The fifth book in the DEATH OF ROME SAGA is an exhilarating thriller and perfect for readers of Ben Kane and Simon Scarrow. 612 AD. No longer the glorious cradle of all art and science, Athens is a ruined provincial city in one of the Byzantine Empire's less vital provinces. The Emperor has diverted Aelric's ship home from Egypt to send him there, but surely there is more important business in Constantinople. Isn't Aelric needed to save the Empire's finances? Is Aelric on a high level mission to save the Empire or has he been set up to fail? The only certainty is that Aelric finds himself in a derelict palace of dark and endless corridors that Martin, his cowardly secretary, assures him pulse will an ancient evil.

612 AD. No longer the glorious cradle of all art and science, Athens is a provincial city in one of the Byzantine Empire's more down at heel provinces. Why, then, has the Emperor diverted Aelric's ship home from Egypt to send him here? Why has he included Priscus in the warrant? Surely, they have more important business in Constantinople. Isn't Aelric needed to save the Empire's finances, and Priscus to lead its armies against the Persians? Or has the Emperor decided to blame them for the bloodbath they presided over in Egypt? Or could it be that Aelric's latest job just to manage a council of Eastern and Western Bishops more inclined to kick each other to death than agree to a wildly controversial position on the Nature of Christ? Hard to say. Impossible to say. The only certainty is that Aelric finds himself in a derelict palace of dark and endless corridors and of rooms that Martin, his cowardly secretary, assures him pulse with an ancient evil. Add to this a headless corpse, drained of its blood, a bizarre cult of the self-emasculated, embezzlement, a city rabble on the edge of revolution - and the approach of an army rumoured to contain twenty million starving barbarians. Is Aelric on a high level mission to save the Empire? Or has he been set up to fail? Or is the truth even worse than he can imagine? This fifth novel in the series blends historical fiction with gothic horror. Not surprisingly, Aelric may find even the vile Priscus a welcome ally. Or perhaps he won't.... Praise for the Novels of Richard Blake 'Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.' - Derek Jacobi, star of I Claudius and Gladiator 'Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period.... Nasty, fun and educational.' - The Daily Telegraph 'He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.' - The Mail on Sunday 'A rollicking and raunchy read . . . Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex, intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.' - Historical Novels 'It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.' - The Morning Star Richard Blake is a pseudonym for Sean Gabb, who is an historian, writer and university lecturer. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.

Three page-turning, exhilarating thrillers from Richard Blake: THE SWORD OF DAMASCUS, THE GHOSTS OF ATHENS and THE CURSE OF BABYLON. Available together as a digital-only package for the first time. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow.

If you loved Gladiator and Spartacus, you'll love the second book in the DEATH OF ROME SAGA. 610 AD. Invaded by Persians and barbarians, the Byzantine Empire is tearing itself apart in civil war. Phocas, the maniacally bloodthirsty Emperor, holds Constantinople by a reign of terror. The uninvaded provinces are turning one at a time to the usurper, Heraclius. Just as the battle for the Empire approaches its climax, Aelric of England turns up in Constantinople. Blackmailed by the Papacy to leave off his career of lechery and market-rigging in Rome, he thinks his job is to gather texts for a semi-comprehensible dispute over the Nature of Christ. Only gradually does he realise he is a pawn in a much larger game.

Stories of ghostly spirits who return to this world to warn of danger, to prophesy, to take revenge, to request proper burial, or to comfort the living fascinated people in ancient times just as they do today. In this innovative, interdisciplinary study, the author combines a modern folkloric perspective with literary analysis of ghost stories from classical antiquity to shed new light on the stories' folk roots. The author begins by examining ancient Greek and Roman beliefs about death and the departed and the various kinds of ghost stories which arose from these beliefs. She then focuses on the longer stories of Plautus, Pliny, and Lucian, which concern haunted houses. Her analysis illuminates the oral and literary transmission and adaptation of folkloric motifs and the development of the ghost story as a literary form. In her concluding chapter, the author also traces the influence of ancient ghost stories on modern ghost story writers, a topic that will interest all readers and scholars of tales of hauntings.

Each book in this Land of Our Lady series contains a concise yet interesting record of a specific period in American history—always explaining the Catholic influence of religion, culture and morality. Every private Catholic school, home-schooling family and library will benefit from these Catholic textbooks. Book 1: Founders of Freedom, most often used in Grade 4, begins with the Creation, ending with events leading up to the discovery of the New World.