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In Celtic Spirituality, acclaimed translator and scholar Philip
Freeman allows the voices of the Celts to speak once more. Though
the Celtic civilization has long disappeared, lingering traces of
their spirituality haunt Ireland and the surrounding land.
Tantalizing snippets of faded manuscript pages, ancient stone
carvings, and spells from the mystery-shrouded Druids have sparked
the imagination of generations of modern seekers. Translated from
their original languages--Gaulish, Latin, Irish, and Welsh--the
passages and stories in Celtic Spirituality are true artifacts of
the Celts' vibrant and varied religion from both the pre-Christian
and early Christian period. From a ritual of magical inspiration to
stories of the ancient gods and adventures of long-forgotten
heroes, Freeman has unearthed a stunning collection of Celtic work.
The translation is accessible to the modern reader, but maintains
the beauty and vibrancy of the original. Celtic Spirituality
includes material that has never been translated before, offering a
new glimpse into the wisdom and wild magic of the Celts.
The tragic life of Julian, the last non-Christian emperor of Rome,
by award-winning author Philip Freeman  Flavius Claudius
Julianus, or Julian the Apostate, ruled Rome as sole emperor for
just a year and a half, from 361 to 363, but during that time he
turned the world upside down. Although a nephew of Constantine the
Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome, Julian fought to return
Rome to the old gods who had led his ancestors to build their vast
empire. Â As emperor, Julian set about reforming the
administration, conquering new territories, and reviving ancient
religions. He was scorned in his time for repudiating Christianity
and demonized as an apostate for willfully rejecting Christ.
Through the centuries, Julian has been viewed by many as a tragic
figure who sought to save Rome from its enemies and the corrupting
influence of Christianity. Christian writers and historians have
seen Julian much differently: as a traitor to God and violent
oppressor of Christians. Had Julian not been killed by a random
Persian spear, he might well have changed all of history.
The Greek and Roman myths have never died out; in fact they are as
relevant today as ever in their sharp observations about human
nature. For thousands of years they have inspired plays, operas,
and paintings; today they live on in movies and video games.
"Oh My Gods" is a contemporary retelling of some of the most
popular myths by Philip Freeman, a noted classicist. These tales of
errant gods, fantastic creatures, and human heroes are brought to
life in fresh and modern versions. Powerful Zeus; his perpetually
aggrieved wife, Hera; talented Apollo; beautiful Aphrodite; fierce
Athena; the dauntless heroes Theseus and Hercules; and the doomed
lovers Orpheus and Eurydice still inspire awe, give us courage, and
break our hearts.
From the astonishing tales of the Argonauts to the immortal
narrative of the Battle of Troy, these ancient tales have inspired
writers from Shakespeare to J. K. Rowling. In Philip Freeman's
vibrant retelling they will doubtless inspire a new generation of
readers.
In the first authoritative biography of Alexander the Great written
for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian
Philip Freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror.
The celebrated Macedonian king has been one of the most enduring
figures in history. He was a general of such skill and renown that
for two thousand years other great leaders studied his strategy and
tactics, from Hannibal to Napoleon, with countless more in between.
He flashed across the sky of history like a comet, glowing brightly
and burning out quickly: crowned at age nineteen, dead by
thirty-two. He established the greatest empire of the ancient
world; Greek coins and statues are found as far east as
Afghanistan. Our interest in him has never faded.
Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom
that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle,
Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he
faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly
after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the
Persian empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the
deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day
Pakistan and the plains of India. Alexander spent nearly all his
adult life away from his homeland, and he and his men helped spread
the Greek language throughout western Asia, where it would become
the lingua franca of the ancient world. Within a short time after
Alexander's death in Baghdad, his empire began to fracture. Best
known among his successors are the Ptolemies of Egypt, whose empire
lasted until Cleopatra.
In his lively and authoritative biography of Alexander, classical
scholar and historian Philip Freeman describes Alexander's
astonishing achievements and provides insight into the mercurial
character of the great conqueror. Alexander could be petty and
magnanimous, cruel and merciful, impulsive and farsighted. Above
all, he was ferociously, intensely competitive and could not
tolerate losing--which he rarely did. As Freeman explains, without
Alexander, the influence of Greece on the ancient world would
surely not have been as great as it was, even if his motivation was
not to spread Greek culture for beneficial purposes but instead to
unify his empire. Only a handful of people have influenced history
as Alexander did, which is why he continues to fascinate us.
