Search results for ""Author Dr Philip Matyszak""

In this expert guide to the ancient city, Dr Philip Matyszak takes us on a tour of ancient Rome’s most fascinating and important sites and locations, revealing the secrets of the beating heart of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Rome itself was never grander or more magnificent than just before it fell, so be transported back in time to the empire’s twilight years at the end of the 4th century AD, with almost a thousand years of Roman history to explore. Each chapter focuses on one of Rome’s districts, with maps throughout and explanations of how the same routes would look today. Put yourself in the sandals of a Roman pedestrian and take a walk along the Via Appia, through the Capuan Gate and past all the wonders inside the walls of ancient Rome, from tombs and temples to sewers and shrines, the grand gardens and the humble street markets, from Nero’s Golden House to the slum

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'Accessible, informative, enjoyable' - All About History _____________________Spend 24 hours with the ancient Athenians. See the city through their eyes as it teeters on the edge of the fateful war that would end its golden age.Athens, 416 BC. A tenuous peace holds. The city-state’s political and military might are feared throughout the ancient world; it pushes the boundaries of social, literary and philosophical experimentation in an era when it has a greater concentration of geniuses per capita than at any other time in human history. Yet even geniuses go to the bathroom, argue with their spouse and enjoy a drink with friends.During the course of a day we meet 24 Athenians from all strata of society – from the slave-girl to the councilman, the vase painter to the naval commander, the housewife to the hoplite – and get to know what the real Athens was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters every chapter, with each chapter forming an hour in the life of the ancient city. We also get to spy on the daily doings of notable Athenians through the eyes of regular people as the city hovers on the brink of the fateful war that will destroy its golden age.

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Experience a remarkable year among the real people of ancient Greece, as they prepare for the most important event in their calendar.It is 248 BC, the year of the 133rd Olympic Games. At this time the Hellenistic world is at its peak, with Greek settlements spread across the Middle East, Egypt and Spain. As ever, the world is politically troubled, with Rome locked in a war with Carthage and a major conflict brewing between Egypt and Syria. However, ordinary people are still preoccupied with the crops, household affairs – and in some cases, with winning an Olympic crown.Starting at the autumn equinox, in this imagined account of a year in the life of eight fascinating characters, Philip Matyszak reveals what life was really like at this time. Rather than focusing on the kings and generals from the histories of Thucydides and Polybius, we are invited into the homes of ordinary Greek citizens. From the diplomat who is using the Games as a cover to engage in political skulduggery to the sprinter who dreams of glory, A Year in the Life of Ancient Greece takes us through a dramatic twelve months to reveal the opportunities and the perils of everyday life during this period.

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Walk a day in a Roman’s sandals.What was it like to live in one of the ancient world’s most powerful and bustling cities - one that was eight times more densely populated than modern day New York? In this entertaining and enlightening guide, bestselling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to the people who lived and worked there. In each hour of the day we meet a new character - from emperor to slave girl, gladiator to astrologer, medicine woman to water-clock maker - and discover the fascinating details of their daily lives.

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Walk a day in a Roman’s sandals ... What was it like to live in one of the ancient world’s most powerful and bustling cities – one that was eight times more densely populated than modern day New York? In this entertaining and enlightening guide, bestselling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to 24 characters who lived and worked there. In each hour of the day we meet a new character – from a senator to a slave girl, a gladiator to an astrologer, watchmen to washerwomen – and discover the fascinating details of their daily lives.

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