Series: Ancient Lives

The tragic life of Julian, the last non-Christian emperor of Rome, by award-winning author Philip Freeman. "When we think of ancient Rome, it's impossible not to think of Christianity, one of its most notable exports—but what if it hadn't been? This is the question provoked by classicist Philip Freeman in Julian, an appealing new entry in Yale's Ancient Lives series,...

Experience the world of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the tremendous challenges he faced and overcame with the help of Stoic philosophy. [Robertson] thoughtfully and readably captures the essence of this great man and his great life. It's a must-read for any aspiring Stoic. —Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Daily Stoic This novel biography brings...

The story of Rome’s richest man, who died a humiliating desert death in search of military glory “A perfectly paced biography.”—Tom Holland, Times Literary Supplement Crassus by Peter Stothard explores the life of Marcus Licinius Crassus (115–53 BCE), a man ahead of his time in an ancient world. As a pioneer disruptor of finance and politics, Crassus became the wealthiest...

The tragic life of Julian, the last non-Christian emperor of Rome, by award-winning author Philip Freeman. Flavius Claudius Julianus, or Julian the Apostate, ruled Rome as sole emperor for just a year and a half, from 361 to 363, but during that time he turned the world upside down. Although a nephew of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor...

A feminist reinterpretation of the myths surrounding Cleopatra casts new light on the Egyptian queen and her legacy. “A lucid and persuasive reinterpretation. Readers won’t see Cleopatra the same way again.”—Publishers Weekly “Where Prose really sparkles: her critiques of the cultural depictions of Cleopatra.”—Allison Arieff, San Francisco Chronicle The siren passionately in love with Mark Antony, the seductress who allegedly...

A portrait of one of the ancient world’s first political celebrities, who veered from failure to success and back again “This colourful biography of Demetrius explores his rich inner life and reveals an ancient world of violence and intrigue.”—New York Times Book Review The life of Demetrius (337–283 BCE) serves as a through-line to the forty years following the death...

A biography of Horace, one of the most popular poets from antiquity, revealing the little-known man behind his famous lines. Peter Stothard is a master of modern writing about ancient Rome, vividly bringing to life its poetry and its poets. – Mary Beard Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65–8 BCE) wrote some of ancient Rome's greatest poetry, melding languages and cultures with...

Thomas R. Martin recounts the unmatched political and military career of Phocion of Athens, and his tragic downfall. "Elegant and enlightening." —Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal Phocion (402–318 BCE) won Athens's highest public office by direct democratic election an unmatched forty-five times and was officially honoured as a "Useful Citizen." A student at Plato's Academy, Phocion gained influence and power...

The life, dramatic reign, and enduring legacy of the pharaoh Ramesses the Great, with lessons for the present, from internationally acclaimed Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson Ramesses II ruled the Nile Valley and the wider Egyptian empire from 1279 to 1213 B.C., one of the longest reigns in pharaonic history. He was a cultural innovator, a relentless self-promoter, and an astute diplomat—the...

A biography of Vergil, Rome's greatest poet, by the acclaimed translator of the Aeneid. "Ms. Ruden has converted the writer of the Aeneid from a noble and stodgy 'ancient' into our contemporary . . . persuasively re-imagined [as] a sympathetic, three-dimensional figure. . . . The existence of the Aeneid is cause for gratitude. So is Ms. Ruden's sensitive, celebratory...

A biography of Vergil, Rome’s greatest poet, by the acclaimed translator of the Aeneid The Aeneid stands as a towering work of Classical Roman literature and a gripping dramatization of the best and worst of human nature. In the process of creating this epic poem, Vergil (70–19 BCE) became the world’s first media celebrity, a living legend. But the real...

Perpetua by Sarah Ruden offers an intimate and human portrait of Perpetua, a third-century woman author who was idealised as a Christian martyr. On March 7, 203, in the monumental amphitheatre at Carthage, Vibia Perpetua was one of five Christians who met their deaths after refusing to venerate the Roman emperor Septimius Severus and his son. Perpetua stood out from...

A portrait of the Athenian politician and general Themistocles, tracing his political development, his victory at the Battle of Salamis, and his exile in Persia. Themistocles (524–459 BC) came of age just as a newly democratic and empowered Athens was emerging. He would become an instrumental political and military figure, fighting in the Battle of Marathon; persuading Athenians to expand...

The tragic story of ancient Greece's last democratic leader and his doomed fight to save Athens from Macedonian domination. In the spring of 340 BCE, news arrived that Philip of Macedon had seized a town in central Greece, a base from which he could march on Athens. In the fierce debates about how to respond to the rising threat in...

The life, dramatic reign, and enduring legacy of the pharaoh Ramesses the Great, with lessons for the present, from internationally acclaimed Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson. "The author succeeds in bringing this distant age to life through telling detail and insightful analysis. . . . Whenever he can, the author takes advantage of opportunities to peer beneath the mask."—The Economist Ramesses the...

The life story of the Judean queen Berenice, descendant of Herod the Great, who became a player on the stage of Roman conquest and politics. Berenice (born ca. 28) was the most notorious Jewish woman in the Roman Empire of her time. Multiple marriages, rumours of incestuous relations with her brother (Agrippa II of the Herodian dynasty), and her scandalous...

The story of Pausanias, the general who defeated the Persians invading Greece and changed the course of history Weaving together ancient sources, Daniel Ogden tells the gripping story of the enigmatic and controversial Spartan regent to an underage king. Pausanias (ca. 505–ca. 467 BCE) would never have come to power had the Persians not annihilated the Greek forces at Thermopylae...

Experience the world of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the tremendous challenges he faced and overcame with the help of Stoic philosophy This novel biography brings Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE) to life for a new generation of readers by exploring the emperor’s fascinating psychological journey. Donald J. Robertson examines Marcus’s relationships with key figures in his life, such as his...