Philip Matyszak – författare

A fascinating tour of cities that have been lost to history, from the Neolithic period up to the late Roman Empire, that offers a fresh new perspective on the roots of urban life. The ruins of ancient Athens, Luxor and Rome are familiar cornerstones of world history, visited by travellers from across the globe. But what about the cities that have dropped off the map – that have been submerged under water, or swallowed up by the sands of time? Where are they, and what can they tell us about our past? In this compendium of forgotten cities, Philip Matyszak explores the trials, tribulations and triumphs they faced, revealing how people have embarked on the shared endeavour of living together since we first settled down 12,000 years ago. Illustrated throughout with important artefacts, ruins and maps, Lost Cities of the Ancient World brings to life the sites and settlements across Europe, the Middle East and beyond that time forgot, from the sunken city of Ropotamo in the Black Sea to the deep cave dwellings of Derinkuyu in Turkey. Some have survived only in ancient literature, such as the lost city of Zoar by the Dead Sea, known from the Bible but not yet found. Others have been located, allowing archaeologists to trace their changing fortunes through centuries of occupation. Matyszak reveals a dynamic network of peoples and cultures who fought and traded between themselves, exchanging inventions, ideas and philosophies, with the result that peoples as far apart as Çatalhöyük in Turkey and Skara Brae in the Orkney islands in Scotland shared much of a common heritage. By examining the motivations that first drew people to gather and settle together, as well as the challenges that led to their cities’ abandonment, this visually striking and often surprising book offers us a fresh perspective on our urban origins.

An overview of the lost peoples and cultures who flourished and fought for survival alongside the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Who were the Philistines?What was a Pyrrhic victory?Were the Vandals really vandals?Why should you speak to a Samaritan? Beyond the Greeks, Romans and Hebrews of the Classical and biblical eras, a rich diversity of peoples helped lay the foundations of the modern world. Philip Matyszak brings to life the cultures and individuals that made up the busy, brawling multicultural mass of humanity that emerged from the ancient Middle East and spread across the Mediterranean and Europe. He explores the origins of forty forgotten peoples, their great triumphs and defeats, and considers the legacy they have left to us today, whether it be in fine art or everyday language. This carefully researched and illuminating history is the perfect introduction for the modern reader, packed with surprising facts and fascinating stories, detailed maps and beautiful illustrations of artefacts and sites of interest. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World offers a new understanding of these important civilizations that have been obscured by the passage of time.

The essential illustrated guide to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome, vividly retelling their stories and exploring their origins. Who were the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome? What did they mean to the people who worshipped them? Although their time of widespread worship has long passed, the Greek and Roman gods have fascinated and inspired writers and artists for millennia. From Aphrodite to Apollo, Poseidon to Zeus, these are some of the most recognizable characters in Western culture, yet there is a much richer past behind famous paintings of the birth of Aphrodite or the bold iconography of Zeus and his thunderbolts. The Greek and Roman gods are enthralling characters in the enduringly powerful Iliad, Odyssey and Metamorphoses. They are immortal and powerful yet also vain, vindictive and vulnerable. Moreover, as manifestations of death, fertility, love and war, the gods are also our key to understanding how the Greeks and Romans saw their world. Philip Matyszak presents this pantheon in all their complexity, guiding us from Mount Olympus to the depths of Hades. Each chapter focuses on an individual god or goddess, beginning with their ‘biography’ as understood by the Greeks and Romans and exploring the origins of the legends. Matyszak mixes history with vivid retellings of the myths in which the gods have a starring role, from stories of cosmic creation and universal war to disastrous weddings and freak discus accidents. This sumptuously illustrated guide to the gods of Greece and Rome is a must-have for anyone interested in mythology and classical civilization.

