Rome City

In this expert guide to the ancient city, Dr Philip Matyszak takes us on a tour of ancient Rome's most fascinating and important sites and locations, revealing the secrets of the beating heart of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.

From the co-host of NPR’s All Things Considered and NPR’s Senior Editor of Religion and Spirituality, a deeply reported, revelatory biography of Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, that offers rare and exciting new insight into the life and times of the man who would come to lead the...

Step into the heart of Rome without ever leaving your space. Rome: A Meditation Walk Through the Eternal City is a beautifully crafted guided meditation that transports you to the timeless streets of Italy’s capital through rich visualization, sensory immersion, and mindfulness cues. Whether you seek deep relaxation, a mental escape, or a profound connection with history, this journey offers a one-of-a-kind experience.

The Seven Hills of Rome: The History and Legacy of the Hills That Form the Heart of the Eternal City takes a trek around each and every one of the famous hills, and illustrates how the different events that transpired on each mound have contributed to the shaping of Roman history. You will learn about the Seven Hills of Rome like never before.

Are you excited about planning your next trip? Do you want an edible experience? Would you like some culinary guidance from a local? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this Eat Like a Local book is for you. Eat Like a Local - Rome will offer the inside scoop on the best places to eat in the area.

The bestselling author and historian Lisa Hilton picks up the mythical ‘City of Ladies’ where the medieval writer Christine de Pisan left off, continuing a conversation about gender and greatness that began more than six hundred years ago. In 1405 Christine de Pisan took up the pen to defend...

At its peak, the wealthy Carthaginian Empire dominated the Mediterranean against the likes of Greece and Rome. Through clever use of force projection, by paying allies with gold, and by recruiting mercenary armies to fight for them, Carthage was able to go from a minor Phoenician settlement to one of the most powerful trading empires of antiquity. However, the Carthaginians' foreign policy had a fatal flaw; they had a knack for picking the worst enemies they could possibly enter into conflict with.

They come in droves, busloads of tourists shepherded down through modern streets, shops and stalls, past souvenir stands and hordes of local guides offering insight and spectacle. From all across the world they come to the Italian region of Campania, to walk the cobbles of ancient streets, peer at frescoes, marvel at sculptures, and visit the remnants of historic villas, bath-houses and even brothels. In 2003, it was estimated these international visitors contributed some $35 million dollars to the Italian economy.

Although it is no longer quite as well remembered as it was thousands of years ago, one of the most important cities in the ancient world was Ephesus, a city that dates back nearly 3,000 years and can lay claim to the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Moreover, while Sparta and Athens were often the centers of power in ancient Greece, Ephesus, located in present-day Turkey on the coast of Ionia, was an instrumental part of the Ionian League.

The center of political and commercial interaction in the Ancient Greek polis was the agora. The word essentially means a gathering place or an open space, and in all Greek city states, the agora was central to all aspects of daily life and commerce.

Recently, the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra has become a major source of news because the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has embarked on a campaign to destroy the temples and art of the pre-Islamic city. For many people throughout the world, ISIS's campaign was the first time they heard about the city, but Palmyra's importance and history can be traced back to well before the Roman Empire. In fact, Palmyra was unique among the many important cities of the ancient world.

Gone in an instant. Pompeii was one of the most advanced cities of its time; it had a complex water system, gymnasium, and amphitheater. Despite its advancements, there was one thing it wasn't ready for: Mount Vesuvius - the volcano that led to its ultimate doom. The 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius was one of the worst disasters in all of European history. In a near instant, over 15,000 people were dead and a city was completely destroyed. This audiobook looks at the rise, fall, and rediscovery of the great city of Pompeii.

The Rise of Constantinople looks at the events that brought about the transformation of Byzantium, and how Constantinople became one of the most important cities in the world.

When the European armies of the Third Crusade were defeated at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 CE, the region of what is today southern Jordan was overrun by Saladin's armies, and over the following five centuries knowledge of Petra's existence was lost to the people of Europe. The ancient city and center of civilization hidden in the desert became a myth, drawn largely upon Biblical accounts of the people and places in the Holy Land.

The most famous church in Jerusalem for nearly 2,000 years, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, often called the Church of the Resurrection, was built in the era of St. Constantine, and the church as a structure has no history separable from the city of Jerusalem and its environs. It is venerated as being on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried, and naturally, making it a crucial pilgrimage site for Christians, and it is now the home of the Greek Orthodox Jerusalem Patriarchate.