Caesar and the Storm
Caesar and the Storm

Author: Monica Matthews

Publisher: Peter Lang

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 9783039107360

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This commentary on a part of book 5 of Lucan's 'historical epic' poem De Bello Civili aims to provide the reader with as thorough an analysis as possible of literary and historical points of interest within the text and so to facilitate a fuller understanding and appreciation of one of the most important episodes in the poem, Julius Caesar's failed attempt to cross the Adriatic in the midst of a great storm. It examines how the episode contributes to the long tradition of epic storm narratives dating back to Homer and also how it contributes to the wider themes of the poem as a whole, in particular to Lucan's portrayal of Caesar. A line-by-line commentary is combined with longer notes summarizing issues of particular importance. Such issues include: the influence of Roman love-poetry in the depiction of the relationship between Caesar and his men, Lucan's use of Virgil's Nisus and Euryalus episode, and the tradition of theoxeny narratives lying behind the scene at the home of the fisherman Amyclas which allows us to view Caesar as 'playing the part' of a traditional god or hero. Throughout, Lucan's engagement with the works of Homer, Virgil (particularly the Aeneid but also the Georgics), Ovid and Seneca, and the ways in which the lack of a traditional divine machinery in his poem is compensated for are considered.

Are We Rome?
Are We Rome?

Author: Cullen Murphy

Publisher: HMH

Published: 2008-05-05

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0547527071

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What went wrong in imperial Rome, and how we can avoid it: “If you want to understand where America stands in the world today, read this.” —Thomas E. Ricks The rise and fall of ancient Rome has been on American minds since the beginning of our republic. Depending on who’s doing the talking, the history of Rome serves as either a triumphal call to action—or a dire warning of imminent collapse. In this “provocative and lively” book, Cullen Murphy points out that today we focus less on the Roman Republic than on the empire that took its place, and reveals a wide array of similarities between the two societies (The New York Times). Looking at the blinkered, insular culture of our capitals; the debilitating effect of bribery in public life; the paradoxical issue of borders; and the weakening of the body politic through various forms of privatization, Murphy persuasively argues that we most resemble Rome in the burgeoning corruption of our government and in our arrogant ignorance of the world outside—two things that must be changed if we are to avoid Rome’s fate. “Are We Rome? is just about a perfect book. . . . I wish every politician would spend an evening with this book.” —James Fallows

The Storm Before the Storm
The Storm Before the Storm

Author: Mike Duncan

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2017-10-24

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 1610397223

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The creator of the award-winning podcast series The History of Rome and Revolutions brings to life the bloody battles, political machinations, and human drama that set the stage for the fall of the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of civilization. Beginning as a small city-state in central Italy, Rome gradually expanded into a wider world filled with petty tyrants, barbarian chieftains, and despotic kings. Through the centuries, Rome's model of cooperative and participatory government remained remarkably durable and unmatched in the history of the ancient world. In 146 BC, Rome finally emerged as the strongest power in the Mediterranean. But the very success of the Republic proved to be its undoing. The republican system was unable to cope with the vast empire Rome now ruled: rising economic inequality disrupted traditional ways of life, endemic social and ethnic prejudice led to clashes over citizenship and voting rights, and rampant corruption and ruthless ambition sparked violent political clashes that cracked the once indestructible foundations of the Republic. Chronicling the years 146-78 BC, The Storm Before the Storm dives headlong into the first generation to face this treacherous new political environment. Abandoning the ancient principles of their forbearers, men like Marius, Sulla, and the Gracchi brothers set dangerous new precedents that would start the Republic on the road to destruction and provide a stark warning about what can happen to a civilization that has lost its way.

The Storm of Heaven
The Storm of Heaven

Author: Thomas Harlan

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2002-07-14

Total Pages: 932

ISBN-13: 9780812590111

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The great three-sided war continues: Rome against Persia against the tribes of the desert now commanded by Mohammed of Mekkah. But there is hope for the West. Prince Maxian, horrified at being the cause of so many deaths, has come to realize that the Oath need not be broken; it can be changed by a skilled sorcerer. (July)

Pharsalia
Pharsalia

Author: Lucan

Publisher:

Published: 1887

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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Manuscript on paper of Lucan, Pharsalia. With commentary, verse summary, and verse argumenta of each book.

Tales of
Tales of

Author: Donald K. Pendleton

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2009-02

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 143634297X

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In the midst of a technological age, a strange and menacing phenomenon rains upon the Earth, changing people into mindless savages. While governments around the globe unite to combat this spreading infection, airships of the 1930's are redesigned and reintroduced to the world. Because of the vessel's size and its capability to stay airborne for weeks at a time, it is regarded as the next innovation for cruise ship/vacation travel industries, while environmentalists envision it as a solution to the world's overpopulation problem. The windship proves its worth when the stricken become organized and rise up against the world. It is then; the windship becomes a reckoning force and Earth's only hope for survival.

Shakespeare's storms
Shakespeare's storms

Author: Gwilym Jones

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Published: 2016-05-16

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 1526111845

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Whether the apocalyptic storm of King Lear or the fleeting thunder imagery of Hamlet, the shipwrecks of the comedies or the thunderbolt of Pericles, there is an instance of storm in every one of Shakespeare’s plays. This is the first comprehensive study of Shakespeare’s storms. With chapters on Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, Pericles and The Tempest, the book traces the development of the storm over the second half of the playwright’s career, when Shakespeare took the storm to new extremes. It explains the storm effects used in early modern playhouses, and how they filter into Shakespeare’s dramatic language. Interspersed are chapters on thunder, lightning, wind and rain, in which the author reveals Shakespeare’s meteorological understanding and offers nuanced readings of his imagery. Throughout, Shakespeare’s storms brings theatre history to bear on modern theories of literature and the environment. It is essential reading for anyone interested in early modern drama.

Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar

Author: Edited by W. Turner

Publisher: S. Chand Publishing

Published:

Total Pages: 422

ISBN-13: 9788121909396

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shakespeare's stories.

Pharsalia
Pharsalia

Author: Lucan

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 9780801481376

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Lucan's great poem, Pharsalia, recounts events surrounding the decisive battle fought near Pharsalus in 48 B.C. during the civil war between the forces of Pompey and Julius Caesar. Though the subject of this unfinished masterpiece is historical, many of its features are characteristic of epic poetry: Rousing battle scenes; tales of witches, monsters, and miracle; detailed catalogues; intricate similes; and speeches with a high degree of rhetorical elegance. However, Lucan's deft mix of humor and horror, of political satire, literary parody, history, and epic is entirely his own. Jane Wilson Joyce's superb translation conveys the drama and poetry of the original. Her use of natural English rhythms in a loose six-beat line comes close to matching the original Latin hexameters, wile her language preserves Lucan's sequence of images. An enlightening introduction, notes, and a full glossary augment the translation.