A Short History of the Ancient World - Hardcover

Rauh, Nicholas K.; Kraus, Heidi E.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1442608293 ISBN 13: 9781442608290

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2017

Synopsis

A Short History of the Ancient World begins with the Bronze Age and ends with the collapse of the Roman Empire. Rather than restricting his analysis to the Greek and Roman experience, Rauh introduces students to ancient Africa, Israel, Egypt, Iran, China, and the Indian subcontinent.

To aid students on their journey into the ancient world, Rauh has provided key terms and definitions, "What Have We Learned" review points, and an engaging art program that includes 51 images within the "Art in Focus" and "Materials and Techniques" features. Informative maps, chronologies, and tables also give students a closer look into the rise and fall of these great civilizations. Learning extends beyond the book with UTP's History Matters website (www.utphistorymatters.com) which includes relevant essay and multiple choice questions. With A Short History of the Ancient World, Rauh has crafted a comprehensive exploration of humanity's most fascinating early civilizations.

About this title

About the Author

Nicholas K. Rauh is Professor of Classics at Purdue University and an award-winning teacher. He is the author of The Sacred Bonds of Commerce: Religion, Economy, and Trade Society at Hellenistic Roman Delos (1993) and Merchants, Sailors, and Pirates in the Roman World (2003).
Heidi E. Kraus is Assistant Professor of Art History and Director of The De Pree Gallery at Hope College.

Review

"Impressively interdisciplinary in its approach, A Short History of the Ancient World is peerless in its sweep and scope." (Judith P. Hallett, University of Maryland)

"Rauh's book offers an unusually broad coverage, taking into its scope the major civilizations of ancient Eurasia and Africa, and posing challenging questions about their formation, structure, values, monuments, and ultimate demise. Rauh's well-established expertise as an historian provides for a welcome, searching introduction to the connections and parallels, as well as the key disjunctions, betwen societies rarely treated together in textbooks. The author's presentation of the fascinating history at his disposal is judicious, clear, and incisive." (William Bubelis, Washington University in St. Louis)

"A Short History of the Ancient World is a welcome first choice for any aspiring initiate into ancient history. Relying on a variety of sources from legal texts to archaeological finds and fittingly illustrated with art images, charts, an maps, this book brings together and traces the development of all of the major ancient civilizations and allows us to see the many and diverse ways in which these civilizations continue to influence our lives. Rauh demonstrates, with detail and passion, that we owe much more to the ancient world than we typically might think." (Sviatoslav Dmitriev, Ball State University)

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1442608293
• ISBN 13: 9781442608290
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 356