Egypt, Greece, and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient MediterraneanOxford University Press
Charles Freeman
ISBN: 0198721943
price: $26.50 paperback
Over 4000 years of ancient history - from early Egyptians to
Byzantine beginnings
Long a source 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 a cursory 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.
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