An Introduction to the Ancient World

List of mapsList of figuresList of boxesPreface to the Third EditionChronology IntroductionPART I: THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST 1 THE ORIGINS OF THE CIVILISATIONS OF EGYPT AND MESOPOTAMIA  2 THE THIRD MILLENNIUM The Early Bronze Age Egypt, the Old Kingdom (c. 2600 - c. 2150)Mesopotamia, Sumer and AkkadEpilogue 3 THE SECOND MILLENNIUM The Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000 - c. 1600)Egypt, the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000 - c. 1800) and the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1800 - c. 1550)Mesopotamia, the Old Assyrian  and Old Babylonian periodsNorthern Mesopotamia: the city of Assur and the kingdom of Shamshi-Adad I (c. 2000-c. 1760)Southern Mesopotamia, the Old Babylonian empire (c. 1800 - c. 1600)The Late Bronze Age (c. 1600 - c. 1200)The 'concert of powers' Egypt, the New Kingdom (c. 1550- c. 1100)Babylonia and AssyriaMitanniThe Hittite empireCrete and MycenaeInternational relations 4 THE FIRST MILLENNIUM The Early Iron Age (c. 1200 - c. 750 BC)Disruption and recovery Egypt, the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1100-715 BC)Syria and the PhoeniciansIsraelThe West Asian empires (c. 750 BC-AD 651)The Neo-Assyrian empireThe Neo-Babylonian empireThe Persian or Achaemenid empireThe Hellenistic kingdomsThe Parthian or Arsacid empireThe Neo-Persian or Sasanid empireThe Roman empireThe Arabs 5 RELIGIONPolytheismHenotheism and monotheism6 ECONOMY AND SOCIETYAgricultural economy, land tenureA 'Redistribution economy' and market economyTrade and means of paymentSocial organisation 7 GOVERNMENTKingshipThe administrative machineryThe army PART II: THE GREEK WORLD 8 THE EARLY IRON AGE (c. 1200 - c. 750 BC): 'THE DARK AGES'Disruption and recovery 9 THE ARCHAIC PERIOD, c. 750 - c. 500 BCIntroductionDemographic and economic changesThe polisColonisationSocial changesMilitary changesCultural changesThe alphabetLiteratureThe visual artsArchitectureReligionPhilosophyPolitical changesTyrannySpartaAthens 10 THE CLASSICAL PERIOD, c. 500 - c. 330 BCThe Persian WarsSparta and Athens after 479 BCThe Delian League (477-404 BC)Athenian leaders in the fifth centuryAthens' state incomeThe Great Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC)The years between 404 and 336 BCThe Second Athenian League (377-355)Social and military changesThe rise of MacedoniaPhilip II (359-336): the end of the Classical period in Greek historyThe Athenian population in the fifth and fourth centuries BCThe meticsThe slavesWomen in Athens and SpartaFurther development of the Athenian democracyThe Council of the Areopagus in 462/1PericlesThe democracy and the fleetOld and new politiciansThe stability of the Athenian democracyCriticism of the Athenian democracyAthens as the centre of Greek culture in the Classical periodAttic dramaPhilosophyThe sophistsRhetorical educationSocrates and PlatoAristotle (384-322) Historical writing Herodotus Thucydides Historical writing after Herodotus and ThucydidesThe Greeks in the Western MediterraneanThe economy of the Greek city states 11 THE HELLENISTIC WORLD, c. 330 - c. 30 BCIntroductionAlexander the GreatFrom Alexander to the Roman conquestMacedonia: the Antigonid kingdomAthens and SpartaLeagues of states in GreeceAsia: the Seleucid kingdomEgypt: the Ptolemaic kingdomThe government and the cities of the Hellenistic kingdomsEconomy and societyGreeceThe Near EastCultural aspectsGeneralGreek religionNear Eastern religionsPhilosophyHistoriographyScienceThe Judeans (Jews) in the Hellenistic eraThe impact of Hellenistic culture in the Parthian kingdom and the Roman empireConclusion PART III: ROME 12 EARLY