Ancient Lives

Ancient Lives

The Ancient Lives series unfolds the stories of thinkers, writers, kings, queens, conquerors, and politicians from all parts of the ancient world. Readers will come to know these figures in fully human dimensions, complete with foibles and flaws, and will see that the issues they faced—political conflicts, constraints based in gender or race, tensions between the private and public self—have changed very little over the course of millennia.

New Releases

Web Exclusives

What If Julian the Apostate Had Lived?

September 26, 2023

Philip Freeman— Sometimes when I’m teaching ancient history to my undergraduate students, I like to ask them how the world today would be different if some key event in the… READ MORE

Ep. 119—The World’s First Media Celebrity

August 29, 2023

Acclaimed translator Sarah Ruden talks with us about her new biography, Vergil: The Poet’s Life. In this volume of the Ancient Lives Series, Ruden uses evidence from Roman life and… READ MORE

Ep. 98 – Ancient Lives with James Romm

January 13, 2023

In this episode of the Yale University Press podcast, we talk with author James Romm about Demetrius: Sacker of Cities. At the end of the episode, we discuss the larger… READ MORE

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