"Meditations" is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Written nearly 2000 Years ago, Meditations remains profoundly relevant for anyone seeking to lead a meaningful life. The Meditations is divided into 12 books that chronicle different periods of Aurelius' life. Each book is not in chronological order and it was written for no one but himself. A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, it remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. With ancient wisdom that is as relevant in modern times as it was then, Meditations is one of the greatest works of Greek and philosophical literature. Meditation’s has continued to influence its readers throughout the centuries. Read more

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the Iliad, the poem is divided into 24 books. It follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the Trojan War. After the war, which lasted ten years, his journey lasted for ten additional years, during which time he encountered many perils and all his crew mates were killed. In his absence, Odysseus was assumed dead, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus had to contend with a group of unruly suitors who were competing for Penelope's hand in marriage.The Odyssey was originally composed in Homeric Greek in around the 8th or 7th century BCE and, by the mid-6th century BCE, had become part of the Greek literary canon. In antiquity, Homer's authorship of the poem was not questioned, but contemporary scholarship predominantly assumes that the Iliad and the Odyssey were composed independently and that the stories formed as part of a long oral tradition. Given widespread illiteracy, the poem was performed by an aoidos or rhapsode and was more likely to be heard than read.Crucial themes in the poem include the ideas of nostos (νόστος; "return"), wandering, xenia (ξενία; "guest-friendship"), testing, and omens. Scholars still reflect on the narrative significance of certain groups in the poem, such as women and slaves, who have a more prominent role in the epic than in many other works of ancient literature. This focus is especially remarkable when contrasted with the Iliad, which centres the exploits of soldiers and kings during the Trojan War. Read more

From Tom Holland, co-host of the hit podcast THE REST IS HISTORY, comes 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. Read more

In this sequel to the bestselling Mythos, legendary author and actor Stephen Fry moves from the exploits of the Olympian gods to the deeds of mortal heroes. Perseus. Jason. Atalanta. Theseus. Heracles. Rediscover the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of the Greek myths. Whether recounting a tender love affair or a heroic triumph, Fry deftly finds resonance with our own modern minds and hearts. Illustrated throughout with classical art inspired by the myths, this gorgeous volume invites you to explore a captivating world with a brilliant storyteller as your guide.• Each adventure is infused with Fry's distinctive voice and writing style.• Connoisseurs of the Greek myths will appreciate this fresh-yet-reverential interpretation, while newcomers will feel welcome. • Retellings brim with humor and emotion."Mostly Chiron saw in the child, and the young man he became, boundless courage, athleticism, intelligence, and ambition. He saw too lots of words beginning with 'self,' which gave him pause. Self-belief, self-possession, self-righteousness, self-confidence, self-love. Perhaps these characteristics are as necessary to a hero as courage."In Heroes, Fry draws out the humor and pathos in both tender love affairs and heroic battles, and reveals each myth's relevance for our own time. • A collector's edition filled with classical art inspired by the myths and a luxe, foil-stamped jacket• Perfect gift for mythology and history buffs, lovers of ancient Greece, art aficionados, and devoted fans of Stephen Fry• Add it to the shelf with books like Circe by Madeline Miller, Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, and Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton Read more

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!”—Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's TaleThe national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships returns with a fascinating, eye-opening take on the remarkable women at the heart of classical stories Greek mythology from Helen of Troy to Pandora and the Amazons to Medea.The tellers of Greek myths—historically men—have routinely sidelined the female characters. When they do take a larger role, women are often portrayed as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil—like Pandora, the woman of eternal scorn and damnation whose curiosity is tasked with causing all the world’s suffering and wickedness when she opened that forbidden box. But, as Natalie Haynes reveals, in ancient Greek myths there was no box. It was a jar . . . which is far more likely to tip over.In Pandora’s Jar, the broadcaster, writer, stand-up comedian, and passionate classicist turns the tables, putting the women of the Greek myths on an equal footing with the men. With wit, humor, and savvy, Haynes revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays, resurrecting them from a woman’s perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters. She looks at women such as Jocasta, Oedipus’ mother-turned-lover-and-wife (turned Freudian sticking point), at once the cleverest person in the story and yet often unnoticed. She considers Helen of Troy, whose marriage to Paris “caused” the Trojan war—a somewhat uneven response to her decision to leave her husband for another man. She demonstrates how the vilified Medea was like an ancient Beyonce—getting her revenge on the man who hurt and betrayed her, if by extreme measures. And she turns her eye to Medusa, the original monstered woman, whose stare turned men to stone, but who wasn’t always a monster, and had her hair turned to snakes as punishment for being raped.Pandora’s Jar brings nuance and care to the millennia-old myths and legends and asks the question: Why are we so quick to villainize these women in the first place—and so eager to accept the stories we’ve been told? Read more

