One of the most colourful statesmen in classical history. A reckless love life with both men and women, and a general of Athens, who changed sides to help the Spartans and the Persians.
history
A precocious painter who was a favourite of Napoleon III, he taught at the École des Beaux-Arts for 25 years. Many of his students became Naturalists. Coincidence? Here’s his story and work.
He developed innovative guerrilla warfare in the long Punic Wars against Hannibal. Also the mystery of a stolen Rembrandt.
A successful general and much-loved statesman, he was responsible for building the Parthenon and Acropolis. Yet he gave his wife to another man, and lived with a courtesan who ran a brothel.
The life of a virtuous Roman statesman and general, with superb paintings by Poussin, Turner, and others.
Aristides the Just, who was a general at the Battle of Marathon, but refused to line his pockets from the public purse.
The story of the Roman general who was made sole ruler of Rome for five terms, and saw the occupying Gauls off twice.
The general who saved the Greeks from invasion by Xerxes’ Persians, mainly in the major naval battle of Salamis. But he was later banished, accused of treason.
Much happened during his time as Rome’s great statesman: Lucretia was raped and her suicide inspired revolution. Then came the transition to a republic. Paintings by Botticelli, Rembrandt, Rubens and van Dyck, and more.
He drew up the tables of law for Athens, met and argued with Croesus, a fabulously rich king of Lydia, and did away with draconian punishments.
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