Catalog Search Results
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Visit the star of Rome's Middle Eastern domain, Petra in modern Jordan, known as the Rose City for its construction in rose-red local stone. Settled by Nabataean Bedouins, the city grew rich from the caravan trade, leading to the building of impressive temples, tombs, and other structures, many of which survive due to the arid climate and the abandonment of the site for many centuries.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Riding an Iberian horse, Darius opens his tour of Spain, one of Rome's richest provinces. Rome benefitted from the region's mineral and agricultural wealth. The grand Roman structures still standing include the massive arched bridge and theater complex at Mérida. Also, visit Roman monuments in Segovia, including its renowned aqueduct, and descend into an ancient gypsum mine.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Explore the original Philadelphia, the ancient name for present-day Amman, Jordan, which came under Roman rule in the 1st century BC. Then, visit nearby Jerash, lauded as the "Pompeii of the East" for its remarkable state of preservation. Tour a Roman desert fort, a Crusader-era castle, and finish in the otherworldly landscape of Wadi Rum, the spectacular location for Dune and other movies.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Begin the series on the outskirts of Rome, taking the Via Appia into the city. View the impressive tombs and aqueducts that line the road, testifying to the importance of the ancient capital. Within, visit major sites that include the extensive ruins of different forum spaces and temples. Also, explore subterranean Rome, and sample the market and café scene, as lively today as two millennia ago.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Focus on Spain as the birthplace of powerful Roman emperors, including Trajan and Hadrian. Survey the imperial grandeur that still survives from their reigns, notably in the ruined city of Italica and the thriving urban centers of Cordoba and Seville. Trace the influences of the Islamic culture that ruled Spain for seven centuries after the Romans. Also, go olive oil tasting!
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
The Dalmatian Coast was strategically vital to Rome, which conquered it starting in the 2nd century BC. Investigate the Roman legacy, including ancient Salona and Ragusa. Near Salona is Diocletian's Palace, a sprawling fortress built by the Dalmatia-born Emperor Diocletian around 300 CE. Also, probe the historic maritime economy of the region, which still flourishes.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Presented by archaeologist Darius Arya, this eight-episode series takes viewers throughout the ancient Roman Empire, exploring history's most multicultural political entity. Stops include Roman ruins in Spain, Morocco, Jordan, Croatia, Serbia, and Rome itself. Darius also samples the local cuisine and other attractions, making this series the ideal preparation for a truly grand tour.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Rome once ruled North Africa, cementing its control over the entire Mediterranean basin. Investigate Morocco, where Roman influences mixed with the indigenous Berbers to produce a unique culture. Visit the ruins of Volubilis, an ancient international hub, called the most beautiful Roman city in North Africa. Also, tour the thriving old quarter of Marrakesh.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Continue your exploration of the Roman Balkans, heading inland to modern Serbia, which was repeatedly threatened by hostile kingdoms in antiquity. The Danube River plays a prominent role here, as do a litany of Roman emperors and their public and private works in three ancient cities. As Darius shows throughout the series, ancient Rome lives on through its enduring monuments and culture.
Author
Language
English
Description
This edition includes a modern introduction and a list of suggested further reading. Atlantis has fascinated scholars and occultists for centuries since Plato wrote about the sunken city in Timaeus and Critias. Whether Plato was presenting Atlantis as factual history or merely as a philosophical device, Lewis Spence's The History of Atlantis has ensured that the fascination with Plato's story has continued to the present day. Spence, despite his reputation...
Author
Language
English
Description
Covering the five thousand years after the dawn of history, the pioneer Assyriologist illuminates the polytheistic beliefs of the people of the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys in this 1906 work. He shows that polytheism gradually became "leavened" with Judaism, paving the way for the adoption of belief in a single God.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
The Travels of Marco Polo is among history's most famous and influential travel narratives. Track the route of Marco's three-year journey from Venice across Central Asia, to reach the court of the great Kublai Kahn. Learn about the 24 years he spent in service to the Kahn, during which he traveled extensively across China and Asia, before making a triumphant journey back to Venice.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
In the Middle Ages, fictional travel writing became more influential than real accounts. Discover The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, a hugely impactful work written by a man who never left home. Follow the route and details of his invented travels, drawn from other books. See how his descriptions of nonexistent creatures contributed to the cruelty and exploitation of the later Age of Discovery.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Look into medieval values through daily life in great palaces. Visualize life in European castles, taking account of accommodations, dress, and food and drink. Contrast that with the Alhambra palace of Islamic Spain and its layout, interiors, and separation of men and women. Conclude with China's sumptuous palaces, highlighting the lifestyle of royals, diet, and traditional cultural practices.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Religious pilgrimage was a central feature of medieval life. First, visualize pilgrimage to the Holy Land through the writings of the Spanish pilgrim Egeria. Note how travel to venerate holy relics was a major lure for the faithful. Witness spiritual pilgrimage in Asia, in Japan through the diaries of Abutsu and Lady Nijo, and in the Muslim world with Ibn Battuta, Islam's most iconic traveler.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
The medieval Age of Faith was transformed by the 14th-century disasters of famine, plague, and warfare. Learn how these upheavals caused many to question their understanding of faith and the world. Learn how within Christendom, China, and the lands of Islam, people responded by blaming rulers or by appealing to God directly, forcing key changes both within these faiths and in secular society.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Religious buildings are perhaps the most visited remnants of the Middle Ages. Begin with the sublime Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul, emblem of the Byzantine Empire and later a mosque. Then study the features and symbolism of medieval Romanesque churches, Gothic cathedrals, synagogues, and mosques. See their Asian counterparts in Angkor Wat (Hinduism), Borobodur (Buddhism) and Chinese pagodas.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Delve into the landmarks of medieval literature, beginning with the heroic epics of different cultures, from Europe's Beowolf and The Song of Roland to the Tibetan Epic of King Gesar. Then study the tradition of medieval Romantic Love, as seen in works such as Japan's Tale of Genji and the Western Arthurian romances and Romance of the Rose. Consider the enduring influence of these works.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
One of the pivotal events of the Middle Ages was the rise of Islam. Learn about the visions of the merchant Muhammad and how his ideas spread as a powerful new religion. Track the expansion of Islam through the conquests of Arab armies and how conquered peoples fared under Muslim rule. Then discover the origins of the European feudal system and the warfare practiced by armored knights.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Investigate the agricultural methods, based in cultivating maize and other staple crops, that supported highly populated, advanced civilizations in the Americas. Discover the culture, artifacts, and monumental architecture of the Maya in Mexico and the Chimu in Peru. Learn also about the innovative, large-population cultures that thrived in the Amazon rainforest.
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