Caesar's Calendar: Ancient Time and the Beginnings of History

Hardcover: 386 pages
Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (June 4, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0520251199
ISBN-13: 978-0520251199

Product Description
The ancient Romans changed more than the map of the world when they conquered so much of it; they altered the way historical time itself is marked and understood. In this brilliant, erudite, and exhilarating book Denis Feeney investigates time and its contours as described by the ancient Romans, first as Rome positioned itself in relation to Greece and then as it exerted its influence as a major world power. Feeney welcomes the reader into a world where time was moveable and changeable and where simply ascertaining a date required a complex and often contentious cultural narrative. In a style that is lucid, fluent, and graceful, he investigates the pertinent systems, including the Roman calendar (which is still our calendar) and its near perfect method of capturing the progress of natural time; the annual rhythm of consular government; the plotting of sacred time onto sacred space; the forging of chronological links to the past; and, above all, the experience of empire, by which the Romans meshed the city state's concept of time with those of the foreigners they encountered to establish a new worldwide web of time. Because this web of time was Greek before the Romans transformed it, the book is also a remarkable study in the cross-cultural interaction between the Greek and Roman worlds.

Codes: The Guide to Secrecy From Ancient to Modern Times

Hardcover: 704 pages
Publisher: Chapman & Hall/CRC (May 24, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1584884703
ISBN-13: 978-1584884705

Product Description
From the Rosetta Stone to public-key cryptography, the art and science of cryptology has been used to unlock the vivid history of ancient cultures, to turn the tide of warfare, and to thwart potential hackers from attacking computer systems. Codes: The Guide to Secrecy from Ancient to Modern Times explores the depth and breadth of the field, remaining accessible to the uninitiated while retaining enough rigor for the seasoned cryptologist. The book begins by tracing the development of cryptology from that of an arcane practice used, for example, to conceal alchemic recipes, to the modern scientific method that is studied and employed today. The remainder of the book explores the modern aspects and applications of cryptography, covering symmetric- and public-key cryptography, cryptographic protocols, key management, message authentication, e-mail and Internet security, and advanced applications such as wireless security, smart cards, biometrics, and quantum cryptography. The author also includes non-cryptographic security issues and a chapter devoted to information theory and coding. Nearly 200 diagrams, examples, figures, and tables along with abundant references and exercises complement the discussion. Written by leading authority and best-selling author on the subject Richard A. Mollin, Codes: The Guide to Secrecy from Ancient to Modern Times is the essential reference for anyone interested in this exciting and fascinating field, from novice to veteran practitioner.

Soldiers' Lives through History - The Ancient World (Soldiers' Lives through History)

Once warfare became established in ancient civilizations, it's hard to find any other social institution that developed as quickly. In less than a thousand years, humans brought forth the sword, sling, dagger, mace, bronze and copper weapons, and fortified towns. The next thousand years saw the emergence of iron weapons, the chariot, the standing professional army, military academies, general staffs, military training, permanent arms industries, written texts on tactics, military procurement, logistics systems, conscription, and military pay. By 2,000 B.C.E., war was an important institution in almost all major cultures of the world. This book shows readers how soldiers were recruited, outfitted, how they fought, and how they were cared for when injured or when they died. It covers soldiers in major civilizations from about 4000 B.C.E. to about 450 C.E. Soldiers' Lives through History; The Ancient World is divided into two parts, the first addressing military life and the second the ancient armies themselves. "Military Life" presents twenty-one chapters, on significant aspects of military life in the ancient world.

Monte Cassino: The Story of the Most Controversial Battle of World War II

Monte Cassino opens in the cold Italian winter of 1943–44. Germany would lose the war, but they still held much of Italy, leaving the Allies to fight their way north to capture Rome—a route no army had taken since Hannibal traversed the Alps to avoid it. And overlooking the only possible passage stood the ancient Abbey of Monte Cassino. The ultimate decision to bomb Monte Cassino was one of the most controversial—and tragic—events of World War II. The combat that followed was just as tragic: Soldiers from more than a dozen nations fought through that savage winter in a ferocious battle that allowed no advance or retreat. Here Hapgood and Richardson examine the military operations and political machinations that led inexorably to the bombing, explore the personalities of all involved, and in a new afterword reflect on its lingering consequences. This i