: Saite Egypt, the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and Lydia, among other kingdoms and tribal alliances. The chapters in this volume feature a wide range of archaeological and textual sources, with contributors displaying a masterful treatment of the challenges and advantages of the available materials. Two chapters focus on areas that have not enjoyed prominence in any of the previous volumes of this series: eastern Iran and Central Asia. This volume is the necessary and complementary final component of this comprehensive series.

The Collapse of Complex Societies

Author : Joseph Tainter
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521386739
Total Pages : 268 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (867 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Collapse of Complex Societies by : Joseph Tainter

Download or read book The Collapse of Complex Societies written by Joseph Tainter and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory.

The Persian Empire

Author : Lindsay Allen
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780714111544
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (115 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Persian Empire by : Lindsay Allen

Download or read book The Persian Empire written by Lindsay Allen and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lavish illustrations bring to life the traditions of this ancient Middle Eastern civilization and finally place Alexander's invasion within a Persian context. This text promises to be a definitive work on one of the most powerful dynasties in ancient history.

Antioch

Author : Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781548485580
Total Pages : 80 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (855 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Antioch by : Charles River Editors

Download or read book Antioch written by Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-07-06 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading On his deathbed, some historians claim that when he was pressed to name a successor, Alexander the Great muttered that his empire should go "to the strongest." Other sources claim that he passed his signet ring to his general Perdiccas, thereby naming him successor, but whatever his choices were or may have been, they were ignored. Alexander's generals, all of them with the loyalty of their own corps at their backs, would tear each other apart in a vicious internal struggle that lasted almost half a century before four factions emerged victorious: Macedonia, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the Kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. During the course of these wars, Alexander's only heir, the posthumously born Alexander IV, was murdered, extinguishing his bloodline for ever. Despite the infighting among them, one thing Alexander's generals did agree upon was their Hellenistic culture. Most famously, Ptolemy's line firmly established the Hellenistic culture of the Greeks while ruling over Egypt, and by marrying within their family line, the Ptolemaic pharaohs kept their Hellenistic heritage until the very end of Ptolemy's line, which died with Cleopatra in 30 BCE. Although the Seleucid Empire is less well known, Alexander's general Seleucus was no less successful in "Hellenizing" Persia and parts of Asia Minor. The Greek influence is still readily visible in the region thousands of years later. Anthropologists have found that some of the earliest Buddha statues constructed in India bear an uncanny resemblance to Ancient Greek depictions of Apollo, and local legend has it that the wild olive trees that grow in some regions of Afghanistan sprang from the olive seeds that Macedonian soldiers spat out on the march - not to mention the presence of Balkan features such as red hair and blue eyes among a significant amount of the locals there to this day. Legends of Alexander crop up amid the popular mythology of half the world, and while some among the Persian Empire called him "the accursed," it is now widely believed that the story of the prophet Dhul-Qarnayn ("The Two-Horned One") in the Qur'an is a reference to Alexander. For a time, the Seleucids commanded the largest empire in the world as it stretched from the high plains and deserts of what is now Afghanistan in the east to parts of the Levant and Asia Minor in the west. The empire's early kings were strong and shrewd and committed to the ideas of Hellenism as much as holding power and expanding the realm of their empire, but later rulers did not prove as capable. In time, the Seleucid royal house often descended into orgies of violence which were driven by ambitious men and women. Antioch served as the most important city of the Seleucid kingdom from the 3rd century BCE onwards, and by the 1st century CE Antioch had grown into a well-fortified and cosmopolitan Roman city, famous throughout the Roman Empire alongside its neighboring town of Daphne. This rich, beautiful city was the setting of the major gods, goddesses, myths, and legends of the Classical world; a city beloved by divine and mortal, pagan and Christian alike. This was approximately the same time that the Christian Church was founded in Antioch by those fleeing Jerusalem after the martyrdom of Saint Stephen, and it was from this city that Saint Paul left on his missionary journeys. Antioch continued to serve as an iconic Christian city during the Crusades. It was one of the first cities to be captured by the European armies of the First Crusade, and from that point forward, two powerful dynasties - the house of Hauteville and the house of Poitiers - ruled from there over the principality of Antioch.

Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia

Author : Barbara A. Somervill
Publisher : Chelsea House
ISBN 13 : 9781438128856
Total Pages : 153 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (288 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia by : Barbara A. Somervill

Download or read book Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia written by Barbara A. Somervill and published by Chelsea House. This book was released on 2009 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, was the site of the world's first stable civilizations, including Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria. As people settled permanently along the Fertile Crescent, they built irrigation systems to bring water to crops and constructed levees as protection against the flooding rivers. For the first time, humans had some control over the natural world around them, providing them with the stability and time needed to develop governments, religion, and legendary heroes such as Gilgamesh. As various city-states sprang up along the rivers, the first trade routes were laid among them. Cuneiform, the first writing system, eventually developed into various dialects and spread throughout western Asia and beyond. Although the empires of ancient Mesopotamia ended with the Persian conquest in the sixth century BCE, their importance cannot be underestimated. From a legal system to a school system, these ancient inhabitants of modern-day Iraq pioneered the groundwork that forms the basis for modern societies. Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia details the development of this area, the growth of its city-states, the daily life of its peoples, and how their influence is still felt today.