Ancient Civilizations Audiobooks | History

Classical Mythology: The Romans Audiobook

"Rome grew from a tiny community of small hill villages near the River Tiber in central Italy to one of the most powerful empires the world has seen. The Romans themselves believed that their great city was founded in the middle of the eighth century BCE. By the middle of the second century CE, Rome had a population of 1.5 million; Alexandria, in Egypt, 500,000; and Londinium, in Briton, 30,000. Not counting locally recruited forces, this vast empire was subjugated and policed with only around twenty-five legions, or the equivalent of only three and a half times the entire police force of New York City. How was this possible? Military power, colonial organization, superior technology, a well-organized infrastructure, and a cohesive economic system. These elements of Roman genius are well known, but it was the very idea of Rome that proved so persuasive and this Roman ideal was born from mythology."

Peter Meineck (Author), Peter Meineck (Narrator)

Audiobook

Wars That Made the Western World: The Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and the Punic Wars

"This course addresses three wars fought in antiquity, each of which had-even two thousand years and more later-a decisive effect in shaping our communal sense of who we are, not only in Europe, but throughout the European cultural diaspora, in the Americas, in Oceania, and to some degree, at least, in Asia and Africa as well-wherever, in short, Western values hold. The three wars to be investigated here are (1) the Persian Wars, between a coalition of Greek city-states or 'poleis,' most notably Athens and Sparta, and the Achaemenid Persian empire, the central and decisive portion of which took place between 490 and 479 B.C.E.; (2) the later Peloponnesian War between Athens and her allies and Sparta and hers, 431-404 B.C.E.; and finally (3) the three Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, which stretched, on and off, for well more than a century, from 264 to 146 B.C.E. Each of these wars helped, in profound and perhaps surprising ways, to shape, even still, our ideals, our identity, and our values."

Timothy B. Shutt (Author), Timothy B. Shutt (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Murder of King Tut

"Since 1922, when Howard Carter discovered Tut's 3,000-year-old tomb, most Egyptologists have presumed that the young king died of disease, or perhaps an accident, such as a chariot fall. But what if his fate was actually much more sinister? Now, in The Murder of King Tut, James Patterson and Martin Dugard chronicle their epic quest to find out what happened to the boy-king. The result is a true crime tale of intrigue, betrayal, and usurpation that presents a compelling case that King Tut's death was anything but natural."

James Patterson (Author), Joe Barrett (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Glory That Was Greece: Greek Art and Archaeology

"No ancient society has exerted greater influence on the development of Western culture than the ancient Greeks. Over two thousand years ago these people gave birth to the institution of democracy, to scientific investigation and philosophical dialogue, to poetry, both epic and personal, to historical narrative, and to comic and tragic theater. Their intensely creative spark also manifested itself in the arts: in architecture with the creation of temples for the gods, theaters for assembly and entertainment, and tombs for the dead, in sculpture that depicted the divine ideal and human frailty, and painting that illustrated the simple patterns of daily life, the poignancy of death, and the fickleness of the gods."

Jennifer Tobin (Author), Jennifer Tobin (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Cäsar lässt grüßen Vol. 2: Die Geschichte der Römer

"Im zweiten Teil der Geschichte des Römischen Reiches erzählt Fernau von den Punischen Kriegen und der Zerstörung Hellas. Die ganze antike Welt ist zum Imperium Romanum geworden, und endlich herrscht Frieden - bis Tiberius Gracchus den ersten Aufstand entfesselt. In seinem unverwechselbaren spannend- ironischen Stil macht Joachim Fernau Tausend Jahre Römische Geschichte zu einem Abenteuer: er beginnt noch vor Romulus und Remus und endet bei den Soldatenkaisern. Es dauert lange, bis man sich aus dieser Welt wieder lösen kann - hellsichtiger und klüger."

Joachim Fernau (Author), Philipp Kreisselmeier (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Cäsar lässt grüßen Vol. 3: Die Geschichte der Römer

"Im dritten Teil der Geschichte des Römischen Reiches nimmt Gaius Gracchus den Platz seines Bruders Tiberius ein, bis auch er ein gewaltsames Ende findet. Die Teutonen werden glücklich überwunden, Marius und Sulla erblicken das Licht der Welt, und Spartakus organisiert einen Sklavenaufstand, der Geschichte schreibt. In seinem unverwechselbaren spannend- ironischen Stil macht Joachim Fernau Tausend Jahre Römische Geschichte zu einem Abenteuer: er beginnt noch vor Romulus und Remus und endet bei den Soldatenkaisern. Es dauert lange, bis man sich aus dieser Welt wieder lösen kann - hellsichtiger und klüger."