Someone is killing the nuns of Ireland. The grisly discovery of an
elderly sister of Saint Brigid's monastery strangled, bled dry, and
thrown into a bog is just the beginning. Soon a beautiful young nun
is found decapitated and hung from a barren tree. It doesn't take
long before the members of the struggling monastic community of
Kildare realize that not only are the nuns being hunted by a serial
killer, but the murderer is preforming the gruesome slayings in the
manner of the ancient druid sacrifices. Set in the turmoil of
sixth-century Ireland, where ruthless tribal kings wage constant
war for survival and the powerful religious order of the druids is
threatened by the newly-arrived Christian church, the desperate
task of finding the killer falls to Sister Deirdre, a young women
torn between the world of the monastery and her own druidic
heritage. Unless Deirdre can find the killer before the cycle of
sacrifices is complete, more of her friends will die, the monastery
will face destruction, and the whole of Ireland may be plunged into
civil war.
What does jazz "mean" 20 years into the 21st century? Has streaming
culture rendered music literally meaningless, thanks to the removal
of all context beyond the playlist? Are there any traditions left
to explore? Has the destruction of the apprenticeship model (young
musicians learning from their elders) changed the music
irrevocably? Are any sounds off limits? How far out can you go and
still call it "jazz"? Or should the term be retired? These
questions, and many more, are answered in Ugly Beauty, as Phil
Freeman digs through his own experiences and conversations with
present-day players. Jazz has never seemed as vital as it does
right now, and has a genuine role to play in 21st-century culture,
particularly in the US and the UK.
More than two thousand years after his death, Julius Caesar remains
one of the great figures of history. He shaped Rome for
generations, and his name became a synonym for "emperor" -- not
only in Rome but as far away as Germany and Russia. He is best
known as the general who defeated the Gauls and doubled the size of
Rome's territories. But, as Philip Freeman describes in this
fascinating new biography, Caesar was also a brilliant orator, an
accomplished writer, a skilled politician, and much more.
Julius Caesar was a complex man, both hero and villain. He
possessed great courage, ambition, honor, and vanity. Born into a
noble family that had long been in decline, he advanced his career
cunningly, beginning as a priest and eventually becoming Rome's
leading general. He made alliances with his rivals and then
discarded them when it suited him. He was a spokesman for the
ordinary people of Rome, who rallied around him time and again, but
he profited enormously from his conquests and lived opulently.
Eventually he was murdered in one of the most famous assassinations
in history.
Caesar's contemporaries included some of Rome's most famous
figures, from the generals Marius, Sulla, and Pompey to the orator
and legislator Cicero as well as the young politicians Mark Antony
and Octavius (later Caesar Augustus). Caesar's legendary romance
with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra still fascinates us today.
In this splendid biography, Freeman presents Caesar in all his
dimensions and contradictions. With remarkable clarity and brevity,
Freeman shows how Caesar dominated a newly powerful Rome and shaped
its destiny. This book will captivate readers discovering Caesar
and ancient Rome for the first time as well as those who have a
deep interest in the classical world.
"How to Win an Election" is an ancient Roman guide for
campaigning that is as up-to-date as tomorrow's headlines. In 64 BC
when idealist Marcus Cicero, Rome's greatest orator, ran for consul
(the highest office in the Republic), his practical brother Quintus
decided he needed some no-nonsense advice on running a successful
campaign. What follows in his short letter are timeless bits of
political wisdom, from the importance of promising everything to
everybody and reminding voters about the sexual scandals of your
opponents to being a chameleon, putting on a good show for the
masses, and constantly surrounding yourself with rabid supporters.
Presented here in a lively and colorful new translation, with the
Latin text on facing pages, this unashamedly pragmatic primer on
the humble art of personal politicking is dead-on (Cicero won)--and
as relevant today as when it was written.
A little-known classic in the spirit of Machiavelli's "Prince,
How to Win an Election" is required reading for politicians and
everyone who enjoys watching them try to manipulate their way into
office.
