Ancient Worlds is about people and places, politics and economics, art and war, trade and technology, but above all it’s the story of the painful birth and difficult growth of a radical idea first tried and tested some six thousand years ago, and which we are still struggling with today; civilisation. Civilisation has not come easily; it’s something we’ve had to fight hard to achieve, and even harder to maintain, and the greatest threats to it have come from our own talents for destruction. But when we’ve managed to get it right, the benefits have been enormous. When we talk about the ancient world we tend to think of rare and exotic artefacts or the monumental remains of epic architecture; but these are just the empty shells that got left behind when the tide of history turned! The living creatures, the civilisations, that once inhabited these shells were rarely if ever static or stately; they were dynamic, chaotic, and always threatening to spin out of control, because civilisation is based on an improbable idea; that strangers can live and work together in dense urban settings, forging new allegiances that replace the natural ties of family, clan or tribe. It’s an idea we’re still coming to terms with today, but one of the best ways to understand the challenges that are involved is to look at how our ancestors tackled them the first time around. From ancient Iraq to Imperial Rome, Ancient Worlds examines how our ancestors struggled with the levers of religion and politics, art and culture, war and diplomacy, technology and trade in order to keep the complex machinery of their civilisations turning over. Their insights and blind-spots, their breakthroughs and dead ends, their triumphs and disasters are the milestones on the long and winding road that leads directly from their ancient to our modern world.Ancient Worl ds is about pe ople and places , politi cs and economi cs, art and war, trade a nd techn ology, b ut above all it’s the story o f the p ainful bi rth and di fficult growth of a radic al idea firs t tried and tested some six th ousand years ago, an d which we are still s truggling wi th today; civ ilisation. Civi lisation has not come easi ly; it’s somet hing we’ve had to fig ht hard to achi eve, and eve n harder to maintain , and the gre atest threats to it have come from our o wn talent s for destr uction. B ut when we’v e managed to get it right, t he benefits ha ve been enormou s. When we talk about the a ncient world w e tend to thin k of rare and exotic artefac ts or the mo numental r emains of ep ic archite cture; but these are jus t the empty sh ells that got left behind when the tide o f history turned! The li ving creature s, the civilisation s, that o nce inha bited these s hells were ra rely if eve r static or stately; they were dyna mic, chaoti c, and always threatening to spin out of control, b ecause civili sation is bas ed on an imp robable idea; that st rangers can live a nd work togethe r in den se urban sett ings, fo rging new a llegianc es that replace t he natural ties of fami ly, clan or tribe. It’s a n idea we’re st ill coming to terms with today, but one of the best ways to unde rstand the chal lenges that are inv olved i s to look a t how o ur ances tors tackled th em the first ti me around. From ancient Ir aq to Imperi al Rome , Ancie nt Worl ds exami nes how our a ncestor s struggled with the l evers of religion an d politics , art an d cultur e, war and dip lomacy, t echnology an d trade in o rder to keep the complex machinery of their ci vilisations t urning over. T heir insights a nd blind-spot s, their brea kthroughs and d ead ends, thei r triumphs and disa sters ar e the m ilestones on the lo ng and winding road that le ads directl y from the ir anci ent to our mo dern wo rld.详情