The Illustrated reference book of Ancient History

184 Pages·1982·53.664 MB·English

by  James Mitchell

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Picture Credits
Credits are listed in this manner: [1] Norman Hammond; [1, 2, 3, 8] Metropolitan Museum of Art, New K. E. Lowther; [4] Sonia Halliday/
page numbers appear first, in bold Norman Hammond; [4] Tony York Rogers Fund 1906; [1] F. H. C. Birch; [5] Scala; [6]
tnyepxet;, i[n2]brialclkuesttrsa,ti[o3n]npuhmobteorgrsaapphpeersa'r TMaotrirainsaonP;ro[s5]koGu.riBauksohfnfe/llP;ea[b7o]dy APthhoetnosr;es[o6u]rcPehso/tAocrreospooulricsesM/useum, SCc.aMla.;D[i5x]onS.ca6l8a-9Na[tKieoyn.al1 .M2,u3s.e4u,m6,]
names appear next, followed where Museum. 28-9 [Key] Barnabys National Museum. Athens; [7] Naples; [7] C. M. Dixon; [8]
applicable by the names of the Picture Library; [1] Werner Forman Ronald Sheridan; [8] Mauro Manseli Collection; [9]
agencies representing them. Archive/Charles Edwin Wilbour Pucciarelli. 52-3 [Key] Ronald Photoresources 70-1 [Key, 4]
Fund. Brooklyn Museum; [2a, 2b, 4] Sheridan; [1] Edwin Smith: [3] Manseli Collection; [1, 3] Trustees
Ronald Sheridan; [5] Michael published by permission of the ofthe British Museum. Ray Gardner;
Holford; [6] Erich Lessing/Magnum; Danish National Museum; [4, 7] [2, 5] Scala; [8] Giraudon: [9]
2-3 [Key] Michael Holford; [1, 2] [7] Werner Forman Archive/Cairo Michael Holford: [5] Roger-Viollet. 72-3 [Key 6, 7]
Professor Leslie Alcock. [4. 7] Museum. 30-1 [Key, a. b] Source Photoresources: [6] Wadsworth Photoresources; [2, 4] Angelo
Aerofilms. 4-5 [Key] Geoff Goode/ unknown; [2, 3, 4, 5, 7] Werner Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut; Hornak; [3] Scala: [8] Michael
by permission of The Society of Forman Archive; [5] Roger Wood; [8] Metropolitan Museum of Art, Holford/Gerry Clyde; [9] Manseli
Antiquaries of London; [1] Geoff [6] Alan Hutchinson. 32-3 [Key. 6] New York, Rogers Fund 1914. 54-5 Collection 74-5 [Key]
Goode; [2] Picturepoint: [3] P. Hulin; [1] Hirmer Fotoarchiv, [Key] Trustees of the British Woodmansterne Colchester
Smithsonian Institution National Munich; [2, 6] Richard Ashworth/ Museum/Ray Gardner: [1] Michael Museum; [1] "Heritage of Britain",
Anthropological Archives; [4] Robert Harding Associates; [3a, 4] Holford: [2] Photoresources/ Copyright 1975 Readers Digest
Manseli Collection; [5] Radio Times Ronald Sheridan; [3b] Werner National Museum, Naples; [5] Association Ltd. London; [3, 8]
Hulton Picture Library; [6] Dr M. H. Forman Archive/Schimmel Photoresources/British Museum; David Strickland: [4] C. M. Dixon:
Day/property of the Government of Collection, New York; [7] Manseli [6] Bodleian Library, Oxford 56-7 [5] Museum of London. 76-7 [Key]
Tanzania; [7] Times Newspapers; Collection; [8] Photoresources. [Key] Ronan Picture Library Royal Michael Holford Corinium Museum
[8] Marion Morrison. 6-7 [3] Jon 34-5 [Key] Hirmer Fotoarchiv, Astronomical Society; [1, 3] Ronan [2. 4] "Heritage of Britain"
Gardey/Robert Harding Associates; Munich/Baghdad Museum; [1,4] Picture Library; [5] Michael Copyright 1975. Reader's Digest
[6] Picturepoint; [12] C. M. Dixon. Ronald Sheridan; [2] Trusteesofthe Holford/Ann Mowlem; [7] Michael Association Ltd, London; [5]
