HISTORIA: A Gateway to Ancient and Medieval History and Archaeology!

This book introduces the reader to one of the most important and moving literary works to come out of Dark Age Britain: The Gododdin of Aneirin.

The Gododdin is not only a praise poem and elegy for three hundred British warriors who made a heroic last stand against the invaders of their island, it is also an important source for understanding the culture, people, and events of the seventh century.

In this book, the reader will learn about the poem itself, the historical background, as well as the archaeological evidence that has come to light.

HISTORIA: A Gateway to Ancient and Medieval History and Archaeology!

This book explores one of the most important sites in British history, archaeology and literature, a place that can, more than any other, lay claim to the name of Camelot.

The search for King Arthur and his famous capital of Camelot is a topic that has been hotly debated for over a hundred years, with many theories being put forward. It is a subject that has always been shrouded in the mist of fairy tales and legends, making the truth difficult to discover. However, there is one candidate for Camelot that shines out and brings the Arthurian legend to life: the hillfort of South Cadbury Castle.

In this book, the reader will learn not only about the evidence for a historical King Arthur, but also discover the most recent historical, archaeological, and toponymic evidence that make South Cadbury Castle the strongest contender for the title of Camelot.

Author and historian, Adam Alexander Haviaras, helps the reader to explore the possibility that King Arthur’s Camelot was not just a medieval invention, but that it was an actual place that played an important role in history and the British Heroic Age. The true Camelot of Arthur may not be what you expect, but the evidence that exists paints a clear picture of something even more exciting.

Long ago, when gods and heroes walked the earth in triumph and tragedy, true love and epic deeds were set among the stars…

The Gods do not take kindly to sins committed against Olympus. When Tantalus, King of Lydia, commits an unthinkable act, his world is destroyed by Zeus.

From the detritus of his father’s kingdom, young Pelops is rescued by the Gods, taken away to safety and healing.

But not all sanctuaries are meant to hold heroes. Grown to manhood in the halls of the Gods, Pelops hears his destiny calling.

Meanwhile, in the long-suffering kingdom of Elis, all live in fear of Oinomaos, the hate-filled son of Ares, who keeps his only daughter, Hippodameia, from the world.

Many heroes come forward to win the the hand of the strong-willed princess, and all meet death at the tip of her father’s spear. That is, until a new hero emerges…

With the Gods’ help, and a heart filled with courage, Pelops steps out of obscurity to challenge Oinomaos and risk all for Hippodameia and the call of his fate.

Will Pelops survive the trials to come? Will his choices help him to seize his destiny and create a new world of hope and beauty?

The fate of all rests on the outcome of a single race that will go down in history and legend.

Long ago, when gods and heroes walked the earth in triumph and tragedy, true love and epic deeds were set among the stars…

In the ancient land of Greece, at a time when kings warred and the people suffered, the Fates fixed their timeless eyes upon the son of a muse, and his story inspired hope and beauty in a ravaged world.

Raised by the daughters of Zeus in the shadow of Mount Olympus, Orpheus is filled with a love of the world, of creation, and of song. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, he inspires mortals, birds, beasts, and even the Gods with his music. He is blessed with a humility and unmatched skill that make him the greatest musician of the age.

However, when the god Apollo tells Orpheus that he has more to learn, the young man leaves the safety of his home to wander the world in search of his destiny. Having travelled alone into the vast northern forests of Thrace, Orpheus discovers that elusive gift granted to few mortals or gods: True Love.

In the love and friendship of the nymph, Eurydice, Orpheus comes to understand one of the greatest mysteries of the world. He is inspired in all things, and his music reaches unimagined heights of beauty.

But the Fates can be cruel, the world barbarous, and the greatest gifts given, including love, can be taken away.

When Eurydice’s light is suddenly extinguished from Orpheus’ life, the musician must make a choice. He can live a life without his only love and let the world tear itself to pieces, or he can make a journey that would terrify even the bravest of heroes to rescue his love and bring her back into the light.

Will Orpheus be able to cross the dark plains of the Underworld and bring Eurydice back? Or will he lose his soul, and his love, for daring to challenge the Fates?

The only way he can succeed is to plumb the depths of his deepest emotions and play like he has never played before…

Long before Ebenezer Scrooge, there was Catus Pompilius, the meanest man in Rome.

It is the time of Saturnalia, the most highly-anticipated festival across the whole of the Roman Empire.

In the ancient city of Rome, citizens and slaves are preparing to honour the gods and to enjoy a time of freedom and revelry among family and friends. Saturnalia truly is the best of days for all!

That is, for all except the wickedest landlord in Rome: Catus Pompilius.

With a blatant disregard for gods and men alike, Catus Pompilius moves through the streets of Rome spreading misery wherever he can, dousing the Saturnalian light of the world around him.

However, this Saturnalia, the gods have decided that Catus’ time has come. Judgment is upon him!

Will Catus Pompilius be able to redeem himself and prevail upon the gods’ mercy? Or will their divine wrath hurl him into the darkest depths of Tartarus for all eternity?

Read this dark tale of gods and men, wickedness and redemption, to find out!

Long ago, when gods and heroes walked the earth in triumph and tragedy, true love and epic deeds were set among the stars…

In the city of ancient Corinth, Bellerophon grew up in the corridors of the palace, haunted by his father’s gruesome death, and distrusted and ignored by the rest of his own family.

He now spends his life in the shadows of society, and that is how he prefers it. However, the Gods of Olympus have something more in mind for him.

After a violent incident in the mountains, Bellerophon is banished from his home for all time. His path leads him to the court of an aged king in Tiryns where he is welcomed at first, but due to the spiteful queen, he is wrongly accused of another crime in a world that seems endlessly cruel.

Dejected and uncaring of what happens to him and his hateful life, Bellerophon is sent across the sea to the court of King Iobates of Lykia. At the urging of his seer, the king welcomes Bellerophon as an honoured guest in his home, until he discovers the reason for his arrival.

Seeking a way to be rid of Bellerophon, without violating the sacred laws of Zeus, King Iobates commands that he complete three impossible tasks to prove his innocence or bring about his death.

With the world set against him, Bellerophon welcomes his imminent end. That is, until he meets the king’s daughter, Philonoe, the only person who has ever believed in him, and whose father has kept a dark secret from for many years.

With the Gods and Lykia’s princess on his side, can Bellerophon prove his innocence and help save Lykia and its people? Will he finally accept the fate that the Gods have pressed upon him? Or will he succumb to the despair and hopelessness that have dogged him all of his life?

Only by facing his deepest fears and a creature more terrible than any other of the Gods’ creation can Bellerophon truly succeed and become the hero he is meant to be…