Tales about the cradle of Western civilisation, from Socrates and the first democracies to the fall of the Roman Empire, the Ottoman yoke, and Britain’s part in the fight for independence.
God alone can save civilisation, said Socrates, when clever campaign strategists teach aspiring politicians how to play on the public’s hopes and fears.
14
The Holy Table of St Sophia
ByÉmile Henri Carnoy
According to legend, when the Venetians tried to kidnap it the Holy Table
of St Sophia in Constantinople made a dramatic escape.
15
The Battle of Thermopylae
Based onHerodotus
In 480 BC Leonidas, King of Sparta, frustrated the advance of Xerxes the Persian just long enough to change the course of the war — and history.
16
To Make Greece a Nation
ByClay Lane
A headstrong Irish boy became part of the Greek resistance movement that won independence in 1832.
17
An Appeal to Philip Sober
ByValerius Maximus
A woman convicted of a crime she did not commit took her case to a higher power.
18
The Miracle of El Alamein
ByClay Lane
Under a moonlit sky in October 1942, Allied and Axis forces met in battle on the sands of the Egyptian desert.