8-9 [Key 2, 3, 4. 6, 7] P. Hulin; British Museum; [5] Michael Holford/National Maritime Museum. Aerofilms; [7] Trevor Wood Robert
[8] Staatliche Museen. Berlin. Holford/British Museum: [6] 58-9 [Key] British Museum; Harding Associates; [8] British
10-11 [Key, 4] Ronald Sheridan; Photoresources; [7] Michael [2, 7, 8] Aerofilms; [3] Eileen Museum: [9] Picturepoint. 78-9
[1] P. Hulin; [5] Michael Holford; [8] Source unknown 36-7 Tweedy/BM; [5] C. M. Dixon. 60-1 [Key] Picturepoint; [2, 5a]
Holford/British Museum; [6] [Key] Staatliche Museen. Berlin; [Key, 2, 3, 5, 6a. 6b. 7, 8. 9] Anne Aerofilms; [3] Michael Holford; [4]
Photoresources/British Museum; [2, 5] Ronald Sheridan; [3, 8] Ross; [4a, 4b] C M. Dixon. 62-3 "Treasures of Britain": Copyright
[8] Photoresources/lstanbul Michael Holford/British Museum; [Key. 2] Photoresources: [4, 5] 1968. Drive Publications Ltd.,
Archaeological Museum. 12-13 [4] Manseli Collection; [6, 7, 9] Michael Holford; [6, 8] Leonard von London; [5b. 81 Picturepoint; [7]
[Key, lB, 4] P. Hulin; [2] Source P. Hulin. 38-9 [Key, 3] Ronald Matt. 64-5 [Key] Photoresources; Museum of London. 80-1 [Key. 5,6,
unknown; [3] Photoresources/ Sheridan; [2] Camera Press; [4] [2] Source unknown; [3] Vatican 7] Scala; [2, 4] Ronald Sheridan;
British Museum; [6] Manseli C. M. Dixon; [6] Scala: [7] Library Octopus Books; [4] Aquileia [3] C. M. Dixon. 82-3 [Key] Scala;
Collection; [7] Giraudon Louvre; Photoresources/British Museum; Museum Rome/Fototeca Unione; [1] Giraudon Louvre; [2] Ronald
[8] Lauros Giraudon/Louvre. 14-15 [8] Source unknown 40-1 [5] K. E. Lowther; [6a. 6b] Trustees Sheridan; [3a] Manseli Collection;
[Key] Michael Holford; [2] Werner [Key, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9] William ofthe British Museum Ray Gardner. [3b] C. M. Dixon/Louvre;
Forman Archive; [3a] Museum of MacQuitty; [4] Ray Gardner/ 66-7[Key.7] ManseliCollection;[2] {continuedon lastpage)
Fine Arts, Boston. Havard Boston Trustees of the British Museum.
Expedition Fund; [3b. 5.7,8] Ronald 42-3 [Key] India Office Library and ThelllusiraiedRejerenceBookofAncientHistory
Sheridan; [6] Roger Wood 16-17 Records/John F. Freeman; [2. 3a, TWhiIsNedDilWioAnpRubDlishedin 1982by
[Key.3, 8] All picturesAnn and Bury 3b, 4, 7, 8] Ann and Bury Peerless; jnimpnniownedbyW.H.Smllh&SonLimited
JPeePrloewsesl;l/[K2a]raJchAillManusCeausmh;; [[67]] M[5uas,e5ub]m/TRrausyteGeasrdonfetrhe4B4n-t5ish RegisteredNo.237811EnglandTradingasWHSDisinbutorsStJohn'sHouseEastStreetLeicesterLE16Nt
Source unknown; 18-19 [Key. 6. 7. [Key, 3, 4] Ann and Bury Peerless; © MitchellBeazle) EncyclopaediasLimited 1980. 1982
8. 9] Ronald Sheridan: [5] Leonard [1] A. F. Kersting; [5] Source
Von Man; 20-1 FKey] Ronald unknown; [6] Musee Louis Finot, Pages2-159(g MitchellBeazleyEncyclopaediasLimited I976and 1977
Sheridan; [3] Mrs Alan Wace; [6.7] Hanoi; [7] Bill and Claire Leimbach/
PFohtootaorrcehsiovu,rcMeusn;ic[8h] NHaitrimoenral RMoubseertumHaorfdiFnigneAsArstosc.iaBtoess;to[n8/]Ross Artwork£® MIinttcerhnealtliBoenaazllVeiysuPaulblRiesshoerusrcLeim1i9t7e2d1970. 1971. 1972. 1973.1974.1975and1976
Museum, Athens 22-3 [Key] Collection 46-7 [Key. 2, 3, 4, 11] £. MitchellBeazley EncyclopaediasLimited 1976
MMiicchhaaeell HHoollffoorrdd; B[3M];Ja[5r,ro6l,ds7;][4] AMnunseeuRmosso:f I[5r,el6a,nd1;0][7]National Allrightsreserved.
