Ancient History (up to 500)
Last updated: May 07, 2024
The best books on Thucydides, recommended by Johanna Hanink
The Greek historian and general Thucydides wanted his History of the Peloponnesian War “to be a possession for all time.” In that, he’s been remarkably successful, with his name still echoing in the corridors of power. But what lessons should we take away from his great work? Translator and classicist Johanna Hanink talks us through books to better understand Thucydides and the mythical Athens he lived in and wrote about.
The best books on Ancient Rome, recommended by Harry Sidebottom
From the first book he recommends to students coming up to Oxford to read ancient history, to a short, popular book that weaves together all the scholarly research on the fall of the Roman Empire and the terrible things that happened as Rome was sacked by the Vandals, Oxford historian Harry Sidebottom talks us through five must-read books on Ancient Rome.
The best books on Enemies of Ancient Rome, recommended by Adrienne Mayor
Stanford University classics scholar Adrienne Mayor says a comparison between Mithradates, a deadly enemy of the Roman Empire, and Osama bin Laden, who set his sights on the American Empire, is a tempting one.
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1
Death and Salvation in Ancient Egypt
by Jan Assmann -
2
Visual and written culture in ancient Egypt
by John Baines -
3
The Chapel of Ptahhotep
by Paolo J. Scremin & Yvonne M. Harpur -
4
Village Life in Ancient Egypt
by Andrea McDowell -
5
The Tale of Sinuhe and other ancient Egyptian poems
by Richard Parkinson
The best books on Ancient Egypt, recommended by Elizabeth Frood
The best books on Ancient Egypt, recommended by Elizabeth Frood
Egyptologist Elizabeth Frood recommends books that take us away from the elite context of Egyptian history and focus on the ‘normal’ lives of Egyptians.