Bestselling author Philip Matyszak explores how the Greeks and Romans used magic, who performed it – and why. Magic was everywhere in the ancient world. The supernatural abounded, turning flowers into fruit and caterpillars into butterflies. Magic packed a cloud of water vapour with energy enough to destroy a house with one well-aimed thunderbolt. It was everyday magic, but it was still magical. Philip Matyszak takes readers into that world. He shows us how to make a love potion or cast a curse, how to talk to the dead and how to identify and protect oneself from evil spirits. He takes us to a world where gods, like humans, were creatures of space and time; where people could not just talk to spirits and deities, but could even themselves become divine; and where divine beings could fall from – or be promoted to – full godhood. Ancient Magic offers us a new way of understanding the role of magic, looking at its history in all of its classical forms. Drawing on a wide array of sources, from Greek dramas to curse tablets, lavishly illustrated throughout, and packed with information, surprises, lore and learning, this book offers an engaging and accessible way into the supernatural for all.

Philip Matyszak skilfully navigates the myths and legends of early Rome, exploring the enigmatic origins of the Romans and how the first seeds of a great empire were sown. ‘I sing of arms and the man’ wrote Virgil at the start of the Aeneid, one of Rome’s most iconic origin stories exploring the tumultuous journey of Aeneas from Trojan prince to a hero of Rome. But did Aeneas actually flee from Troy? How did this story affect the Roman’s perspective of themselves? And did they believe it? In Rome Before Rome, Philip Matyszak explores the myths and legends, heroes and villains that shaped the Roman sense of self. There are few books which explain how these different legends fit into Rome’s overall narrative and none which explore the range of myths Matyszak describes. Some of the legends are well known, from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of the Sabines, whilst others are more obscure such as the story of the praetor Cipus, who grew horns and became a King of Rome. Whether renowned or unfamiliar, all are significant in their own way and have had a profound impact on the Romans. Even today these myths continue to reverberate throughout western culture as films, TV shows and plays. Matyszak dissects these myths, investigating hard-to-find texts, such as the historical texts of Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Plutarch’s Roman Questions sources, as well as classic texts like Livy’s From the Founding of the City and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, revealing that Rome’s illustrious mythological past is not quite as it might seem.

With his signature flair, historian Philip Matyszak explores the strangest and most spellbinding places of ancient belief, where gods walked, spirits lingered and the underworld was just a step away. How did one enter the underworld? What secrets were hidden in the temple of Mithras? And what did the Oracle at Delphi really say? In Sacred Places of the Ancient World, Philip Matyszak takes readers on a thrilling journey through the spiritual heartlands of antiquity, uncovering the hidden rituals, mysterious deities and powerful beliefs that shaped ancient civilizations. Blending archaeological research with myth and classical texts, Matyszak explores the awe-inspiring places revered by the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and others long before the rise of Christianity and Islam. This is a world where vengeful gods and goddesses ruled, magic was real and the natural world pulsed with supernatural power.

This handy guide to the Greek and Roman Myths brings classical mythology to life. Written by a bestselling author on Ancient Greece and Rome, the book features an engaging blend of stories, facts and quotations from ancient authors, and places ancient myths in a modern context, discussing the ‘afterlives’ of the myths and the relevance of their messages today. Factfiles on heroes and heroines and family trees of the gods also make this a useful reference book for students.

Here is an informative and entertaining guide to everything that any tourist needs for a journey back in time to ancient Rome in AD 200. You need only pack your imagination and a toothbrush – this guide provides the rest, describing all the best places to stay and shop, what to do, and what to avoid. Brought to life with wonderful computergenerated reconstructions of ancient Rome, this highly original, witty book will appeal to tourists, armchair travellers and history buffs.

Discover the lives of the ancient Romans, pieced together from inscriptions, discarded letters, biographies and myth over two thousand years of history. The Roman empire witnessed a huge diversity of human experience over its history. At its pinnacle, it exerted its rule across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, from Britannia to the Black Sea. In this collection of 100 lives, Philip Matyszak and Joanne Berry give voice not only to famed rulers and generals whose names and deeds have been enshrined in classical texts but also to the ordinary citizens – centurions, scholars, Christian martyrs and civil servants – who made up the fabric of Roman society. The biographies of these individuals, whose stories range from the happy and uneventful to the tragic and dramatic, are pieced together from ancient art, artefacts and myths. Matyszak and Berry illuminate the sometimes surprising exploits of Rome’s women, such as Amazonia, a sword-swinging gladiator, and Metila, a priestess of the cult of Cymbele. Romans of every class and creed are represented, from Faustulus, a shepherd said to have adopted the infant Romulus and Remus, to the poet Virgil, whose words still echo down the ages. Each of these lives forms part of a larger picture, together making up a rich mosaic that gives us a glimpse of what it meant to be a Roman.

