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Saladin
Saladin (1137-93) was the Muslim Sultan of Egypt and Syria (r. 1174-1193) who shocked the western world by defeating an army of the Christian Crusader states at the Battle of Hattin and then capturing Jerusalem in 1187. Saladin all but destroyed...

Definition
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great (l. 21 July 356 BCE – 10 or 11 June 323 BCE, r. 336-323 BCE), was the son of King Philip II of Macedon (r. 359-336 BCE) who became king upon his father's death in 336 BCE and then...

Definition
Carthaginian Religion
Carthage was founded by the Phoenician city of Tyre in the 9th century BCE, and along with many other cultural practices, the city adopted aspects of the religion of its founding fathers. Polytheistic in nature, such important Phoenician...

Definition
Tyrian Purple
Tyrian purple (aka Royal purple or Imperial purple) is a dye extracted from the murex shellfish which was first produced by the Phoenician city of Tyre in the Bronze Age. Its difficulty of manufacture, striking purple to red colour range...

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Phoenician Architecture
Phoenician architecture is typified by large temples with double-columned facades approached by a short staircase, enclosed sacred spaces containing cube-like and open-fronted shrines, and such large-scale engineering projects as dams and...

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Hellenistic Warfare
When Alexander the Great died in 323 BCE, he left behind an empire devoid of leadership. Without a named successor or heir, the old commanders simply divided the kingdom among themselves. For the next three decades, they fought a lengthy...

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Siege of Toulon 18-19 Dec. 1793
A map illustrating the decisive final stage of the Siege of Toulon, France. This military operation of the French Revolutionary Wars lasted from August 28 to December 19, 1793, and propelled the reputation of the 24-year-old artillery captain...

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Siege of Carthage
An artist's impression of what the Roman siege of Carthage may have looked like during the Third Punic War, 149-146 BCE.

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Carthage Under Siege
An artist's impression of what the Roman siege of Carthage may have looked like during the Third Punic War, 149-146 BCE.

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Siege Warfare
An artist's rendition of what a siege attack may have looked like in the ancient world.