HISTORY MARCH/APRIL 
ON THE SILK ROADS
Flourish under China’s Tang dynasty, the overland and maritime routes linking China, India, Arabia, and Europe carried goods, ideas, and faiths for centuries, until they were limited by the rise of Ottoman power. Other features in this issue include:
• Cyrus, the model of Kingship – Although Greeks and Jews saw the Persian Empire as tyrannical, they deeply admired its founder. Classical and biblical sources hail Cyrus the Great as a just king who fostered religious tolerance among his people.
• Cleopatra and Mark Antony – One of the most celebrated love stories was also a great political alliance. Tying her fortunes to Antony, Cleopatra’s skilled maneuvering brought glory to Egypt, and she outwitted her Roman masters until the tragic end.
• In the Footsteps of St. Paul – The tentmaker from Tarsus was once the scourge of Christians. After his conversion en route to Damascus, Paul logged thousands of miles on his missionary journeys, after which he took the new faith to Rome.
• The Great Smog – As capital of the world’s first industrial nation, London was used to pollution. Then, in December 1952, the Great Smog descended, paralyzing the city, killing thousands of Londoners, and spurring lawmakers to clear the air.