Michael Holford University Museum Photoresources; [8] Anne Ross/ Nopanofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinany
of Archaeology & Ethnology. Musee de Chatillon-sur-Seine; formorbyanymeans.electronic.mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withoutthe
Cambridge; [8] Picturepoint. 24-5 [9] Photoresources 48-9 [Key] priorwrittenpermissionoflhepropneiorsofTheJoyofKnowledgeEncyclopaedia^^'System
[[1K]ey,Pa2o,l3o,4K.o5c,h7;] W[8i]llWiialmliMaamcQuitty; TErriucshteLeessosfinthge/MBarigtniushm;Mu[5s]euMimc;ha[e3l] THEJOYOFKNOWLEDGEisthetrademarkofMitchellBeazleyEncyclopaediasLimited.
MacQuitty/Shanghai Museum. Holford; [6] Metropolitan Museum London.England
26-7 [Key] Instituto Nacional de of Art, New York, Purchase 1947,
Antropologia e Historia, Mexico/ Joseph PulitzerBequest.50-1 [Key] ISBN 7112 0244 3
PhoiotypesetinGreatBritainbyFilmtypeServicesLimited.Scarborough
PrintedinYugoslaviabyMladinskaKnjiga
The Jov of Know ledge
GENERAL EDlTOR:JAMES MITCHELL
The
Illustrated
Book
Reference of
Ancient
History
WINDWARD
Preface
How
book
to use this
Ancient History is one complete section of The Joy of jthe top right-hand corner. The purpose of this picture is
Knowledge. It contains all the general knowledge my editors twofold: it summarises the story of the spread visually and it
and I think most interesting about the history ofman from his is intended to act as a memory stimulator to help you recall
earliest beginnings to the thirteenth century. It is intended to all the mtegrated facts and pictures on a given subject.
be an informative, easily understood guide through this
fascinating field ofstudy. Where to start
A good way to begin acquiring knowledge from this par-
The spread system ticular part of The Joy of Knowledge is initially to read the
Every topic in The Joy of Knowledge takes the form of an Jntroduction. The Introduction provides a useful/ramework
article that occupies two facing pages of text and pictures: for the information contained in the following pages. If.
what we call a "spread"". Each two-page spread in the book however, you prefer to plunge straight into the book (but
is organized in the same way. It is the heart of our approach don't have much basic general knowledge on the subject) I
to explaining things. suggest you look first at the spreads "The tools of history"
The spread system is a strict discipline but once you get beginning on page 2. "The development of archaeology"" on
used to it we hope you"ll find the structure to be systematic page 4. "Beginnings of agriculture"" on page 6 and "Europe
and reassuring. You should start to feel at home in all sorts 1200-500 BC"" on page 46. Once you ha\e absorbed the
of unlikely areas of knowledge with the spread system to information on these spreads you can build up a more
guide you. It works like this. comprehensive general knowledge by exploring the rest of
Each two-page spread in Ancient History, as throughout the book.
The Joy of Knowledge, tells a self-contained story. It Ancient History is an absorbing book about the lives and
explains all the essential facts you need to know about its deeds of people who inhabited the earth before us and have
subject in as efficient a manner as possible. W'e belie\e that undoubtedly influenced the way we li\e today. 1 hope you will
the discipline of having to get in all the essential and relevant find it both stimulating and helpful.
facts in this comparatively small space actually makes for
better results than a rambling essay could achieve - text that
has to get straight to the point, pictures and diagrams that
illustrate the salient points in a clear and comprehensible
fashion, and captions that really work and explain the point of
the pictures. ^_^Ap
The spreads are. in a sense, the building blocks of
knowledge. Like the various circuits and components that
go to make up a computer, they are also systematically
"programmed"" to help the reader find out things more
easily and remember them better. Each spread, for exam-
ple, has a main article of about 850 words summarising the
subject. This article is illustrated by an average of ten
pictures and diagrams, the captions of which both comp-
lement and supplement the basic information in the main
article. Each spread, too. has a "key " picture or diagram in
Contents
• Introduction 88 China 1000 BC-AD 618
• 2 The tools ofhistory 90 Confucius and Confucianism
4 The development ofarchaeology 92 China 618-1368
\I 6 Beginnings ofagriculture 94 Japan 200 BC-AD 1185
8 Earlv western Asia 96 The rise ofmedieval Western
10 The'Sumerians 4000-2000 BC Christendom
12 The Babylonians 2000 323 BC 98 The barbarian invasions
14 Egypt: the Old and Middle 100 Anglo-Saxon settlement
Kingdoms 102 The Celts and Christianity
16 India: prehistory to 500 BC 104 The Byzantine Empire
18 Minoan civilization 2500-1400 BC 106 Mohammed and Islam
20 The Greek mamland 2800-1100 BC 108 Arabs and the rise ofIslam
22 Stone Age Britain 110 Charlemagne and the Carolingian
24 China to"1000 BC Empire
26 Preclassic America to AD 300 112 The Anglo-Saxon monarchy
28 Egypt 1570 BC to Alexander the 114 The Vikings
Great 116 Western European economy
