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Late Antiquity: A Very Short Introduction debates the concept of and the events that took place in late antiquity. Was late antiquity a period of decline or transformation, conflict or interaction? Late antiquity was the period (c. 300—c.800) during which barbarian invasions defeated the Roman Empire in Western Europe by the 5th century and Arab invasions ended Roman rule over the eastern and southern Mediterranean coasts by the 7th century. It was a time of cultural clashes, political restructurings, geographical controversies, and competing religions. Late antiquity is discussed in relation to Byzantium and the Fall of Rome, and the relationship between late antiquity and the modern world is considered. ...Less

The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction describes a momentous time in human history and explains why the ancient Near East is known as the ‘cradle of civilization’. Mesopotamia, Syria, and Anatolia were home to an extraordinarily rich and successful culture. Indeed, it was a time and place of earth-shaking changes for humankind: the beginnings of writing and law, kingship and bureaucracy, diplomacy and state-sponsored warfare, mathematics and literature. The three thousand years of this era — from around 3500 bce, with the founding of the first Mesopotamian cities, to the conquest of the Near East by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 539 bce — represent a period of incredible innovation, from the invention of the wheel to early achievements in astronomy, law, and diplomacy. ...Less

Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction explores the recurring themes of Herodotus's work. Like Homer, he set out to memorialize great deeds in words; more narrowly, he determined to discover the causes of the wars between Greece and Persia and to explain them to his fellow Greeks. Herodotus brought his literary talents to bear on a vast, unruly mass of information gathered from many interviews throughout his travels. All aspects of his work are discussed, including his fascination with origins; his travels; his view of the world in relation to boundaries and their transgressions; and his interest in seeing the world and learning about non-Greek civilizations. ...Less

Alexander the Great: A Very Short Introduction demonstrates the profound influence the legends of Alexander's life have had on our historical understanding of him by focusing on the evidence from his own time. Aged just 20, Alexander the Great became king of Macedon in 336 bc; he died aged 32. During his reign, he conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire, the largest empire that had ever existed, leading his army from Greece to Pakistan, and from the Libyan desert to the steppes of Central Asia. He had a profound effect on the world he moved through and his achievements became legendary both in his lifetime and in the centuries that followed. ...Less