The Great Empires of the Ancient World

by Thomas Harrison

Overview

A compelling history of the world’s greatest ancient powers. 

In this highly appealing collection, a distinguished team of internationally renowned scholars survey the great empires from 1600 BCE to 500 CE. In ten comprehensive chapters, from the ancient Mediterranean to China, these experts guide readers through the empires of New Kingdom Egypt, the Hittites, Assyria and Babylonia, Achaemenid Persia, Athens, Alexander the Great and his successors, Parthian and early Sasanian Persia, Rome, India, and Qin and Han China. Each chapter conveys the main narrative of events, their impact on ancient societies, and the dominant rulers who shaped that history, from Ramesses II in Egypt to Chandragupta in India, from Rome’s Augustus to China’s Shi-huangdi.

Exploring the nature of empire itself, The Great Empires of the Ancient World shows how profoundly imperialism in the distant past influenced our contemporary ideas of power. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500775745
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	07/05/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	837,667
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Thomas Harrison is Professor of Ancient History at the University of St Andrews. He is the author of many books on the ancient world, most recently Interpreting Herodotus and Writing Ancient Persia. 

Table of Contents

Introduction: New Visions of Ancient Empires 6

The Empire of New Kingdom Egypt 15

The Hittite Empire 36

The Empires of Assyria and Babylonia 53

The First Persian Empire 73

The Athenian Empire 93

The Empire of Alexander and his Successors 116

The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires 140

The Roman Empire 156

The Early Empires of South Asia 179

The Early Empires of China 196

Rulers and Leaders 218

Contributors 224

Further Reading 226

Picture Credits 233

Index 234

Editorial Reviews

This monumental work studies aspects of ancient empires and their impact across a vast range of time and space: from New Kingdom Egypt and the Hittite Empire in the second millennium B.C.E. to the empires of South Asia through 500 C.E. Other empires covered include Assyria and Babylonia, the first Persian Empire, the Athenian Empire, the empire of Alexander the Great and his successors, the Parthian and early Sasanian Empires, the Roman Empire, and the early empires of South Asia and China. Ten scholars, primarily from the UK and Australia, each provide a chapter on one of the empires, with editor Harrison (Sch. of Archaeology, Classics, & Egyptology, Univ. of Liverpool; Divinity and History) providing the introduction. The oversize volume is illustrated throughout with superb photographs of artifacts, including the Begram Ivories and architectural views, as well as maps, time lines, king lists, and a section titled "Voices of Empire" within each chapter that translate ancient texts, letting history speak for itself. VERDICT Well documented, accessible, and superbly illustrated, this book will be treasured by history and art readers. In libraries, it should be made available both for reference and for browsing.—Joan W. Gartland, Macomb Community Coll. Lib., Warren, MI

Library Journal

"A remarkable achievement. . . . [A]n excellent introduction to an increasingly popular field of study. "

Contemporary Review

"Recommended."—Choice

“The strength of Great Empires . . . lies in its ability to highlight the varied conception and implementation of the idea of empire, enabling the reader to understand the complexity of the term ‘empire’ depending on its application to disparate ancient societies.”—Ancient West and East

From the Publisher