The Great Empires of the Ancient World - Hardcover

Harrison, Thomas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0892369876 ISBN 13: 9780892369874

Publisher: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2009

Synopsis

A team of internationally renowned scholars surveys the major imperial powers of the ancient world, from 1600 b.c. to a.d. 500, and ranging geographically from the ancient Mediterranean to East Asia. The authors investigate the nature of empires—including Egypt, Rome, Babylonia, Persia, India, and China—and their legacies in the modern age.

Highlights include fascinating character profiles of great rulers such as the warrior pharaohs Thutmose and Rameses of Egypt, the self-obsessed First Emperor of China, who desperately tried to cheat death, and the brilliant Roman emperor Augustus, who created the most powerful empire the world had ever seen. Special illustrated sections, called “Witness to Empire” bring these civilizations to life in the words of their leaders and inhabitants.

Not only will this book appeal to scholars and students, but its accessible text and wealth of illustrations will also feed the popular interest in this subject matter reflected in the recent success of films, television series, and museum exhibitions showcasing ancient cultures.

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas Harrison is Rathbone Professor of Ancient History and Classical Archaeology at the University of Liverpool and the author of Greeks and Barbarians.

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

About this edition

• Publisher: J. Paul Getty Museum
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0892369876
• ISBN 13: 9780892369874
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288