Synopses & Reviews
Long sources of mystery, imagination, and inspiration, the myths and history of the ancient Mediterranean have given rise to artistic, religious, cultural, and intellectual traditions that span the centuries. In this unique and comprehensive introduction to the region's three major civilizations,
Egypt, Greece, and Rome draws a fascinating picture of the deep links between the cultures across the Mediterranean and explores the ways in which these civilizations continue to be influential to this day.
Beginning with the emergence of the earliest Egyptian civilization around 3500 BC, Charles Freeman follows the history of the Mediterranean over a span of four millennia to AD 600, beyond the fall of the Roman empire in the west to the emergence of the Byzantine empire in the east. In addition to the three great civilizations, the peoples of the Ancient Near East and other lesser-known cultures such as the Etruscans, Celts, Persians, and Phoenicians are explored. The author examines the art, architecture, philosophy, literature, and religious practices of each culture, set against its social, political, and economic background. More than an overview of the primary political or military events, Egypt, Greece, and Rome pays particular attention to the actual lives of both the everyday person and the aristocracy: here is history brought to life. Especially striking are the readable and stimulating profiles of key individuals throughout the ancient world, covering persons from Homer to Horace, the Pharaoh Akhenaten to the emperor Augustus, Alexander the Great to Julius Caesar, Jesus to Justinian, and Aristotle to Augustine.
Generously illustrated in both color and black-and-white, and drawing on the most up-to-date scholarship, Egypt, Greece and Rome is a superb introduction for anyone seeking a better understanding of the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean and their legacy to the West.
Review
"A useful introduction to the ancient Mediterranean civilizations."--Library Journal
"Cover[s] an immense variety of material with competence and sensitivity to nuance. "--Booklist
Synopsis
From early Egyptians to Byzantine beginnings, over 4,000 years of ancient history are covered in this unique and comprehensive introduction to the region's three major civilizations, 18 maps. 76 illustrations.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [564]-583) and index.
About the Author
About the Author - Charles Freeman is a freelance writer living in the United Kingdom. He has been described as "full of the romance of archeology and the people who created it, and full of curiosity about the human side of the ancient world".
Table of Contents
Foreword by Oswyn Murray
Preface
List of Color Plates
List of Maps
Rediscovering the Ancient World
A Gift of the Nile: The Civilization of Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt
Egypt as Imperial Power: The New Kingdom
Daily Life in New Kingdom Egypt
The Ancient Near East, 3500-500 BC
The Early Greeks, 2000-700 BC
The Greeks in a Wider World, 800-600 BC
Hoplites and Tyrants: The Emergence of the City State
Cultural Change in the Archaic Age
The Persian Wars
Interlude One. Herodotus and Egypt
Everyday Life in Classical Greece
Religion and Culture in the Greek World
Athens: Democracy and Empire
From Aeschylus to Aristotle
The Struggle for Power, 431-338 BC
Alexander of Macedon and the Expansion of the Greek World
The Hellenistic World
Interlude Two. Celts and Parthians
The Etruscans and Early Rome
Rome becomes a Mediterranean Power
From the Gracchi to Caesar, 133-55 BC
Interlude Three. Voices from the Republic
The Fall of the Roman Republic, 55-31 BC
Interlude Four. Women in the Roman Republic
Augustus and the Founding of Empire
Consolidating the Empire, AD 14-138
Administering and Defending the Empire
Interlude Five. The Romans as Builders
Social and Economic Life in the Empire
Transformations: The Roman Empire, 138-313
The Foundations of Christianity
The Empire in the Fourth Century
The Creation of a New Europe, 395-600
The Emergence of the Byzantine Empire
Epilogue: Legacies
Suggestions for Further Reading
Date Chart and List of Events
Acknowledgements of Sources
Index