Very little is known about the Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus. His birth and death dates are based off of cross-referencing works that mention him, and pieces of evidence derived from his writing, and are believed to be circa 99 BC–54 BC. “On the Nature of Things” is Lucretius’s only known work. The goal of the text is to explain Epicurean philosophy to the Roman people. It is addressed to Gaius Memmius, a praetor and patron...

"Adam Nicolson crafts a geography of the ancient world and a brilliant exploration of our connections to the past"-- Before the Greeks, the idea of the world was dominated by god-kings and their priests. Twenty-five hundred years ago, in a succession of small eastern Mediterranean harbor cities, a few heroic men and women decided to cast off mental subservience and apply their own thinking minds to the conundrums of life. These great innovators shaped...

The author draws on great thinkers like Confucius, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius and Christian monks to show us what stillness is and how it might be achieved. He believes stillness is the doorway to self-mastery, discipline, and focus. He examines many of the figures that exemplify the power of stillness, including Winston Churchill, Fred Rogers and Anne Frank. This book aims to equip you with everything you need to find stillness in your own life.

Zealous disciple of Martinez de Pasqually, J.P. Willermoz was expected to confirm the vision of his Master which presents Christ as a prophet who came for the first time in the created universe to organize the original chaos. And then, through several messengers such as Enoch, Noah, Seth, Jesus…he returned several times in the created world to work on the elevation of the mankind’s consciousness in order to obtain its reintegration, which is not...

This lecture introduces you to al-Biruni, a scholar and polymath who left a mark on physics, math, astronomy, geography, anthropology, history, and much more. Born in modern-day Uzbekistan, his pursuit of learning and dissemination of knowledge is unparalleled. See what made his scholastic approach and his research methodology so groundbreaking.

Delve into the realm of Quranic exegesis from the year 750 until about 1258. By considering the life of al-Tabari, one of the most important commentators in Islamic history, you will uncover the method and implications of tafsir, or exegesis. Your study will take you into controversial territory with a look at the infamous Satanic Verses.

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the Islamic Golden Age on the field of astronomy, as evidenced today by the number of stars with Arabic names. Focusing on the work of three Islamic astronomers, you'll explore the difference between astronomy and astrology, and unpack the many scientific advancements of the era.

Three researchers (Josiah Ober, Richard Janko, Susan Wolf) shed light on different aspects of the Classical Greek World, from the workings of Athenian democracy, to Aristotle’s philosophical method, to the place of religion in Classical Athens after the Peloponnesian War.

The development of architecture is a gradual process of shifting styles from one generation to the next, and the 500 years of the Islamic Golden Age gave the world striking advancements in both religious and military architecture. Here, tour the architecture of great mosques and arches, and see how the era influenced the later European Gothic Revival.