The myths of ancient Greece and Rome can seem bewilderingly complex, yet they are so much a part of modern life and discourse that most of us know fragments of them. This comprehensive companion takes these fragments and weaves them into an accessible and enjoyable narrative, guiding the reader through the basic stories of classical myth Philip Matyszak explains the sequences of events and introduces the major plots and characters, from the origins of the world and the labors of Hercules to the Trojan War and the voyages of Odysseus and Aeneas. He brings to life an exotic cast of heroes and...

No other political entity has shaped the modern world like the Roman Empire. Encompassing close to 60 million people and 3 million square kilometers of land, it represented an incredibly diverse and dynamic collection of nations, states, and tribes, all bound to Rome and the ideal of the Roman identity.
In the lively and engaging style that he's known for, Philip Matyszak traces the history of the Roman Empire from the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Roman republic through the ages of expansion, crisis, and eventual split. Breathing life into these extraordinary events, Matyszak...

A military biography of Mithridates VI the Great of Pontus, Rome s most persistent enemy. The Mithridiatic wars stretched over half a century and two continents, and have a fascinating cast of pirates, rebels, turncoats and poisoners (though an unfortunate lack of heroes with untarnished motives). There are pitched battles, epic sieges, double-crosses and world-class political conniving, assassinations and general treachery. Through it all, the story is built about the dominant character of Mithridates, connoisseur of poisons, arch-schemer and strategist, resilient in defeat, savage and...

In The Greeks, Philip Matyszak illuminates the Greek soldiers, statesmen, scientists and philosophers who, though they seldom - if ever - set foot on the Greek mainland, nevertheless laid the foundations of what we call 'Greek culture' today.

Charts the decline of Spartan power from the Peloponnesian War (arguing that victory in this war actually contained the seeds of their downfall) down to the Roman conquest of Greece and Sparta's absorption into the Achaean League in 146 BC.