$4.46
Details
Battle of the Persian Gate, The: The History of the Achaemenid Persian Empire's Last Stand against Alexander the Great
Author: Charles River Editors
Narrator: Daniel Houle
Unabridged: 3 hr 15 min
Format: Digital Audiobook
Publisher: Findaway Voices
Published: 07/13/2021
Genre: History - Ancient - Greece
Synopsis
Over the last 2,000 years, ambitious men have dreamed of forging vast empires and attaining eternal glory in battle, but of all the conquerors who took steps toward such dreams, none were ever as successful as antiquity’s first great conqueror. Leaders of the 20th century hoped to rival Napoleon’s accomplishments, while Napoleon aimed to emulate the accomplishments of Julius Caesar. But Caesar himself found inspiration in Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE), the Macedonian king who managed to stretch an empire from Greece to the Himalayas in Asia by the age of 30. It took less than 15 years for Alexander to conquer much of the known world.
Ever since the famous Persian invasions that had been repelled by the Athenians at Marathon and then by the Spartans at Thermopylae and Plataea, Greece and Persia had been at odds. For the past few years they had enjoyed an uneasy peace, but that peace was shattered when, in 334 BCE, Alexander crossed the Hellespont into Persia. He brought with him an army of 50,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry and a navy of over 100 ships, a mixed force of Macedonians, Greeks, Thracians and Illyrians, all chosen for their specific strengths (the Thessalians, for example, were famous cavalrymen). He was still just 22.
Darius III, king of Persia at the time of Alexander’s invasion, was no tactical genius, but he was an intelligent and persistent enemy who had been handed the throne just before the arrival of the indomitable Alexander. His misfortune was to face an enemy at the forefront of military innovation and flexibility, a fighting force that he was not equipped to handle, and the unconquerable will of the Macedonian army, fueled by devotion to their daring and charismatic king.
by Captivating History
Explore the captivating history of ancient Greece! The culture and events of Greece were so influential they have a significant effect on modern-day people all over the world. The ancient Greeks gave birth to democracy, a political system...
Published: 03/19/2018
by Plutarch
In this entry of Parallel Lives, Plutarch tells the true story of Lysander, the great Spartan leader. Lysander led a fleet of Spartan ships to victory against the Athenians in the battle at Aegospotami. History also credits him with forcing the Gree...
Published: 05/17/2018
by Plutarch
The Greeks glorified Theseus as the historical founder of Athens. Plutarch’s record of his life incorporates all known facts and legends about him, from his defeat of the minotaur to his actions as a political leader. As this work comes from P...
Published: 05/06/2018
by Plutarch
A few days before Pericles’ birth, his mother dreamed she gave birth to a lion. Symbolically, her son grew up to be a noble, magnanimous leader who sought the best for his people. He governed primarily in the time between the Persian and Pelop...
Published: 05/06/2018
by Plutarch
Born into a royal household, Pyrrhus was destined for greatness. He fought in many battles throughout his life, but his campaigns against Rome established his reputation as a commander. Many of his victories were only achieved through heavy losses, ...
Published: 05/04/2018
by Charles River Editors
In today’s modern world every political regime, even the most authoritarian or repressive, describes itself as democracy or a Democratic People’s Republic. The concept of rule by the people, on behalf of the people, has come to be accept...
Published: 01/04/2020
by Christopher M. Bellitto
Join award-winning historian Christopher Bellitto on this gripping journey through centuries of Greek history. Ancient Greece was one of the most fertile civilizations in history, and its influence on Western philosophy, theology, and civilization ...
Published: 09/14/2012
by Samuel Loncar
Born in Athens, Greece, acclaimed Yale-educated philosopher Samuel Loncar helps you discover how ancient Greek philosophy—or “love of wisdom”—forms powerful bridges between East and West as well as past and present...
Published: 10/27/2020
by Charles River Editors
“Forward, sons of the Greeks,Liberate the fatherland,Liberate your children, your women,The altars of the gods of your fathers,And the graves of your ancestors: Now is the fight for everything.” – The Greek battle hymn sung before ...
Published: 04/19/2019