The gripping stories of the most colourful and formidable characters to challenge the might of Rome. Until recently, it was assumed that Rome carried the torch of civilization into the barbarian darkness, bringing law, architecture, and literature to conquered peoples. The alternative view now suggests that many of Rome's enemies - the Celts, Hebrews, and Phoenicians, for example - were developing civilizations in their own right before obliteration at the Roman sword. Indeed, as Philip Matyszak argues, had Rome not crushed rivals so completely, the drop into the Dark Ages might not have occurred; at Rome's collapse, no other powerful civilizations remained to absorb the impact. This engrossing book looks at the growth and eventual demise of Rome from the viewpoint of those vanquished by Rome. They varied from the highly cultivated Greeks and Egyptians to wild and rebellious Britons and Germans, to the Asiatic empires of the Persians and Parthians. Their leaders were driven by ambition, vindictive hatred, fear, political calculation, or naked greed. Some fought to preserve their heritage, some for personal survival, and others from a warrior's love of battle. Defying the might of Rome was a dangerous business, and few of the men and women described here died in their beds. Some, like Vercingetorix and Jugurtha, were captured, exhibited in triumph, and then, while their conquerors sat down to a festive dinner, killed in the dungeons below. Rather than face such an end, some of Rome's greatest adversaries, including Hannibal, Boudicca, and Cleopatra, killed themselves. Here is the reality behind legends such as Spartacus the gladiator, and the stories of Shapur the conqueror and Mithridates the connoisseur of poisons. Some enemies of Rome were noble heroes, others were murdering villains, but each has a unique and fascinating story.

The three Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage (264-241, 218-201 and 149-146) were among the most significant and bitterly contested wars of the Classical period. The second war famously pitted the Romans against the genius of Hannibal Barca, whose invasion of Italy brought Rome to the brink of destruction, until the equal genius of Scipio Africanus proved his nemesis. Ultimately it was Carthage that was destroyed and Rome went on to dominate the Mediterranean region.Philip Matyszak studies over twenty battles from these epic conflicts, including some of the most famous battles in history, such as Cannae (216 BC) and Zama (201 BC), including naval battles as well as sieges and field battles. Thoroughly researched but written in a lively narrative style, each account gives the strategic context of the battle, analyses the forces involved, their deployments and the course of the fighting before considering its aftermath. Dozens of clear tactical maps make the action easy to follow.

Caesar's campaign in Gaul changed the face of Republican Rome's empire, shifting part of its focus from the Mediterranean world to Europe's western hinterland. The effects of that conquest are still with us today. Philip Matyszak examines the situation - political, military and economic – in both Gaul and Rome prior to Caesar's conquest. He then explains how Caesar was able to launch his campaign and what resources he had available.Thereafter the main body of the text follows the narrative of Caesar’s account _De Bello Gallico_, but substantially supplemented with explanatory digressions as needed and filling in background information which Caesar assumed that his readers would know. The author also takes greater account of the scale of human suffering which the conquest entailed and illustrates where Caesar was disingenuous in his reporting and adapted the narrative for his own purposes. (His book was, after all, a work of propaganda.)A final chapter summarizes the initial stages of the development of Gaul as a Roman possession, and also briefly recounts what happened to Caesar thereafter.

