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The Sung Dynasty: Barbarians Threaten the Empire A. D. 960 – 1279
DURING THE turbulent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era, the main outside threat to China came, as usual, from the
The Sui and T’ang Restore the Empire A.D. 589-979
IN 589, a warlord named Sui Wen Ti conquered the last dynasty in the south and so became emperor of
The Six Dynasties: Turmoil and Change A.D. 220-589
THE three states into which China had split were soon split up themselves into even smaller divisions. For three and
Early Civilizations to Modern Age
Rome, the City of the Pope 1492-1564
In 1492, young Giovanni de’ Medici bade farewell to his father, Lorenzo the Magnificent and left Florence to take his
Venice, City in the Sea 1350 – 1590
The houses of Venice are “like sea-birds half on sea and half on land,” said Cassiodorus. An officer of a
The Italian Kings of France 1494 – 1590
In all Europe there was no greater admirer of Italy than Francis I, king of France. Francis practiced Italian manners
Distant Past and New Challenges
Milestones of History
Hannibal Challenges Rome (217 B.C.)
Hannibal alone, would have dared embark on such a venture. Two powers confronted each other to dispute mastery of the
Slaves in the Ancient World (217 – 73 B.C.)
Slaves could be imported to Italy when and where they were needed. The demand for labour was immediate and there
The Slaves Revolt (73 B.C.)
As Rome’s armies marched victorious across the known world and her fleets patrolled the Mediterranean, hundreds and thousands of slaves
