Showing results by narrator "Andrea Giordani" in All Categories

Phocion is one of the many Grecian politician’s lives detailed in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives stories. Phocion, also known as “The Good”, was known for being one of the most beloved and change-inspiring Greek politicians of his time. Elected a military stratego many times, his prowess within the army was highly regarded. His fierce opposition to many of the ruling classes and his willingness to fight for what he believed in was ultimately what lead to his execution.

Publius Valerius Publicola, the subject of Plutarch’s The Life of Publicola, is one of the most influential Roman figures to be written about in the author’s Parallel Lives series. Originally from Sabine, Publicola made his life in Rome with the intent to support the unification of Rome’s people. However, when the revolution happened, he and four others drove out Lucius Tarquinius Superbus and reformed the state. His political presence only grew, and by the time of his death, he was one of the most beloved Roman politicians in the land.

The Life of Cimon is just one of many notable biographies in Plutarch’s informative Parallel Lives series. Cimon, an Athenian Statesman, was the son of the general who won Greece’s battle of Marathon. Battling and defeating the Persian Empire on water, Cimon was crucial in the construction of the Athenian Maritime Empire. However, like so many others in the series, Cimon was eventually ostracized from the empire when his political views took a radical turn.

Not many of the people featured in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives series are honored with nicknames, but to his fellow Athenians, Aristides was known as “The Just”. A Grecian statesman, The Life of Aristides details the political rise of the man from the well-to-do family. From his career as Stratego, to his many statesman positions, his life ended in a mystery that is seemingly unbefitting the tale that Plutarch wove for him. Where or how he died, none know - but to Plutarch, his death mattered little next to his life.

Gaius Marius was pivotal to many of the ways in which we know Rome today. His impact on Rome is noted in Plutarch’s The Life of Marius, from his time served as General to his time served as Statesman. His blessed life began as a child with a legend - that he found a clutch of eagles containing seven chicks, and therefore Jupiter was assuring his seven elections to senate. Though, all the war and political unrest that ensued his six elections followed him only 17 days into his seventh election - when he died of Pleurisy.

Julius Caesar peaked as one of the most powerful generals in Roman history. In “The Life of Caesar", Plutarch attempts to capture the greatness of this man on paper. With stirring prose, he documents Caesar’s military might and rousing spirit. The biography ends with the details of Caesar’s assassination, but Plutarch assures us that the murderers eventually paid for the deed.

Caius Gracchus was barely a man when his older brother, Tiberius, was assassinated for his reforms on behalf of the poor. After this, Caius tried to live a quiet life away from the public eye, perhaps afraid of meeting the same fate. Yet in Plutarch’s biography of Caius, he recounts that Tiberius appeared to his brother in a dream, telling him that they were both destined to fight and die for the working class. Caius eventually answered the call, served in the tribune for two years, and was likewise assassinated for his reforms.

In this biography, Plutarch states that Tiberius Gracchus was known more for his virtue than for his achievements. Tiberius’ virtue, and thus his legacy, lies in his actions as a reformer. Himself a plebeian leader, he sought to aid the poor by giving them some of the land belonging to wealthy landowners. These reforms shook the Roman world and led to his assassination, making Tiberius a martyr for working-class people and the politicians who fight for their rights.

In this entry of Parallel Lives, Plutarch tells the true story of Lysander, the great Spartan leader. Lysander led a fleet of Spartan ships to victory against the Athenians in the battle at Aegospotami. History also credits him with forcing the Greeks to surrender at the end of the Peloponnesian War.

Wesley is incredibly excited about waking up the morning he finally turns seven years old; a magic door would open for him at last! He had wondered what was on the other side of that door ever since it first appeared when he turned four. Wesley's Birthday Wish is a moving fantasy story about a small boy's rite of passage as he turns seven, and one can't help but get excited for him as he surveys the new and limitless world that awaits him. This tale illustrates most eloquently why force is never the solution, even when you really desire something.

Henry Reginald Holland Hall (1873-1930) was an English Egyptologist and historian. His in-depth study of the ancient near east examines the region’s civilizations and history, starting with the early Bronze age civilizations such as that of the Minoans on Crete. He explores the history of ancient Egypt in detail, and the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Iran, like Babylonia, Assyria and Persia.

At the turn of the 19th century, Hannah Smith stood as a popular evangelist and trusted teacher in the Christian faith. Listen to the full and complete text, with no chapters cut away as is common in so many releases of her work. Here is Hannah Smith's truth, real and unchanged, for the true Christian wanderer.

Pausanias is one of the most interestingly complicated figures in Greek history. A Spartan hero, he was also a Spartan villain; even his own contemporaries did not know what to make of him. Explore his life with Cornelius Nepos and come to your own conclusion - was Pausanias great or terrible?

Mark Antony’s personal life was almost as storied as his immensely successful political career. In Plutarch’s biography, the most striking sections revolve around Antony’s relationship with Cleopatra. Plutarch’s characterization inspired Shakespeare, whose play "Antony and Cleopatra" would not be the same without its influence. With such close ties to Shakespeare, it’s no wonder that the The Life of Antony holds great literary merit all its own.

Marigold is a short fairy tale of unwavering love and quiet heartbreak—a sister’s desperate fight against a curse that slowly steals her brother away. Though she and the villagers do all they can, nothing breaks the spell’s hold. Then, one night, a stranger arrives with a sliver of hope: her brother can be saved. But the cost is hidden, cruelly withheld—and by the time she learns the truth, her choice is already made, and there is no undoing it.

Let me introduce myself. I’m Chloe Good Germ and I work for the Detective Nerve Agency (DNA for short). My job is to patrol the body and investigate any crimes. Come with me as we solve the case of the upset tooth.

Our hunger to connect to the Kingdom of heaven with our spiritual senses is the first step to seeing it realized. There are two kingdoms in this world that are divergent in purpose-one is Truth and life-giving, and the other is fake and waiting to celebrate your spiritual death. You must have spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear to discern the difference-you won't know what's real if you can't see the counterfeit.