30 .Africa: Kush and Axum 800-1000
32 The Hittites 1700-1200 BC 118 The Holy Roman Empire
34 The Phoenicians 1500-332 BC 120 European expansion to the east
36 The Assvnans 1530-612 BC 122 The end ofAnglo-Saxon England
38 The Hebrews 1200-322 BC 124 Norman and Angevin England
40 The Persian Empire ofthe 126 Islam in Europe
Achaemenids 128 The Crusades
42 India 500 BC-AD 300 130 The king and the barons
44 Buddha and Buddhism 132 Medieval Ireland
46 Europe 1200-500 BC 134 Scotland to the Battle of
{
48 The Greeks to the rise ofAthens Bannockbum
50 Classical Greece 136 Wales to the Act ofUnion
52 Classical Greek society 138 Triumph ofthe Church
54 Alexander the Great 140 Western European economy
56 Greek science 1000-1250
58 Bronze and Iron Age Britain Time chart: 400 BC-AD 1250
60 The Celts 500 BC AD 450 142 4000-2000 BC The first civilizations
62 The Etruscans 144 2000-1200 BC Hittites and
64 Early Rome: the kingdom and the Assyrians
republic 146 1200-700 BC Iron swords and the
66 Rome: the organization ofthe alphabet
republic 148 700-300 BC The birth ofphilosophy
68 Roman hfe 150 300 BC AD 100 Rome conquers the
70 From the civil wars to Caesars West
empire 152 100-400 Early Christianity
72 Rome: the expansion ofthe empire 154 400-700 The new barbarian
74 Roman rule in Britain kingdoms
76 Life in Roman Britain 156 700-1000 Islam reaches India and
78 Roman remains in Britain Spain
80 Christ and the Apostles 158 1000-1250 The Crusades
82 Rome: soldier emperors to 160 Index
Constantine 169 Bibliography
84 Early Oriental and Western science
86 India 300-1200
«i>€5»*
The Illustrated Reference Book of Ancient History
Editor's introduction
Many historical accounts written before that human society is constantly in a pro-
the eighteenth century were either compi- cess of change. "This leads to our asking
lations of existing oral tradition, such as "what did things use to be like?". We wish
much of the Bible, or accounts of contem- to understand the chain of past events in
porary events, such as JuUus Caesar's com- order to gain some notion of how we
mentaries on those GalUc and civil wars in arrived at our present condition. Of
which he had himself played the leading course, if all things changed, so that the life
part. There were backward-looking histor- of a society bore no resemblance to that of
ians, but the studious and scientific investi- its predecessors, the study of history would
gation of the past is largely a modem be powerless to tell us anything about
development. Why should we. and our ourselves. The past would be an alien
recent forebears, have become so in- world, stubbornly withholding any clues to
terested in our antecedents? the progress of our development. But the
Part of the answer Ues in the effect that changes that have taken place have done so
the Industrial Revolution of the late eight- against a backdrop of continuity. Histor-
eenth and early nineteenth centuries had ians are as eager to estabhsh points of
on our perception of the world. In the continuity as they are to discover moments
relatively static world of a predominantly of change. Such an approach is essential if
rural, agrarian economy, the common man we are to profit from their study because
had no need to enquire in what way his Ufe only by comparing the past with our age
differed from that of previous generations. can we discover and avoid the pitfalls that
He knew what the answer was. namely, beset our ancestors.
that in its essentials it did not differ. He We use the word "history" in two
tilled the ground, reaped the harvest, senses. In everyday language the words
feared for the weather, and watched his "histor>" and "the past" are often taken to
family stricken down by disease in much mean the same thing. In its proper use. the
the same way that his grandfather and his word "history" means the recorded past.
grandfather's grandfather had. In pre- The history of the eighth centur\- is not the
industrial society, apart from a few cata- aggregate of all the things that happened
clysmic events, such as the Black Death. during the century: on the contrary, it is
most of the changes that did occur were merely the interpretation that historians
spread so gradually over the centuries as to have put upon the scattered fragments of
be barely perceptible. It required several evidence which survive from that period.
thousand years for the completion of the We should remember, too. that much of
first agricultural revolution, that decisive the surviving evidence is simply not used
change in man's way of supporting himself. by historians, either because it has not yet
By comparison, the Industrial Revolution been discovered or. just as frequently,
was a lightning affair. And whatever the because it has not been deemed worthy of
character of the revolution which we are notice. The death of a miller in Chester in
currently undergoing - whether "nuclear" 1387 may be recorded and preser\ed in a
or "electronic" - it promises to be even parish register: but until some historian
faster than the Industrial Revolution. picks up that fact and uses it. it lies buried
We see about us almost dailv evidence in the past, awaiting the day when it will be