Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World
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A chronicle of forty forgotten ancient civilizations which highlights the important contributions that each has made to modern society. The ancient world of the Mediterranean and the Near East saw the birth and collapse of great civilizations. While several of these are well known, for all those that have been recorded, many have been unjustly forgotten. Our history is overflowing with different cultures that have all evolved over time, sometimes dissolving or reforming, though ultimately shaping the way we continue to live. But for every culture that has been remembered, what have we forgotten? This thorough guide explores those civilizations that have faded from the pages of our textbooks but played a significant role in the development of modern society. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World covers the Hyksos to the Hephthalites and everyone in between, providing a unique overview of humanity’s history from approximately 3000 BCE–550 CE. A wide range of illustrated artifacts and artworks, as well as specially drawn maps, help to tell the stories of forty lost peoples and allow readers to take a direct look into the past. Each entry exposes a diverse culture, highlighting their important contributions and committing their achievements to paper. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World is an immersive, thought-provoking, and entertaining book for anyone interested in ancient history.
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This book was a delight. If you've ever wondered about an ancient civilization scarcely mentioned while reading about the Greeks or Romans, this is the book you've been looking for. It's arranged in chronological order from ancient history past the fall of Rome. I loved the tie-ins with art history and the modern echos as well. It's also a great source for the myriad civilizations mentioned in the Bible who aren't the Israelites, such as the Philistines, Samaritans, etc.
Forgotten People of the Ancient World by Phillip Matyszak
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This is a fun book. It is not a particularly deep book, but it's not intended to be deep. Instead, the author, Phillip Matyszak, seems to be going for a popular appeal by making it succinct, light, occasionally humorous, and broad.
The book covers four broad sweeps of time: (a) the First Civilizations, (b) from Akkad to Alexander; (c) the peoples wiped out by Rome, and (d) the people who brought down Rome. So, with that inventory, the book starts in the Mid-East and gradually makes it way west until the final entry returns us to the Persian-Indian border with the White Huns, aka the Hephthalites.
As a history lover, I've often read these names in passing without giving them more thought than I would a background character in Shakespeare. This was an interesting “backgrounder” to situate these people in their historical context as individuals.