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One of our most provocative military historians, Victor Davis Hanson has given us painstakingly researched and pathbreaking accounts of wars ranging from classical antiquity to the twenty-first century. Now he juxtaposes an ancient conflict with our most urgent modern concerns to create his most engrossing work to date, A War Like No Other.Over the course of a generation, the Hellenic city-states of Athens and Sparta fought a bloody conflict that resulted in the collapse of Athens and the end of its golden age. Thucydides wrote the standard history of the Peloponnesian War, which has given readers throughout the ages a vivid and authoritative narrative. But Hanson offers readers something new: a complete chronological account that reflects the political background of the time, the strategic thinking of the combatants, the misery of battle in multifaceted theaters, and important insight into how these events echo in the present.Hanson compellingly portrays the ways Athens and Sparta fought on land and sea, in city and countryside, and details their employment of the full scope of conventional and nonconventional tactics, from sieges to targeted assassinations, torture, and terrorism. He also assesses the crucial roles played by warriors such as Pericles and Lysander, artists, among them Aristophanes, and thinkers including Sophocles and Plato.Hanson’s perceptive analysis of events and personalities raises many thought-provoking questions: Were Athens and Sparta like America and Russia, two superpowers battling to the death? Is the Peloponnesian War echoed in the endless, frustrating conflicts of Vietnam, Northern Ireland, and the current Middle East? Or was it more like America’s own Civil War, a brutal rift that rent the fabric of a glorious society, or even this century’s “red state—blue state” schism between liberals and conservatives, a cultural war that manifestly controls military policies? Hanson daringly brings the facts to life and unearths the often surprising ways in which the past informs the present.Brilliantly researched, dynamically written, A War Like No Other is like no other history of this important war. Read more

“A wonderfully whimsical yet instructional view of Greco-Roman history.” —Kirkus ReviewsIn this thoroughly engaging book, Natalie Haynes brings her scholarship and wit to the most fascinating true stories of the ancient world. The Ancient Guide to Modern Life not only reveals the origins of our culture in areas including philosophy, politics, language, and art, it also draws illuminating connections between antiquity and our present time, to demonstrate that the Greeks and Romans were not so different from ourselves: Is Bart Simpson the successor to Aristophanes? Do the Beckhams have parallel lives with The Satiricon’s Trimalchio? Along the way Haynes debunks myths (gladiators didn’t salute the emperor before their deaths, and the last words of Julius Caesar weren’t “et tu, brute?”). From Athens to Zeno's paradox, this irresistible guide shows how the history and wisdom of the ancient world can inform and enrich our lives today.“A romp through some of the best-known, and some of the more obscure, writers, thought, and stories of Greece and Rome.” —Times Literary Supplement Read more

Here are the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of the Greek myths, stylishly retold by Stephen Fry. The legendary writer, actor, and comedian breathes life into ancient tales, from Pandora's box to Prometheus's fire, and transforms the adventures of Zeus and the Olympians into emotionally resonant and deeply funny stories, without losing any of their original wonder. Classical artwork inspired by the myths and learned notes from the author offer rich cultural context. Read more

Nearly three thousand years after they were composed, The Iliad and The Odyssey remain two of the most celebrated and widely read stories ever told, yet next to nothing is known about their author. He was certainly an accomplished Greek bard, and he probably lived in the late eighth and early seventh centuries BCE Authorship is traditionally ascribed to a blind poet named Homer, and it is under this name that the works are still published. Greeks of the third and second centuries BCE, however, already questioned whether Homer existed and whether the two epics were even written by a single individual.Most modern scholars believe that even if a single person wrote the epics, his work owed a tremendous debt to a long tradition of unwritten, oral poetry. Stories of a glorious expedition to the East and of its leaders’ fateful journeys home had been circulating in Greece for hundreds of years before The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed. Casual storytellers and semiprofessional minstrels passed these stories down through generations, with each artist developing and polishing the story as he told it. According to this theory, one poet, multiple poets working in collaboration, or perhaps even a series of poets handing down their work in succession finally turned these stories into written works, again with each adding his own touch and expanding or contracting certain episodes in the overall narrative to fit his taste. Read more

