Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

Nyd den ubegrænsede adgang til tusindvis af spændende e- og lydbøger - helt gratis

  • Lyt og læs så meget du har lyst til
  • Opdag et kæmpe bibliotek fyldt med fortællinger
  • Eksklusive titler + Mofibo Originals
  • Opsig når som helst
Start tilbuddet
DK - Details page - Device banner - 894x1036
Varighed
37T 38M
Sprog
Engelsk
Format
Kategori

Historie

How did the city state of Rome rise inexorably to become the dominant power in the Mediterranean and much of the Western world?

In short, first of all it overcame the established Carthaginian Empire despite the remarkable exploits of Hannibal. And, largely at the same time, it gradually subjugated the many and varied city states of Greece, despite various allied opposition.

The rise of Rome is one of the great stories of world history, and fortunately, we have a reliable and at times an eyewitness account, from the Greek historian Polybius of Megalopolis (c200 BCE-c117 BCE). In The Histories, Polybius set out to present as full an account as he could, with the historical background, the causes of disagreement leading to conflict, the main naval and land battles and the acts of heroism, cowardice, imagination and folly.

In addition, he provided lucid explanations of the diplomacy, the treaties and portraits of the main personalities. He encompassed the whole story in 40 books, a considerable undertaking. He started his tale in 264 BCE as Rome challenged Carthage and concluded with the capture of Corinth in 146 BCE. It is a century (and more) of almost continuous conflict in one field or another. These were brutal times of torture, slaughter, enslavement, where power was wielded for dominance, but there were examples of honourable engagement and considered diplomacy. Extended periods of warfare brought new military ideas and tactics, as Rome learned to combat Carthaginian expertise on sea and on land. Siege machinery was developed on both sides (the skills of Archimedes in the defence of Syracuse is mentioned) and the famous Greek phalanx was pitted against the Roman legions.

Polybius reports on the main confrontations with the authority of a man who was present at many events and also visited historic sites of importance to ensure his accounts of the past were accurate. In The Histories, he gives rounded portraits of the important figures of Hannibal and other Carthaginian generals: of Scipio Africanus (who finally stopped Hannibal at the Battle of Zama) and other Roman general, of Philip V of Macedon, of Antiochus the Great, ruler of the Seleucid Empire and of the Ptolemies of Egypt.

The rise of Rome is a story of two main arenas - the West (Carthage, Spain, Northern Italy and Illyria) and the East - Greece! In trying to maintain some kind of chronological flow, Polybius has little option but to switch the focus from one to another, sometimes at short notice! This problem is exacerbated by the fact that The Histories has survived only in part.

The first five books exist in full. Most of book six, with its important review of the Roman constitution and military system, has also survived. Of the rest we have fragments of varying lengths (though nothing for books 17, 19, 37, 40). This makes for some challenging moments as ‘chapters’ can switch from one focus to another at a swift pace, especially with the way the vivid reports and analysis from Polybius maintain the thrust of the narrative.

Ukemi Audiobooks here presents, for the first time on audio, the unabridged Polybius - everything that has survived - in the excellent translation by W. R. Paton. There is additional material too. It opens with 'The Life of Polybius' by H. J. Edwards. And it closes with the classic survey of Polybius and his work by Evelyn S. Shuckburgh, which includes 'The Sources of Polybius’ History' and an overview of 'The Achaean League' which played a key role in events in Greece. The whole production is supported by an extensive PDF, with key dates, personalities and events in order. There are also maps, which give visual clarity to the challenging geographical progress of Rome as it moved inexorably towards Empire. The Histories is read with engaging authority by Jonathan Booth.

© 2021 Ukemi Audiobooks from W. F. Howes Ltd (Lydbog): 9781004134632

Udgivelsesdato

Lydbog: 5. oktober 2021

Andre kan også lide...

