Ancient History category: 8298 books

Large state temples in ancient Egypt were vast agricultural estates, with interests in mining, trading, and other economic activities. The temple itself served as the mansion or palace of the deity to whom the estate belonged, and much of the ritual in temples was devoted to offering a representative...

The concept of pharaonic Egypt as a unified, homogeneous, and isolated cultural entity is misleading. Ancient Egypt was a rich tapestry of social, religious, technological, and economic interconnections among numerous cultures from disparate lands. In fifteen chapters divided into five thematic groups,...

This book provides a detailed study of the fortifications of the founders of ancient Israel from the time of their first settlement in the Middle East, through the periods of the united and divided kingdoms, until the sack of Jerusalem in 586 BC. It begins in the period of Israelite settlement in...

This book, first published in 1916, attempts to give the reader a feel for what it would have been like to be alive in Ancient Egypt. Chapter titles include: A Day in Thebes, Pharoah at Home, The Life of a Soldier, Child-Life in Ancient Egypt, and A Voyage of Discovery. The book begins: " If we were...

An Ancient Theory of Religion examines a theory of religion put forward by Euhemerus of Messene (late 4th—early 3rd century BCE) in his lost work Sacred Inscription, and shows not only how and why euhemerism came about but also how it was— and still is—used. By studying the utilization...

There are many questions related to sexuality that all of us lovers of ancient Egypt have asked at some point: was the image of depravity that the Romans spread, especially referring to Queen Cleopatra, true? How did they deal with homosexuality? What were their favorite positions in bed? Did they practice...

This revised second edition examines the common forms of furniture used in ancient Egypt, so much of which has been preserved by the dry Egyptian climate and has long been admired for the quality of its design and construction. The story begins with the earliest known pieces and ends with the spectacular...

From the eighth century BCE to the late third century CE, Greeks trained in sport and competed in periodic contests that generated enormous popular interest. As a result, sport was an ideal vehicle for the construction of a plurality of identities along the lines of ethnic origin, civic affiliation,...

This volume contains twelve chapters, written at various times and in various places, each dealing with some subject drawn from the great treasury of Ancient Egypt. From the contents: The Value Of Archæology. The Egyptian Empire. The Necessity Of Archæology To The Gaiety Of The World. The Temperament...

Recognised as one of the most influential works of world literature, ‘Daphnis and Chloe’, written by the second century novelist Longus, is one of the earliest texts to explore in depth the gradual growth of a sexual relationship, charting the human and timeless journey from innocence to experience....

The Roman engineer Vitruvius is the author of the celebrated treatise ‘De architectura’, a handbook for ancient architects. Vitruvius studied Greek philosophy and science and gained experience in the course of his professional work. Appointed to be an overseer of imperial artillery and military...

The orthodox view of ancient Mediterranean slavery holds that Greece and Rome were the only 'genuine slave societies' of the ancient world, that is, societies in which slave labour contributed significantly to the economy and underpinned the wealth of elites. Other societies, labelled 'societies with...

In the Ancient Near East, cutting off someone’s head was a unique act, not comparable to other types of mutilation, and therefore charged with a special symbolic and communicative significance. This book examines representations of decapitation in both images and texts, particularly in the context...

On its initial publication, The Roman Community at Table during the Principate broke new ground with its approach to the integral place of feasting in ancient Roman culture and the unique power of food to unite and to separate its recipients along class lines throughout the Empire. John F. Donahue’s...