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Herodotus is not only the father of the art and the science of historical writing but also one of the Western tradition's most compelling storytellers. In tales such as that of Gyges—who murders Candaules, the king of Lydia, and unsurps his throne and his marriage bed, thereby bringing on, generations later, war with the Persians—he laid bare the intricate human entanglements at the core of great historical events. In his love for the stranger, more marvelous facts of the world, he infused his magnificent history with a continuous awareness of the mythic and the wonderful. Read more

Platón ​(en griego antiguo: Πλάτων, Plátōn; Atenas​ o Egina,​ c. 427-347 a. C.)​ fue un filósofo griego seguidor de Sócrates y maestro de Aristóteles. En 387 fundó la Academia,​ institución que continuaría su marcha a lo largo de más de novecientos años y a la que Aristóteles acudiría desde Estagira a estudiar filosofía alrededor del 367, compartiendo, de este modo, unos veinte años de amistad y trabajo con su maestro. ​ Platón participó activamente en la enseñanza de la Academia y escribió, siempre en forma de diálogo, sobre los más diversos temas, tales como filosofía política, ética, psicología, antropología filosófica, epistemología, gnoseología, metafísica, cosmogonía, cosmología, filosofía del lenguaje y filosofía de la educación; intentó también plasmar en un Estado real su original teoría política, razón por la cual viajó dos veces a Siracusa, Sicilia, con intenciones de poner en práctica allí su proyecto, pero fracasó en ambas ocasiones y logró escapar penosamente y corriendo peligro su vida debido a las persecuciones que sufrió por parte de sus opositores. Su influencia como autor y sistematizador ha sido incalculable en toda la historia de la filosofía, de la que se ha dicho con frecuencia que alcanzó identidad como disciplina gracias a sus trabajos. Alfred North Whitehead llegó a comentar: La caracterización general más segura de la tradición filosófica europea es que consiste en una serie de notas a pie de página de Platón. Alfred North Whitehead (1929) Read more

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Celebrated for his stirring historical accounts and insightful philosophical treatises, Xenophon’s works have enlightened readers across the world for almost two and a half thousand years. For the first time in digital publishing history, readers can now own the complete works of Xenophon in English and the original Greek. This comprehensive eBook presents the complete works with beautiful illustrations, rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Xenophon's life and works * Features the complete works of Xenophon, in both English translation and the original Greek * Concise introductions to the historical and philosophical works * Includes all the translations previously appearing in Loeb Classical Library editions of Xenophon’s works * All texts are provided with chapter and section numbers – ideal for students * Images of famous paintings that have been inspired by Xenophon’s works * Excellent formatting of the texts * Easily locate the sections or works you want to read with individual contents tables * Includes the Pseudo-Xenophon rare work CONSTITUTION OF ATHENS, first time in digital print * Features two bonus biographies, including Diogenes Laërtius’ original biography - discover Xenophon's ancient world * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please note: some Kindle software programs cannot display Greek characters correctly; however the characters do display correctly on Kindle devices. Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: Historical works ANABASIS CYROPAEDIA HELLENICA AGESILAUS Socratic Works MEMORABILIA OECONOMICUS SYMPOSIUM APOLOGY Minor Treatises ON HORSEMANSHIP ON THE CAVALRY GENERAL ON HUNTING HIERO WAYS AND MEANS CONSTITUTION OF THE LACEDAEMONIANS CONSTITUTION OF ATHENS The Greek Texts LIST OF GREEK TEXTS The Biographies LIFE OF XENOPHON by Diogenes Laërtius BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF XENOPHON by Edward Spelman Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles Read more

Widely considered the most famous work of the professional soldier and writer Xenophon, "Anabasis" is a true tale of dangerous adventure in ancient Greece. Though advised not to join the army of 10,000 by his friend Socrates, Xenophon does set out with Cyrus the Great in that man's attempt to gain the empire of Persia from his brother. When this leader is killed in battle, however, the army loses cause and direction, and the result is a 'marching republic' in which the remainder of the army must fight their way home. Through endless miles of hostile territory where their foes crop up at every turn, Xenophon emerges as one of the few men capable of making decisions and leading the army through a variety of difficulties in a perilous retreat back to Greece. When at last they reach the sea and know they near their homeland, their cries of fierce joy resound and become the stuff of legend. Told in forthright and unpretentious prose, this epic journey of extraordinary endurance over hardship remains an entertaining account that exemplifies Socratic philosophy, clear Greek writing, and the bygone valor of remarkable warriors. Read more