  1. The Antiquities of the Jews Flavius Josephus
  2. The Principal Speeches of Demosthenes: A Selection Demosthenes
  3. The History of Animals Aristotle
  4. The History of the Peloponnesian War Thucydides
  5. What the Greeks Did for Us Tony Spawforth
  6. A Noble Ruin: Mark Antony, Civil War, and the Collapse of the Roman Republic W. Jeffrey Tatum
  7. The Lost World of Byzantium Jonathan Harris
  8. The Persian Wars and the Punic Wars: The History of the Ancient Greek and Roman Victories that Preserved Western Civilization Charles River Editors
  9. The History of the Peloponnesian War Thucydides
  10. The Acropolis and the Agora: The History of Ancient Athens’ Most Important Sites Charles River Editors
  11. How to be Healthy: An Ancient Guide to Wellness Galen
  12. China and Russia: Four Centuries of Conflict and Concord Philip Snow
  13. The History and Legacy of Ancient Greece’s Most Influential City-States Charles River Editors
  14. The Puritans: A Transatlantic History David D. Hall
  15. The British Constitution: A Very Short Introduction, Second Edition Martin Loughlin
  16. Ideological Fixation: From the Stone Age to Today's Culture Wars Azar Gat
  17. Bohemians: A Very Short Introduction David Weir
  18. World of Our Fathers: The Journey of the East European Jews to America and the Life They Found and Made Irving Howe
  19. On the Ends of Good and Evil Marcus Tulius Cicero
  20. The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World Matthew Stewart
  21. A Short History of Christian Zionism: From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century Donald M. Lewis
  22. Jerusalem Falls: Seven Centuries of War and Peace John D. Hosler
  23. Essays, Moral, Political, and Literary David Hume
  24. The Socratic Dialogues: Middle Period: Volume 2: Phaedrus, Cratylus, Parmenides Plato
  25. The Dissolution of the Monasteries: A New History James G. Clark
  26. The Bible and the Roots of Western Literature Monica Brzezinski Potkay
  27. The Southern Way of Life: Meanings of Culture and Civilization in the American South Charles Reagan Wilson
  28. The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England, 1400-1580 Eamon Duffy
  29. The Revolution Betrayed: What Is the Soviet Union and Where Is It Going? Leon Trotsky
  30. Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan and William Rufus King Thomas J. Balcerski
  31. The Ecclesiastical History of the English People The Venerable Bede
  32. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther Roland H. Bainton
  33. Apology and Memorabilia Name Xenophon
  34. The Science of Rights Johann Gottleib Fitche
  35. The History of England Volume 2: King Henry III to King Richard III David Hume
  36. Mengzi (Mencius): With Selections from Traditional Commentaries Bryan W. Van Norden
  37. Rhetoric and Poetics Aristotle
  38. The Gifted Generation: When Government Was Good David Goldfield
  39. The Catholic Church in the Modern Age Thomas F. Madden
  40. Four Dissertations: A Natural History of Religion, Of the Passions, Of Tragedy, Of the Standard of Taste David Hume
  41. Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America's Revolutionary Era Mike Bunn
  42. Physics Aristotle
  43. The Socratic Dialogues: Middle Period: Volume 1: Symposium, Theaetetus, Phaedo Plato
  44. Henry Clay: The Man Who Would Be President James C. Klotter
  45. I'd Fight the World: A Political History of Old-Time, Hillbilly, and Country Music Peter La Chapelle

Vælg dit abonnement

  • Over 600.000 titler

  • Download og nyd titler offline

  • Eksklusive titler + Mofibo Originals

  • Børnevenligt miljø (Kids Mode)

  • Det er nemt at opsige når som helst

Flex

For dig som vil prøve Mofibo.

89 kr. /måned
  • 1 konto

  • 20 timer/måned

  • Gem op til 100 ubrugte timer

  • Eksklusivt indhold hver uge

  • Fri lytning til podcasts

  • Ingen binding

Prøv gratis
Den mest populære

Premium

For dig som lytter og læser ofte.

129 kr. /måned
  • 1 konto

  • 100 timer/måned

  • Eksklusivt indhold hver uge

  • Fri lytning til podcasts

  • Ingen binding

Start tilbuddet

Unlimited

For dig som lytter og læser ubegrænset.

149 kr. /måned
  • 1 konto

  • Ubegrænset adgang

  • Eksklusivt indhold hver uge

  • Fri lytning til podcasts

  • Ingen binding

Start tilbuddet

Family

For dig som ønsker at dele historier med familien.

Fra 179 kr. /måned
  • 2-6 konti

  • 100 timer/måned pr. konto

  • Fri lytning til podcasts

  • Kun 39 kr. pr. ekstra konto

  • Ingen binding

2 konti

179 kr. /måned
Start tilbuddet