Petilius Cerealis is one of the few Imperial Roman officers, below the level of Emperor, whose career it is possible to follow in sufficient detail to write a coherent biography. Fortunately his career was a remarkably eventful and colourful one. With a knack for being caught up in big events and emerging unscathed despite some hairy adventures (and scandal, usually involving some local wench) he appears to have been a Roman version of Blackadder and Flashman combined.Cerealis was in Britain when Boudicca's revolt erupted (60 or 61 AD) and marched to confront her. He lost most of his force but narrowly escaped with his own skin intact. In 69 AD, the infamously tumultuous ' year of the four emperors', he was in Rome, the seat of conspiracy. When his uncle, none other than Vespasian, decided to make his own bid for the imperial purple (he was to become the fourth emperor that year), Cerealis' life was at risk of being killed as a traitor and had to escape from the city to join his uncle who was marching to force his way in. A short while later he was commanding a force on the Rhine when the Batavian mutiny broke out. This time he only escaped death because he was in bed with a local girl rather than in his own tent. And so it goes on…'Imperial General is both a fascinating insight into the life of an imperial Roman officer during the period of the Principate, and a rollicking good tale told in Philip Matyszak's trademark lively style.

When, after a brutal civil war, the dictator Sulla took power in Rome (82 BC), among the many who refused to accept his rule was a young army officer called Quintus Sertorius. Sertorius fled, first to Africa and then to Spain, where he made common cause with the native people who had been savagely oppressed by a succession of corrupt Roman governors. Discovering a genius for guerilla warfare (he claimed he received divine guidance from Artemis via a white fawn he kept),Sertorius came close to driving the Romans out of Spain altogether. Rome responded by sending reinforcements under the control of the up-and-coming young general Gnaeus Pompey (later Pompey the Great). The epic struggle which followed between these two great commanders is a masterclass of ancient strategy and tactical manoeuvre. Massively outnumbered, Sertorious remained undefeated on the battlefield, but was eventually assassinated by jealous subordinates, none of whom proved a match for Pompey. This proved the decisive end of the struggle for Spain, though recalcitrant tribes held out until the time of Augustus. The tale of Sertorius is the story of a people struggling to liberate themselves from oppressive rule. It is also the story of Sertorius himself, who started as an idealist, and ended almost as savage and despotic as his enemies. But above all, it is the story of a duel between two great generals, fought between two different styles of army in the valleys of the Spanish interior.

The Athenian expedition to conquer Sicily was one of the pivotal events of the classical period. At this time (415 BC), Athens was locked in a decades-long struggle with Sparta for mastery of the Greek world. The expedition to Sicily was intended to give Athens the extra money and resources to crush the Spartans. New archaelogical discoveries allow the ensuing siege to be reconstructed in greater detail than ever before.The cast of characters includes Alcibiades, the flamboyant, charismatic young aristocrat; Nicias, the ageing, reluctant commander of the ill-fated expedition and Gylippus, the grim Spartan general sent to mastermind the defence of Syracuse. It was he who stopped the Athenians dead in their tracks within weeks of his arrival, then turned the tables on the invaders. The Athenians were in their turn surrounded, besieged, and forced to ask for mercy from a man who had none to give.In short, we have an epic story packed with colourful characters and dramatic episodes. There are battles on land and sea, siege and counter-siege and tales of self-sacrifice, villainy and heroism. Yet there is also the over-arching unifying theme which is the story of the expedition itself. Philip Matyszak's combination of thorough research and gripping narrative makes him the perfect man to do justice to this famous story.

Partly as a result of poor commanders and partly because the Romans had an innate and misguided belief in the invincibility of their legions, the first battles against the Cimbri were a series of disasters. These culminated in the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC when two Roman armies were utterly destroyed.Rome finally realized that their republic faced an existential threat, and made the necessary painful political and military changes that were needed to face that threat. Rome also found a commander who could take on the Cimbri. Caius Marius was a deeply flawed man - scheming, cautious to the point of cowardice, and quick to claim credit for the achievements of others. Nevertheless, he was a massive improvement on the leaders who had preceded him.The reshaped Roman army eventually worked out how to weather the savage onrush of the initial barbarian assault. Thereafter, the grim discipline of the legions was enough to wear down the opposition. It helped that Marius never fought unless the situation favoured him, and as a result his army gradually became accustomed to victory.Had the Cimbri overwhelmed Rome, as at one time it seemed inevitable that they would, then European history would have been very different.