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'I loved Goddess with a Thousand Faces. Fascinating, fun and thoughtful and enlightening' JENNIFER SAINT'A beautiful weave of history, myth and storytelling by one of our most exciting new classicists' DAN SNOWSteeped in ancient magic, dark divinity and wild ways, Goddess with a Thousand Faces takes you on a historical journey like no other...Blending mythological retellings with historical research, Goddess with a Thousand Faces traverses the world and transports through time to bring ten formidable and inspiring ancient goddesses to life. Meet Artemis, the Greek goddess of the wilderness, never without her bow and arrow; Sedna, Inuit goddess of the ocean, guarding the icy waters and all its creatures; Isis, Egyptian goddess of healing, who dwells by the River Nile, just to name a few...Jasmine Elmer explores these goddesses of our past, uncovering their truths, their rebellion and their freedom. For too long, they have been written out of history; lost to the sands of time and stamped into silence. Goddess with a Thousand Faces restores these women to their glory. Pour over this treasure trove of myths, legends and mighty goddesses. Hear the messages echoing through the ages and see yourself in the faces of these icons. For while their stories might ancient, today they are more important - and more powerful - than ever.A treasure trove of beautiful storytelling and ancient wisdom, perfect for fans of Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola and Storyland by Amy Jeffs.'Gorgeous. Jasmine Elmer has a fierce passion for these women, and this shines through in her writing. Come for the goddesses, stay for the spiritual journey!' Lizzy Tiffin, author of Bad Girls of Ancient Greece'If you love history and feminist retellings, this is your next must-read. Goddess With a Thousand Faces is a thrilling exploration of lesser-known goddesses from around the world - offering a crash course in feminine myth and worship, with all its power, fury and wonder. I adored it' Rachel Blackmore, author of Costanza'A passionate ode to the inner goddess within us all, that blends a rich and vibrant introduction to a diverse array of cultures and mythologies with accessible retellings. Part mythical guide, part history compendium and part self-help handbook, Jasmine Elmer's sparkling debut offers up a refreshing, inclusive and powerfully feminist manifesto for what it means to be a goddess, ancient and modern' Emily Hauser, author of Mythica Read more

Alexander the Great * * *Download for FREE on Kindle Unlimited + Free BONUS Inside!* * * Read On Your Computer, MAC, Smartphone, Kindle Reader, iPad, or Tablet. Alexander the Great. A boy, groomed for greatness from the earliest age, who would put his stamp on the world for generations to come. A man who sought immortality and achieved it in just ten years. A soldier whose genius for strategy and tactics is still studied in the modern world. A ruler who understood how to win the hearts and minds of his subjects. This is the story of a Titan of the ancient world, a man who rose but, though he died, never truly fell. Inside you will read about... ✓ Introduction ✓ The Genius of Philip of Macedon ✓ Alexander, King of Macedon ✓ Conquest of Persia ✓ Gaugamela and King of Asia ✓ The Death of Alexander And much more! Series Information: Military Biographies Book 2 Read more

Pindar, the greatest of the Greek lyric poets, is renowned for his consummate and intricate verses, composed in celebration of victors at the Panhellenic festivals of the ancient world. The Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both English translations and the original Latin and Greek texts. This comprehensive eBook presents the complete extant works of Pindar, with beautiful illustrations, rare fragments, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)* Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Pindar's life and works* Features Pindar’s complete extant Victory odes, in both English translation (Myers) and the original Greek* Concise introduction to the poetry and other works* Includes translations previously appearing in Loeb Classical Library edition of Pindar* Excellent formatting of the texts* Easily locate the works you want to read with individual contents tables* Includes all of Pindar's rare fragments from the Loeb edition, first time in digital print* Features a bonus biography - discover Pindar's ancient world* Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genresPlease note: some Kindle software programs cannot display Greek characters correctly; however the characters do display correctly on Kindle devices.Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titlesCONTENTS:The TranslationsPINDAR’S VICTORY ODESFRAGMENTSThe Greek TextsLIST OF GREEK TEXTSThe BiographyTHE LIFE OF PINDAR by Sir John Edwin SandysPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles Read more