Books in the Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the Ancient World series

Ambitious, intelligent, and desired by men and emperors, Cleopatra VII came to power at a time when Roman and Egyptian interests increasingly tended to concern the same object: the Egyptian Empire itself.

The great pyramids at Giza are among the largest stone structures in the world, unsurpassed in size and scope since the days of antiquity. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) is the only one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World still standing. And yet, despite over four thousand years of study, some debate still surrounds these structures at the most basic levels. Who built the pyramids? How were such feats accomplished years before the advent of modern engineering? Why were the pyramids built in the first place? This volume explores the circumstances surrounding these mighty structures, including pyramid design, construction and architecture, foundations in Egyptian cosmology, symbolism, and political implications.Narrative chapters, primary documents, and detailed histories of individual pyramids bring the reader to a deeper understanding of the Old Kingdom, a unique integration of church and state that allowed its rulers to ascend to the position of god after death. These conditions laid the groundwork for the creation of such massive tomb markers, powerful monuments designed to equip pharaohs for the afterlife and immortalize them for all eternity.

The Han Dynasty created an enduring Chinese empire comparable to the Roman Empire.

Designed as an accessible introduction to Justinian's reign and his time, 'The Emperor Justinian and the Byzantine Empire' offers readers and researchers an appealing mix of descriptive chapters, biographical sketches, and annotated primary documents.

For Ancient Greece as well as Ancient Rome, the Trojan War provided a history that seemed possessed of a power as magnetic as it was malleable;

In the 250 years between 250 and 500 C.E., Rome found itself transformed from a mighty global empire into a limited collection of Germanic kingdoms.

Deals with the Brahmanical cosmology from which Buddhism emerged, the stories and myths surrounding the Buddha's birth, his path to enlightenment, and the eventual spread of his teachings. This work helps readers understand concepts such as the natural law of cause and effect (karma), the birth/life/death/rebirth cycle (samsara), and more.

Although the ethnic-religious tradition that became classical Judaism solidified around 100 CE, its roots are found in the ancient biblical tales of the Israelites. Stories of the descent into Egypt, the Exodus under Moses, and the eventual rise of the Israelite monarchy are essential to understanding classical rabbinic Judaism. Through the lens of modern biblical scholarship, Hayes explores the shifting cultural contexts-the Babylonian exile, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine period, the rise of Christianity-that affected Jewish thought and practice, and laid the groundwork for the Talmudic era and its modern legacy.Thematic chapters explore the evolution of Judaism through its beginnings in biblical monotheism, the Second Temple Period in Palestine, the interaction of Hellenism and Judaism, the spread of rabbinic authority, and the essence of ethno-religious Jewish identity. Biographical sketches of key figures from patriarchs to prophets, and primary selections from the Hebrew bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Talmud, and others, allow for a greater understanding of an ancient movement, and provide a solid introduction to the origins of one of the world's most influential religions.