Author: Mike Dixon-Kennedy File Type: pdf Encyclopedia of Greco-Roman Mythology presents over 1,400 comprehensive AZ entries of the myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome. The entries are cross-referenced where appropriate, and an extensive bibliography is provided. Entries include Heracles and Alexander the Great, and geographical features such as the islands of the Blessed and Dardanelles. An unusual feature of this dictionary is the inclusion of astronomical data, linking the myths and legends to the celestial objects named after them. Diverse characters and events from related traditionsGreco-Egyptian, Roman-Celtic, and moreround out the volume.Students of classical Greek and Roman traditions, librarians, and general readers will turn to this volume again and again for authoritative information on the myths and legends of these ancient cultures.From School Library JournalIn more than 1400 entries, this guide covers the major gods and heroes, many minor figures, and even some historical figures and places. Unfortunately, the text is sometimes confusing, marred by syntactic tangles and clumsy wording. Some content errors exist (e.g., Hellenic for Hellenistic, Phintias for Phidias), together with inadequate cross-referencing (e.g., between Trojan Horse and Wooden Horse, neither referencing the other). There is no way to tell which names in a given entry have their own individual entries. The preface asserts that ...practice and common sense will lead to the correct pronunciation of Greek names, end of subject. The orientation is not literary there is no distinction between the Iliadic and Odyssean portrayal of Odysseus, between the Underworld of the Odyssey and that of the Aeneid, no mention of scholarly debate over Virgils Augustan agenda, and not enough detail in the description of Odysseuss or Aeneass narratives. Such weaknesses reduce the value of what is a most thorough and helpful guide. There is an extensive bibliography (missing Piero Boitani, Roberto Calasso, Brooks Otis), and the appendixes give chronologies of ancient Greece, Rome, and Roman emperors.-Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. Georges School, Newport, RI 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Author: Michael Pye File Type: mobi Michael Pyes The Edge of the World is an epic adventure from the Vikings to the Enlightenment, from barbaric outpost to global centre, it tells the amazing story of northern Europes transformation by sea.An utterly beguiling journey into the dark ages of the north sea. A complete revelation . . . Pye writes like a dream. Magnificent Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in Twelve MapsThis is a story of saints and spies, of fishermen and pirates, traders and marauders - and of how their wild and daring journeys across the North Sea built the world we know.When the Roman Empire retreated, northern Europe was a barbarian outpost at the very edge of everything. A thousand years later, it was the heart of global empires and the home of science, art, enlightenment and money. We owe this transformation to the tides and storms of the North Sea.The water was dangerous, but it was far easier than struggling over land so it was the sea that brought people together. Boats carried food and raw materials, but also new ideas and information. The seafarers raided, ruined and killed, but they also settled and coupled. With them they brought new tastes and technologies - books, clothes, manners, paintings and machines. In this dazzling historical adventure, we return to a time that is largely forgotten and watch as the modern world is born. We see the spread of money and how it paved the way for science. We see how plague terrorised even the rich and transformed daily life for the poor. We watch as the climate changed and coastlines shifted, people adapted and towns flourished. We see the arrival of the first politicians, artists, lawyers citizens. From Viking raiders to Mongol hordes, Frisian fishermen to Hanseatic hustlers, travelling as far west as America and as far east as Byzantium, we see how the life and traffic of the seas changed everything.Drawing on an astonishing breadth of learning and packed with human stories and revelations, this is the epic drama of how we came to be who we are.A closely-researched and fascinating characterisation of the richness of life and the underestimated interconnections of the peoples all around the medieval and early modern North Sea. A real page-turner Chris Wickham, author of The Inheritance of Rome A History of Europe from 400 to 1000Elegant writing and extraordinary scholarship . . . Miraculous Hugh Aldersey-Williams, author of Periodic Tales and AnatomiesSplendid. A heady mix of social, economic, and intellectual history, written in an engaging style. It offers a counterpoint to the many studies of the Mediterranean, arguing for the importance of the North Sea. Exciting, fun, and informative Michael Prestwich, Professor of History, Durham UniversityMichael Pye has written eleven previous books, translated into eleven languages, including two British bestsellers and two New York Times Notable Books of the Year. He took a First and various prizes in Modern History at Oxford, and was then for many years a highly successful journalist, columnist and broadcaster in London and New York. He now lives between London and rural Portugal.