ROMAN HISTORY (753-265 BC)The western MediterraneanThe EtruscansCarthageThe origins of RomeState and society in early RomeA note on Roman namesThe army and the Comitia CenturiataThe early republic (509-265 BC)State and societyRoman expansion in Italy (509-265 BC)ColonisationMunicipiaThe military character of Roman societyThe struggle of the orders (c. 500-287 BC)History of the struggle of the ordersThe institutions of the Roman republic at the end of the struggle of the ordersThe magistratesThe SenateNobiles, senators and equitesSocial composition of the Roman populationThe popular assembliesAn oligarchic governmentA new type of clientSome demographic data 13 FURTHER EXPANSION AND NEW SOCIAL TENSIONS, 264-133 BC Roman expansion between 264 and 121 BCThe Punic WarsWars in Spain, the Po valley and the Hellenistic EastTwo forms of Roman expansionThe administration of a provinceDisadvantages of Roman controlNew social tensionsThe consequences of Rome's expansionSlavery in Italy and SicilySlave revoltsPiracySome demographic dataThe city of RomeInadequate organisationA change in mentalityGreek influencesLiterature and other forms of amusement 14 THE CENTURY OF THE CIVIL WARS, 133-30 BCSerious problems and discontentThe GracchiTiberius GracchusGaius GracchusPolitical consequences of the Gracchan reformsMarius' military reformsThe Social War (91-88 BC) and the First Civil War (88 - 82 BC)Citizenship for the Italian alliesThe popular assembliesThe First Civil War (88-82 BC)The years 79-49 BCSpartacus' slave revolt (73-71 BC)Pompey, Crassus and CaesarThe first TriumvirateChaos in RomeThe Second Civil War (49-45 BC) and its aftermath (44-30 BC)The flourishing of cultural life during the civil wars 15 THE EARLY IMPERIAL AGE, 27 BC-AD 193AugustusAugustus' constitutional position and the real basis of his powerThe settlement of 27 BC: different types of provincesThe settlements of 23 and 19 BCChanges in the administrationThe Senate and the popular assembliesThe higher orders: senators and equites (knights)The decurionesThe city of RomeThe armyIdeal and religious aspects of emperorshipEmporor worshipLatin literature in the Augustan eraAugustus' conquestsThe early imperial age after Augustus (ad 14-193)Wars and rebellionsEmperorship and the problem of the emperor's successionDevelopments in administration after AugustusThe spread of Roman citizenshipChanges in the higher ordersRoman lawThe western and eastern provincesThe western provincesThe CeltsThe eastern half of the empireThe Greeks in the Roman EmpireAgriculture, trade and craftsThe lower classesTradeWork and statusWomen in the Roman empireReligionRoman gods and religious practicesThe introduction of foreign godsThe Christians 16 THE CRISIS OF THE THIRD CENTURY AD AND LATE ANTIQUITYGrowing pressures on the northern and eastern frontiersThe GermansThe Sasanid empireInternal instability in the Roman empireMilitary problemsStructural defectsThe Severi (193-235)Septimius Severus (193-211)Roman citizenship for all free inhabitants of the empireThe second half of the Severan eraThe soldier emperors (235-284)Diocletian (ruled 284-305)Further expansion of bureaucracyThe Senate and the equestrian orderEmperorship and the emperor's successionThe persecutions of the ChristiansConstantine the Great (ruled 306-337)Constantine's conversion to ChristianityConstantinopleThe armyIncreased fiscal burdens and the monetary systemThe Roman empire after ConstantineEast and WestThe Christian empireThe end of the Roman empire in the west 17 EPILOGUE The end of the ancient worldPART IV: APPENDICESAppendix 1: Greek and Roman names Appendix 2: Near Eastern, Greek and Roman money Appendix 3: The Roman emperorsSelect bibliographyIndex