Partly as a result of poor commanders and partly because the Romans had an innate and misguided belief in the invincibility of their legions, the first battles against the Cimbri were a series of disasters. These culminated in the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC when two Roman armies were utterly destroyed. Rome finally realized that their republic faced an existential threat, and made the necessary painful political and military changes that were needed to face that threat. Rome also found a commander who could take on the Cimbri. Caius Marius was a deeply flawed man – scheming, cautious to the point of cowardice, and quick to claim credit for the achievements of others. Nevertheless, he was a massive improvement on the leaders who had preceded him. The reshaped Roman army eventually worked out how to weather the savage onrush of the initial barbarian assault. Thereafter, the grim discipline of the legions was enough to wear down the opposition. It helped that Marius never fought unless the situation favored him, and as a result his army gradually became accustomed to victory. Had the Cimbri overwhelmed Rome, as at one time it seemed inevitable that they would, then European history would have been very different.

Partly as a result of poor commanders and partly because the Romans had an innate and misguided belief in the invincibility of their legions, the first battles against the Cimbri were a series of disasters. These culminated in the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC when two Roman armies were utterly destroyed. Rome finally realized that their republic faced an existential threat, and made the necessary painful political and military changes that were needed to face that threat. Rome also found a commander who could take on the Cimbri. Caius Marius was a deeply flawed man – scheming, cautious to the point of cowardice, and quick to claim credit for the achievements of others. Nevertheless, he was a massive improvement on the leaders who had preceded him. The reshaped Roman army eventually worked out how to weather the savage onrush of the initial barbarian assault. Thereafter, the grim discipline of the legions was enough to wear down the opposition. It helped that Marius never fought unless the situation favored him, and as a result his army gradually became accustomed to victory. Had the Cimbri overwhelmed Rome, as at one time it seemed inevitable that they would, then European history would have been very different.

In 48 BC the armies of Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great fought a decisive battle at Pharsalus in Greece. Pompey was comprehensively defeated and fled to the last power in the Mediterranean world that was independent of Rome, Ptolemaic Egypt. Caesar pursued Pompey and was presented with his severed head, which the Egyptians hoped would make Caesar leave them in peace.Instead, Caesar - as if he did not have enough to do already - plunged gleefully into the world of Egyptian palace politics, riven by dynastic dispute. He quickly sided with the beguiling Queen Cleopatra (after her famous carpet trick), despite having little more than a bodyguard with him. Most of his army was still in Greece, leaving him massively outnumbered by the Egyptian forces. The Romans were besieged in Alexandria for seven months before reinforcements could get through to them.Julius Caesar in Egypt is a true story of double-cross, assassination and intrigue accompanied by lively battles, daring escapes, disastrous fires (the Great Library of Alexandria was largely destroyed in one fracas) and, if not a love story, at least a tale of sex and power as Caesar and Cleopatra's relationship shaped these world-changing events.

"Exceptionally informative . . . a history of Julius Caesar and Ancient Rome that reads with all the narrative style of a finely honed novel." —Midwest Book ReviewIn forty-eight BC the armies of Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great fought a decisive battle at Pharsalus in Greece. Pompey was comprehensively defeated and fled to the last power in the Mediterranean world that was independent of Rome, Ptolemaic Egypt. Caesar pursued Pompey and was presented with his severed head, which the Egyptians hoped would make Caesar leave them in peace.Instead, Caesar—as if he did not have enough to do already—plunged gleefully into the world of Egyptian palace politics, riven by dynastic dispute. He quickly sided with the beguiling Queen Cleopatra (after her famous carpet trick), despite having little more than a bodyguard with him. Most of his army was still in Greece, leaving him massively outnumbered by the Egyptian forces. The Romans were besieged in Alexandria for seven months before reinforcements could get through to them.Julius Caesar in Egypt is a true story of double-cross, assassination and intrigue accompanied by lively battles, daring escapes, disastrous fires (the Great Library of Alexandria was largely destroyed in one fracas) and, if not a love story, at least a tale of sex and power as Caesar and Cleopatra''s relationship shaped these world-changing events.

