Wars & Peace
By N.S. Gill, About.com Guide to Ancient / Classical History
No, you aren't going to find a Russian tome here, but you will find information on how ancient people spent their lives -- at war or peace. During times of peace, communities formed governments, composed law codes, lived their daily lives, worshiped their gods, married, and buried their dead. When at war, these activities continued, but the focus was on the battles. So here you'll find timelines, kings or dynasty lists, and basic information on the major ancient civilizations.
Timelines
Part of a study of history includes knowing when events happened. Timelines give you a look at a glance at the sequence or chronology. On this site you'll find general and specific chronologies, for the whole ancient world and for specific ancient cultures. You'll also find dynasties and kings' lists. The "this day in history" page shows events from the ancient world that happened "today," but unfortunately, because of calendar conventions, it's mostly restricted to Roman events.
- This Day in History
- Major Events in Ancient History
- Major Periods of Ancient China
- Major Periods of Ancient Jewish History
- Major Events in the History of Ancient Greece
- Trojan War Events
- Greece & Rome with Pictures 400s B.C.
- Persian War Timeline 492 - 449 B.C.
- Peloponnesian War Timeline 477 - 404 B.C.
- Greece & Rome with Pictures 300s B.C.
- Alexander the Great Timeline 356 - 323 B.C.
- Ancient Rome From 753 B.C. - A.D. 476
- Spanish Wars Chronology
- Major Events in Imperial Rome 44 B.C. - A.D. 476
- List With Dates for the Roman Consuls
- 1st Triumvirate Timeline 83 - 60 B.C.
- Cleopatra Timeline 69 - 30 B.C.
- Periods and Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt
- Roman Britain Timeline 55 B.C. - A.D. 450
Greece
It is to ancient Greece that we owe much of the culture we take for granted, including democracy, the Olympics, and the theater. Natural observation led to the Hippocratic medicine and the oath medical practitioners still honor, as well as the beginnings of other physical sciences and philosophy. Under Alexander the Great, the Greek world spread all the way to India and Greek was the lingua franca in the time of Jesus. Here you'll also find introductions to the periods of Greek history, a look at the geography, and a selection of the most important basic topics to know in Greek history.
- Geography of Greece
- Topics in the History of Ancient Greece
- Olympics
- Greek Bronze Age
- Timeline
- Archaic Age of Ancient Greece
- Classical Age of Ancient Greece
- Hellenistic Age of Ancient Greece
- Rise of Democracy
- Persian Wars
- Sparta's Rise to Power
- Peloponnesian War Books
- Pericles
- Cimon of Athens
- 30 Tyrants
- Macedonian Wars
- Hippocratic Medicine
War & Battles
Ancient civilizations may have started as farming communities, but much of ancient history is the story of annual battle seasons. Here you'll find introductory information on many of the ancient battles and campaigns, especially those waged by the Romans and the Greeks.
- Trojan War
- Persian Wars
- Battle of Thermopylae
- Battle of Salamis
- Peloponnesian War Timeline
- Battle of Chaeronea
- Battle of Granicus
- Battle at Issus
- Battles of the Roman Republic
- Samnite Wars
- Punic War II (Rome vs. Hannibal)
- Worst Roman Defeats
- Caesar's Gallic Wars
- Battle of Actium
- Publius Quinctilius Varus and the Battle in the Teutoburg Forest
- Roman Arsenals
- Battle of Megiddo
- War Gods and Goddesses
Trojan War
Although the Trojan War is known mostly through myth and legend, it was an important starting point for the history of Greece.
Persian Wars
The Greeks fought the Persians under two kings in a series of battles. One of the most famous of the battles is the Battle at Thermopylae, the basis for the movie 300. Salamis was another important battle. After the Persians left Greece, the Athenians had to rebuild Athens, which they did with the held of the Delian League. Soon Athens became a threat and the Greeks went to war with each. That was the Peloponnesian War.
- Persian Wars Timeline
- Introduction to the Persian Wars
- Battle of Thermopylae Basics
- Terms to Know About Thermopylae
- Battle of Salamis
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War was fought between the allies of Athens and the allies of Sparta. Between the war and its aftermath, the Peloponnesian War left Greece sufficiently weakened for Philip of Macedonia and his son Alexander the Great to take control.
