Cyclop Dia Of Universal History The Ancient World

This reference tells the stories of the peoples of the ancient past and shows how they laid the foundations of the modern world. Each of the first five chapters looks at the cultures and civilizations that developed in one particular region. The last chapter looks at some general aspects of life in the ancient world, such as agriculture or legal codes, and examines them in different cultures. A time line shows how civilizations in different parts of the world relate to each other in time. Nicely illustrated with many color images. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

"As panoramic as it is learned, this is ancient history for our globalized world." Tom Holland, author of Dynasty and Rubicon Twenty-five-hundred years ago, civilizations around the world entered a revolutionary new era that overturned old order and laid the foundation for our world today. In the face of massive social changes across three continents, radical new forms of government emerged; mighty wars were fought over trade, religion, and ideology; and new faiths were ruthlessly employed to unify vast empires. The histories of Rome and China, Greece and India-the stories of Constantine and Confucius, Qin Shi Huangdi and Hannibal-are here revealed to be interconnected incidents in the midst of a greater drama. In Ancient Worlds, historian Michael Scott presents a gripping narrative of this unique age in human civilization, showing how diverse societies responded to similar pressures and how they influenced one another: through conquest and conversion, through trade in people, goods, and ideas. An ambitious reinvention of our grandest histories, Ancient Worlds reveals new truths about our common human heritage. "A bold and imaginative page-turner that challenges ideas about the world of antiquity." Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

This volume offers an account of early world history from the rise of the first cities to the fall of the Roman Empire. Though Greece and Rome occupy center stage, the author also surveys the cities and empires of Mesopotamia, India from the early Indus civilization to the Gupta state, and China from the Hsia dynasty to the Han empire. He has revised his discussions of early humankind to account for the most recent findings; he presents a new view of the Jewish revolt against Rome led by Bar Kochba. In addition, his account of the end of the Roman Empire has been rewritten in light of the most recent thinking by classical historians. Numerous maps and illustrations, carefully composed and selected, highlight the text.