Ancient Civilizations: Great Empires at Their Heights

This book is an outstanding introduction to five great civilizations in history: Old Babylonia under Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC), the New Kingdom in Egypt (1479-1224 BC), Assyria at its peak (744-627 BC), Greece under Athenian rule (490-404 BC), and Rome under Caesar Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD). Part of the appeal to this work is that it is lavishly illustrated - there is a large color photograph or drawing on almost every page. Everything from archeological dig sites to maps to scenes of daily life on papyrus texts help to bring the subject to life. Moreover, the print of the text is easy to read - there is double spacing between the lines. Visually, the book has great virtues. The writing itself is nicely done. The author doesn't just restrict his focus to military conquests or naming the royalty in each age, as so many history writers have done in the past, but rather looks at the life of the common man, telling the reader that the Egyptian work week was nine days long, that only married Romans could attend sporting events, that the Babylonians gave great weight to a woman's virginity, yet after verifying it in a bride-to-be the woman was sent to a local temple of Ishtar where the law required her to "take" the first man who came to her and paid a small fee, that the Greeks in Athens made politics both profitable and desirable by paying any citizen who simply attended Assembly meetings, or that while beer was the common drink of Assyria, goat's milk was relished and cow's milk was considered a true delicacy (whereas the Babylonians believed that milk was poisonous and useful only as medicine). Everything from marriage and divorce to business, medicine, religion, writing & literature, art, architecture, diet, housing designs, clothes, and legal matters are discussed. The book is not overly long (176 pages) and it is well researched. It is helpful in drawing parallels between the ancient and modern worlds, (e.g., "Then as now, people are always perversely interested in the weaknesses of their leaders - the Roman citizens were willing to believe the worst of Antony.") Refreshingly, the author isn't afraid to give his own opinion or render judgments, as when he states about the Roman gladiatorial contests that "the brutality of the games disgusted other ancient people, especially the Greeks, who often released their prisoners and allowed them to go home. It is clear now that there was a brutal and ugly streak in Roman civilization that is totally at variance with the admirable triumphs of their civilization and that no amount of explanation can excuse." A three page summary at the end of the book on "Why Do Great Empires Fall?" is quite helpful. It is followed by a bibliography that is short enough to not be overwhelming yet long enough to get the interested reader connected to other sources. In all, this was a true pleasure to read. It was instructive, enlightening, and a fine introduction to five ancient civilizations. I