An inviting and highly readable new translation of Aristotle's
complete Poetics-the first and best introduction to the art of
writing and understanding stories Aristotle's Poetics is the most
important book ever written for writers and readers of
stories-whether novels, short fiction, plays, screenplays, or
nonfiction. Aristotle was the first to identify the keys to plot,
character, audience perception, tragic pleasure, and dozens of
other critical points of good storytelling. Despite being written
more than 2,000 years ago, the Poetics remains essential reading
for anyone who wants to learn how to write a captivating story-or
understand how such stories work and achieve their psychological
effects. Yet for all its influence, the Poetics is too little read
because it comes down to us in a form that is often difficult to
follow, and even the best translations are geared more to
specialists than to general readers who simply want to grasp
Aristotle's profound and practical insights. In How to Tell a
Story, Philip Freeman presents the most readable translation of the
Poetics yet produced, making this indispensable handbook more
accessible, engaging, and useful than ever before. In addition to
its inviting and reliable translation, a commentary on each
section, and the original Greek on facing pages, this edition of
the Poetics features unique bullet points, chapter headings, and
section numbers to help guide readers through Aristotle's unmatched
introduction to the art of writing and reading stories.
Marcus Cicero, Rome's greatest statesman and orator, was elected
to the Roman Republic's highest office at a time when his beloved
country was threatened by power-hungry politicians, dire economic
troubles, foreign turmoil, and political parties that refused to
work together. Sound familiar? Cicero's letters, speeches, and
other writings are filled with timeless wisdom and practical
insight about how to solve these and other problems of leadership
and politics. How to Run a Country collects the best of these
writings to provide an entertaining, common sense guide for modern
leaders and citizens. This brief book, a sequel to "How to Win an
Election," gathers Cicero's most perceptive thoughts on topics such
as leadership, corruption, the balance of power, taxes, war,
immigration, and the importance of compromise. These writings have
influenced great leaders--including America's Founding Fathers--for
two thousand years, and they are just as instructive today as when
they were first written.
Organized by topic and featuring lively new translations, the
book also includes an introduction, headnotes, a glossary,
suggestions for further reading, and an appendix containing the
original Latin texts. The result is an enlightening introduction to
some of the most enduring political wisdom of all time.
Worried that old age will inevitably mean losing your libido, your
health, and possibly your marbles too? Well, Cicero has some good
news for you. In How to Grow Old, the great Roman orator and
statesman eloquently describes how you can make the second half of
life the best part of all--and why you might discover that reading
and gardening are actually far more pleasurable than sex ever was.
Filled with timeless wisdom and practical guidance, Cicero's brief,
charming classic--written in 44 BC and originally titled On Old
Age--has delighted and inspired readers, from Saint Augustine to
Thomas Jefferson, for more than two thousand years. Presented here
in a lively new translation with an informative new introduction
and the original Latin on facing pages, the book directly addresses
the greatest fears of growing older and persuasively argues why
these worries are greatly exaggerated--or altogether mistaken.
Montaigne said Cicero's book "gives one an appetite for growing
old." The American founding father John Adams read it repeatedly in
his later years. And today its lessons are more relevant than ever
in a world obsessed with the futile pursuit of youth.
A vivid and accessible new translation of Cicero's influential
writings on the Stoic idea of the divine Most ancient Romans were
deeply religious and their world was overflowing with gods-from
Jupiter, Minerva, and Mars to countless local divinities, household
gods, and ancestral spirits. One of the most influential Roman
perspectives on religion came from a nonreligious belief system
that is finding new adherents even today: Stoicism. How did the
Stoics think about religion? In How to Think about God, Philip
Freeman presents vivid new translations of Cicero's On the Nature
of the Gods and The Dream of Scipio. In these brief works, Cicero
offers a Stoic view of belief, divinity, and human immortality,
giving eloquent expression to the religious ideas of one of the
most popular schools of Roman and Greek philosophy. On the Nature
of the Gods and The Dream of Scipio are Cicero's best-known and
most important writings on religion, and they have profoundly
shaped Christian and non-Christian thought for more than two
thousand years, influencing such luminaries as Augustine, Thomas
Aquinas, Dante, and Thomas Jefferson. These works reveal many of
the religious aspects of Stoicism, including an understanding of
the universe as a materialistic yet continuous and living whole in
which both the gods and a supreme God are essential elements.
