Expert: Conrad T. Jalowski - 10/24/2008

Question
Is there a good novel , young adult or other,  about life in the prime  of Delos civilization. . .  or a really gripping nonfiction work

Answer
Thank you for the question sir, it is an honor to be of help.

Some examples of interesting (secondary sources) nonfiction works include Edward Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, George Ostrogorsky's The History of the Byzantine State, Osprey Publishing on the Byzantine Infantryman, and George Rawlinson's Ancient History.

Osprey Publishing: Byzantine Infantryman: 900-1204 CE: Contains the rise of Byzantium from Flavius Belisarius under a brief introduction, and of the loss of the Byzantine Empire's Helladic and Ionian possessions from 1071-1075 CE and 1107-1108 CE of Cephallenia, Zacynthus, Corcyra and the territorial losses in Italy to the Duchy of Spoleto: 776-1201 CE and the Duchy of Benevento, and the threat of Otto I of the Holy Roman Empire to the Byzantine cleruchies. It writes of the reign of Nikephorous II Phocas, Basil II Bulgaroctonus, etc to the rise of the Latin Empire: Kingdom of Thessalonica, and the Hellenistic Successors of the Despotate of Epirus: 1205-1479 CE, the Kingdom of Trebizond: 1204-1461 CE, the Kingdom of Morea (losses at Angelokastron), the Kingdom of Nicaea: 1204-1261 CE and the Tauric Chersonesus.

George Rawlinson's Ancient History: Contains the history of multifarious empires and civilizations, from the Medio-Achaemenids: 550-330 BCE or the Persians of the Pasargadae, Dai, Mardi, Derbices, Sagartii, Desuriaei, Panthialaei, Maraphii, Maspii and the Carmanians, the Amphictyonic Synhedrion of Thessaly with Jason, Polyphron, Polydorus and Alexander as Despots from 380-351 BCE, the tribes of Epirus such as the Orsetae, Parauaei, Thresprotians, Molossians and Chaeonians, the Chaldaeans or the Neo-Babylonians from 2100-1543 BCE under Nimrod and Chedolaomer, 1543-1298 BCE of the Idumean Arab Dynasty, 1298-772 BCE under the sovereignty of the 47 kings and from 772-747 BCE under the hegemony of the Despot Pul. Another reference includes the rebellion of the satrap Andragorus and the creation of the Arsacid Dynasty of Parthia: 255 BCE-226 CE. It spoke of the wars of Parthia against Seleucus II Callinicus, Diodotus I, Antiochus III 'Eupator', Antiochus Sidetes, Antiochus IV 'Epiphanes', Eucratides I 'Eupator' and Heliocles I, and of its development as a superpower.

Edward Gibbon's monumental book consists of the chronological dilapidation or decline of the Roman era of the Principate under the Antonines to the Barracks Period, Dominate and Tetrarchy Period to its ultimate abjuration.The Roman Era of the Porphyrogene: 753-510 BCE, Republic: 509 BCE-27 CE, Principate: 27-96 CE, Dominate: 96-476 CE; the dynasties of the Julio-Claudians, Augustus: 27 BCE-14 CE, Tiberius: 14-37 CE, Gaius Germanicus or Caligula: 37-41 CE, Claudius: 41-54 CE, Nero: 54-68 CE; Year of the Four Emperors: Galba, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian; Flavian Dynasty: 69-96 CE: Vespasian, Titus, Domitian; (Five Benevolent Emperors): Nervan-Antoninian Dynasty: 96-180 CE  Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus; Severan Dynasty: 193-235 CE; Secessionist Emperors: 235-284 (Gallic Empire, Britannic Empire and Palmyrene Empire; Diocletian and the Tetrarchy: 284-301 CE; Constantinian Dynasty: 305-363 CE; Valentinian Dynasty: 364-392 CE, Theodosian Dynasty: 379-457 CE.

George Ostrogorsky's book characterizes the main divisions of the Byzantine Empire which consists of:

324-610 CE
610-711 CE
711-843 CE
843-1025 CE
1025-1081 CE
1081-1204 CE
1204-1282 CE
1282-1453 CE.

Thank you for the question sir,

                             Conrad Jalowski