Overview
Every place has a history of stories, though few places have an ancient past so heavily documented as the European, Asian, and African stretches of Greek and Roman civilization. A Guide to the Ancient World provides the stories-from both literature and history-of nearly 900 such places.Michael Grant studied Greek and Latin writers, combed through numerous excavation reports, and collaborated with experts in the field to compile detailed sketches for the historically significant locations described here, from Caledonia (Scotland) to Cyrenaica (eastern Libya) and beyond. A Guide to the Ancient World covers the period from the first millennium B.C., when the Greek city-states emerged, to the late fifth century A.D., when the western Roman Empire fell. Grant describes each location in detail; what happened there, who was involved, and, when applicable, how it is placed in classical literature. Each site is identified in a series of maps at the beginning of the book.
A Guide to the Ancient World includes a bibliography of ancient writers mentioned in the text and a bibliography of contemporary works on ancient history. It is an indispensable source, not only for those interested in classical literature and history, but also for travelers through Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor.
Michael Grant was formerly a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Professor of Humanity at Edinburgh University. Among his many books on the ancient world are The Ancient Historians, The Twelve Caesars, Jews in the Roman World, The Roman Emperors: A Biographical Guide to the Rulers of Imperial Rome, and Sick Caesars.
Incorporating much more than the twin spheres of ancient Greece and Rome, the frontiers of the classical world extended from Caledonia (Scotland) to Cyrenaica (eastern Libya) and far beyond. In this unique atlas, one of our most distinguished classical historians describes nearly 900 locations throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa that figure prominently in the history and literature of the ancient world. Covering a period from the first millennium B.C., when the Greek city-states emerged, to the fall of the western Roman Empire in the late fifth century A.D., Grant re-creates these geographical sites in detail, relating events, recounting stories, and providing profiles of the people inextricably linked to the history of each place. Based on such varied sources as classical writings, contemporary history, and evidence from archaeology, this fascinating gazetteer opens a window onto a long-vanished world of far-flung and varied influences.728pp. HC