Featuring an introduction, suggestions for further reading, and the
original Latin on facing pages, How to Think about God is a
compelling guide to the Stoic view of the divine.
A splendid new translation of one of the greatest books on
friendship ever written In a world where social media, online
relationships, and relentless self-absorption threaten the very
idea of deep and lasting friendships, the search for true friends
is more important than ever. In this short book, which is one of
the greatest ever written on the subject, the famous Roman
politician and philosopher Cicero offers a compelling guide to
finding, keeping, and appreciating friends. With wit and wisdom,
Cicero shows us not only how to build friendships but also why they
must be a key part of our lives. For, as Cicero says, life without
friends is not worth living. Filled with timeless advice and
insights, Cicero's heartfelt and moving classic-written in 44 BC
and originally titled De Amicitia-has inspired readers for more
than two thousand years, from St. Augustine and Dante to Thomas
Jefferson and John Adams. Presented here in a lively new
translation with the original Latin on facing pages and an inviting
introduction, How to Be a Friend explores how to choose the right
friends, how to avoid the pitfalls of friendship, and how to live
with friends in good times and bad. Cicero also praises what he
sees as the deepest kind of friendship-one in which two people find
in each other "another self" or a kindred soul. An honest and
eloquent guide to finding and treasuring true friends, How to Be a
Friend speaks as powerfully today as when it was first written.
The daughter of an aristocratic family, a wife, a devoted mother
and a lover of women, Sappho was one of the greatest writers of her
own or any age. Although most people have heard of Sappho, the
story of her lost poems and the lives of ancient women they
celebrate has never been told for a general audience. Philip
Freeman paints a vivid picture of Sappho's world. He delves into
religious rites, customs, the role of women in the family, medical
knowledge and the experience of motherhood at the time. Through
this contextual knowledge, a picture of Sappho's life emerges.
Freeman uses his vast historical research, in conjunction with
Sappho's poems and other Greek works of fiction, to bring us the
closest we can come to knowing the biographical details of this
most famous woman poet.
"The ancient Celts capture the modern imagination as do few other
people of classical times. Naked barbarians charging the Roman
legions, Druids performing sacrifices of unspeakable horror, women
fighting beside their men and even leading armies--these, along
with stunning works of art, are the images most of us call to mind
when we think of the Celts," observes Philip Freeman. "And for the
most part, these images are firmly based in the descriptions handed
down to us by the Greek and Roman writers."
This book draws on the firsthand observations and early
accounts of classical writers to piece together a detailed portrait
of the ancient Celtic peoples of Europe and the British Isles.
Philip Freeman groups the selections (ranging from short statements
to longer treatises) by themes--war, feasting, poetry, religion,
women, and the Western Isles. He also presents inscriptions written
by the ancient Celts themselves. This wealth of material,
introduced and translated by Freeman to be especially accessible to
students and general readers, makes this book essential reading for
everyone fascinated by the ancient Celts.
Most people have heard of the Celts-the elusive, ancient tribal
people who resided in present-day England, Ireland, Scotland and
France. Paradoxically characterized as both barbaric and innocent,
the Celts appeal to the modern world as a symbol of a bygone era, a
world destroyed by the ambition of empire and the spread of
Christianity throughout Western Europe. Despite the pervasive
cultural and literary influence of the Celts, shockingly little is
known of their way of life and beliefs, because very few records of
their stories exist. In this book, for the first time, Philip
Freeman brings together the best stories of Celtic mythology.
Everyone today knows about the gods and heroes of the ancient
Greeks, such as Zeus, Hera, and Hercules, but how many people have
heard of the Gaulish god Lugus or the magical Welsh queen Rhiannon
or the great Irish warrior Cu Chulainn? We still thrill to the
story of the Trojan War, but the epic battles of the Irish Tain Bo
Cuailgne are known only to a few. And yet those who have read the
stories of Celtic myth and legend-among them writers like J. R. R.
Tolkien and C. S. Lewis-have been deeply moved and influenced by
these amazing tales, for there is nothing in the world quite like
them. In these stories a mysterious and invisible realm of gods and
spirits exists alongside and sometimes crosses over into our own
human world; fierce women warriors battle with kings and heroes,
and even the rules of time and space can be suspended. Captured in
vivid prose these shadowy figures-gods, goddesses, and heroes-come
to life for the modern reader.
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