Joachim Fernau (Author), Philipp Kreisselmeier (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Cäsar lässt grüßen Vol. 1: Die Geschichte der Römer

"In seinem unverwechselbaren spannend- ironischen Stil macht Joachim Fernau Tausend Jahre Römische Geschichte zu einem Abenteuer: er beginnt noch vor Romulus und Remus und endet bei den Soldatenkaisern. Es dauert lange, bis man sich aus dieser Welt wieder lösen kann - hellsichtiger und klüger. Im ersten Teil der Geschichte des Römischen Reiches landet Äneas am Gestade von Latium, Romulus und Remus werden von der Wölfin großgezogen, und Rom wird gegründet und bald wieder zerstört. Das etruskische Reich wird erobert, und der Krieg gegen Phyrrus endet mit dem Tod des Königs."

Joachim Fernau (Author), Philipp Kreisselmeier (Narrator)

Audiobook

A History of Ancient Sparta: Valor, Virtue, and Devotion in the Greek Golden Age

"Professor Timothy B. Shutt examines the history and culture of ancient Sparta, a society renowned for military excellence and adherence to the values of courage, discipline, duty, and the overcoming of fear. Vastly outnumbered at the Battle of Thermopylae, the Spartan '300' held off an overwhelming Persian force before finally succumbing- but not without inflicting massive casualties and inspiring the rest of the Greeks with the notion that they could persevere."

Timothy B. Shutt (Author), Timothy B. Shutt (Narrator)

Audiobook

Classical Mythology: The Greeks

"In Classical Mythology: The Greeks, widely published Professor Peter Meineck examines in thrilling detail the far-reaching influence of Greek myths on Western thought and literature. The nature of myth and its importance to ancient Greece in terms of storytelling, music, poetry, religion, cults, rituals, theatre, and literature are viewed through works ranging from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey to the writings of Sophocles and aeschylus. Through the study of these time-honored myths, the Greek heroes and gods-including Heracles, Zeus, Achilles, Athena, Aphrodite, and others-leap from the page in all their glorious splendor. The following lectures are not only an entertaining guide to Greek mythology, but a fascinating look into the culture and time that produced these eternal tales."

Peter Meineck (Author), Peter Meineck (Narrator)

Audiobook

Greek Drama: Tragedy and Comedy

"The plays of one ancient city 2,500 years ago by just four playwrights have had a profound effect on the development of all subsequent Western drama, not only on the theatrical stage, but on opera, film, television, stand-up comedy, and dance-in fact, most, if not all, of the live arts owe a debt to the theatre of ancient Greece and the city of Athens. This course will examine the social, historical, and political context of ancient Greek drama and equip listeners with a set of critical analytical tools for developing their own appreciation of this vitally important genre. The course will focus on the four extant playwrights, aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, and examine each of their plays closely."

Peter Meineck (Author), Peter Meineck (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - P.M. WISSEN zum HÖREN - Szenen, die Geschichte machten - Teil 1: In Kooperation mit CD Wi

"Die Bibliotheken dieser Welt sind voll von unzähligen Geschichtswerken. Jede Epoche, jedes Jahrhundert, ja fast jeder Tag ist darin festgehalten. Die Geschichte der Menschheit ist chronologisch geordnet und auch bewertet. Doch was ist Geschichte? Nur bloße Aneinanderreihung von Einzelereignissen? Oder der Tatenbericht einzelner historischer Personen? Wohl kaum. Geschichte beschreibt die Welt im Wandel, das Ineinandergreifen von Prozessen und historischen Abläufen, ausgelöst durch einzelne Akteure oder Ereignisse. In acht unterhaltsamen und spannenden Episoden werden auf dieser CD ausgesuchte geschichtliche Ereignisse dargestellt. 'Szenen, die Geschichte machten' haben Weichen gestellt und Entwicklungen nachhaltig beeinflusst."

P. J. Blumenthal (Author), Christian Schult, Konrad Halver (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Tiber and the Potomac: Rome, America, and Empires of Trust

"Esteemed university professor and best-selling author Thomas F. Madden presents an intriguing series of lectures based on a fascinating premise: that the United States has more in common with the rising Roman Republic than with the declining Roman Empire. The Tiber and the Potomac explores the amazing parallels between history's two most unusual superpowers. Both nations built empires based on trust, skillfully making friends of enemies. During the course of these lectures, Madden not only reveals these often surprising similarities, but also extracts useful principles from history, including vital lessons from Rome's 100-year struggle with terrorism."

Thomas F. Madden (Author), Thomas F. Madden (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ancient Civilizations Audiobooks in History

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