In 48 BC the armies of Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great fought a decisive battle at Pharsalus in Greece. Pompey was comprehensively defeated and fled to the last power in the Mediterranean world that was independent of Rome, Ptolemaic Egypt. Caesar pursued Pompey and was presented with his severed head, which the Egyptians hoped would make Caesar leave them in peace. Instead, Caesar – as if he did not have enough to do already – plunged gleefully into the world of Egyptian palace politics, riven by dynastic dispute. He quickly sided with the beguiling Queen Cleopatra (after her famous carpet trick), despite having little more than a bodyguard with him. Most of his army was still in Greece, leaving him massively outnumbered by the Egyptian forces. The Romans were besieged in Alexandria for seven months before reinforcements could get through to them. Julius Caesar in Egypt is a true story of double-cross, assassination and intrigue accompanied by lively battles, daring escapes, disastrous fires (the Great Library of Alexandria was largely destroyed in one fracas) and, if not a love story, at least a tale of sex and power as Caesar and Cleopatra''s relationship shaped these world-changing events.

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 vindictive in victory. Almost by definition, this book will break new ground, in that nothing has been written on Mithridates for the general public for almost half a century, though scholarly journals have been adding a steady trickle of new evidence, which is drawn upon here. Few enough leaders went to war with Rome and lived long to tell the tale, but in the first half of the first century BC, Mithridates did so three times. At the high point of his career his armies swept the Romans out of Asia Minor and Greece, reversing a century of Roman expansion in the region.Even once fortune had turned against him he would not submit.Upto the day he died, a fugitive drive to suicide by the treachery of his own son, he was still planning an overland invasion of Roman itself.

When, after a brutal civil war, the dictator Sulla took power in Rome (82 BC), among the many who refused to accept his rule was a young army officer called Quintus Sertorius. Sertorius fled, first to Africa and then to Spain, where he made common cause with the native people who had been savagely oppressed by a succession of corrupt Roman governors. Discovering a genius for guerilla warfare (he claimed he received divine guidance from Artemis via a white fawn he kept),Sertorius came close to driving the Romans out of Spain altogether.rnRome responded by sending reinforcements under the control of the up-and-coming young general Gnaeus Pompey (later Pompey the Great). 

The epic struggle which followed between these two great commanders is a masterclass of ancient strategy and tactical manoeuvre. Massively outnumbered, Sertorious remained undefeated on the battlefield, but was eventually assassinated by jealous subordinates, none of whom proved a match for Pompey. This proved the decisive end of the struggle for Spain, though recalcitrant tribes held out until the time of Augustus.rnThe tale of Sertorius is the story of a people struggling to liberate themselves from oppressive rule. It is also the story of Sertorius himself, who started as an idealist, and ended almost as savage and despotic as his enemies. But above all, it is the story of a duel between two great generals, fought between two different styles of army in the valleys of the Spanish interior.

We are accustomed to think of the late Republic as a period in which Rome enjoyed almost uninterrupted military success against foreign enemies. Yet at the start of the first century BC, Rome, outnumbered and out-generalled, faced a hostile army less than a week's march from the Capitol. It is probable that only a swift surrender prevented the city from being attacked and sacked. Before that point, three Roman consuls had died in battle, and two Roman armies had been soundly defeated - not in some foreign field, but in the heartland of Italy. 
So who were this enemy who so comprehensively knocked Rome to its knees? What army could successfully challenge the legions which had been undefeated from Spain to the Euphrates? And why is that success almost unknown today?
These questions are answered in this book, a military and political history of the Social War of 90-88BC. This tells the story of the revolt of Rome's Italian allies (socii in Latin - hence the name of the war). Because these Italian allies had the arms, training and military systems of the Roman army which they usually fought alongside, all Rome's usual military advantages were nullified. This brought the war down to a clash of generals, with the Roman rivals Gaius Marius and Cornelius Sulla spending almost as much time in political intrigue as combat with the enemy. The Italian leaders had to manage an equally fractious coalition of peoples. Some tribes sought negotiation with Rome, and others would settle for nothing less than the total extermination of the city and its people.
The interplay of personalities (the young Cicero, Cato, and Pompey were also protagonists); high-stakes politics and full-scale warfare combine with assassination; personal sacrifice and desperate measures (such as raising an army of freed slaves) to make for a taut, fast-paced tale.