Rome
Ancient Rome started as a small community in Italy founded, according to legend, in 753 B.C. By the time it fell, at a date that is often given as A.D. 476, Rome had spread its empire, legal system, roads, and language not only around the Mediterranean Sea, but into continental Europe, parts of Asia, and Britain. It would be hard to overstate the impact Rome had on the world.
- Early Republican Wars
- Social War
- Battle at Pharsalus
- Battle of Adrianople
- Battle of Actium
- Eras of Ancient Roman History
- Kings of Rome
- Janus - God of Doorways
- Expansion of Roman Power in Italy
- Plebeians, Patricians, and the Conflict of the Orders
- The Gracchi
- Imperial Succession - How the Emperors Came to Power
- 12 Caesars
- 5 Good Emperors
- Constantine - Emperor Constantine
- Rome and the Barbarians
- Alaric Sacks Rome
- Private and Social Life
- Fall of Rome
- Appian Way
Punic Wars
The Punic Wars were conflicts between the great Phoenician (Punic) trading power and Rome, including the great victory and defeat of the Phoenician Hannibal of Carthage.
Egypt
During ancient history, Egypt was an enduring presence on the southern border of the Mediterranean Sea. These resources explore aspects of the culture of ancient Egypt until the time it became part of the Roman Empire.
- Battle of Megiddo
- Cleopatra
- Cleopatra's Needle
- Periods of Ancient Egypt
- Egyptian Terms Glossary
- Maps of Ancient Egypt
- Hatshepsut and the Problems With Egyptian Dates
- Mysteries of the Amarna Pharaohs
- Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
- Pyramids
- Pharaohs, Dynasties, and Egyptian Kingdoms
China
China developed an advanced culture far from the Mediterranean, but there was indirect contact through the Silk Road. China made important contributions to the world even in the ancient period. It developed paper, gunpowder, and a seismograph, among other things.
- Chinese Inventions and Accomplishments
- Dynasties
- Yellow Emperor
- Periods of Chinese History
- What Is the Silk Road?
- Oracle Bones
- Maps of Ancient China
Dynasties and Kings Lists
Timelines of kings and other rulers. Chronological lists of ruling houses of the ancient world.
- Dates of the Roman Emperors
- Dynasties of Ancient Egypt
- Dynasties of the Hebrew Kings
- Visigoth Kings Timeline
- Vandals Kings Timeline
- Achaemenid Persian Kings Dates
- Sassanid Dynasty Persian Kings Dates
- Mauryan Dynasty of Kings
- Hittite Dynasties
- Mesopotamian Kings
- Chinese Dynasties
- Japanese Yamato Kings
- Mithridatid Dynasty Kings
Daily Life & Death
Information on many of the aspects of daily life, including hygiene, education, birth and death, slavery, and religion. Much of what we know about early cultures comes from burial sites. Some ancient views on the Underworld or Afterlife were very different from modern religious concepts.
- Food and Drink
- Roman Burial and Cremation
- Odysseus in the Underworld
- Latin Death Vocabulary
- Pyramids and the Egyptian View of Death
- Greek Agricultural Festival
- Aqueducts, Sewage, and Water
Marriage & Divorce
Marriage and divorce in the ancient world served to unite or separate families acting as financial and social cement. Women in most ancient societies had limited rights. Marriage transferred power over a woman from one male head of the family to the next. There were exceptional circumstances, though when a woman could manage herself and her property.
Fall of Rome
According to many, ancient history ends in A.D. 476. This is Edward Gibbon's date for the fall of Rome based on the fact that the Germanic Odoacer deposed the last Roman emperor to rule the Western Empire. However, the people who lived through the takeover would probably be surprised by the importance we place on this event.
Festivals
Life among the Greeks and Romans was punctuated by holidays. Many of the holidays were in honor of specific gods. Some had games or other spectator events attached. Some have survived to modern times in modified form. Here are some basic facts about some of the festivals celebrated by ancient people.
