Western Humanities, complete

Preface A Humanities Primer: How to Understand the Arts Introduction: Why Study Cultural History? 1. PREHISTORY AND NEAR EASTERN CIVILIZATIONS Prehistory and Early Cultures / The Civilizations of the Tigris and Euphrates River Valley: Mesopotamia / Personal Perspective: "A Sumerian Father Lectures His Son" / The Civilization of the Nile River Valley: Egypt / Personal Perspective: "Egypt: The Instruction of Amenemope" / Heirs to the Mesopotamian and Egyptian Empires / The Legacy of Early Near Eastern Civilizations / Windows on the World: 5000500 B.C. 2. AEGEAN CIVILIZATIONS: THE MINOANS, THE MYCENAEANS, AND THE GREEKS OF THE ARCHAIC AGE Prelude: Minoan Civilization, 30001300 B.C. / Beginnings: Mycenaen Civilization, 19001100 B.C. / Interlude: The Dark Ages, 1100800 B.C. / The Archaic Age, 800479 B.C. / The Emergence of Greek Genius: The Mastery of Form / Personal Perspectives: Solon, "Political Verses: The Ten Ages of Man"; Sappho, "He Seems to Be a God" / The Legacy of Archaic Greek Civilization 3. CLASSICAL GREEK CIVILIZATION: THE HELLENIC AGE General Characteristics of Hellenic Civilization / Domestic and Foreign Affairs: War, Peace, and the Triumph of Macedonia / The Perfection of the Tradition: The Glory of Hellenic Greece / Personal Perspective: Xenophon, "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" / The Legacy of Hellenic Civilization / Windows on the World: 500300 B.C. 4. CLASSICAL GREEK CIVILIZATION: THE HELLENISTIC AGE The Stages of Hellenistic History / The Cities of Hellenistic Civilization / Personal Perspective: Theocritos, "A Street Scene in Alexandria" / The Elaboration of the Greek Tradition: The Spread of Classicism to the Hellenistic World / The Legacy of the Hellenistic World 5. ROMAN CIVILIZATION: THE PRE-CHRISTIAN CENTURIES The Colossus of the Mediterranean World / The Style of Pre-Christian Rome: From Greek Imitation to Roman Grandeur / Personal Perspective: Marcus, Son of Cicero, "Letter to Tiro, Secretary to Cicero Senior" / The Legacy of Pre-Christian Rome / Windows on the World: 300 B.C.A.D. 500 6. JUDAISM AND THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY Judaism / Personal Perspective: Flavius Josephus, "The Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem" / Christianity / Personal Perspective: Vibia Perpetua, "Account of Her Last Days Before Martyrdom" / The Legacy of Biblical Judaism and Early Christianity 7. LATE ROMAN CIVILIZATION The Last Days of the Roman Empire / Personal Perspective: Paulina, "Epitaph for Agorius Praetextatus" / The Transition from Classical Humanism to Christian Civilization / Personal Perspective: St. Jerome, "Secular Education; The Fall of Rome" / Why Did Rome Fall? / The Legacy of Late Roman Civilization 8. THE SUCCESSORS OF ROME: BYZANTIUM, ISLAM, AND THE EARLY MEDIEVAL WEST The Eastern Roman Empire and Byzantine Civilization, 4761453 / The Islamic World, 6001517 / The Early Medieval West / Personal Perspectives: Anna Comenena, "The Arrival of the First Crusade in Constantinople"; Usamah, "The Curious Medicine of the Franks"; Liudprand of Cremona, "A Mission to the Byzantine Court" / The Legacy of Byzantium, Islam, and the Early Medieval West / Windows on the World: 5001000 9. THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES: THE CHRISTIAN CENTURIES Feudalism / Medieval Christianity and the Church / Personal Perspective: Hildegarde of Bingen, "Scivias" / The Age of Synthesis: Equilibrium between the Spiritual and the Secular / The Legacy of the Christian Centuries / Windows on the WorlRoy Matthews is the author of 'Western Humanities, complete', published 2000 under ISBN 9780767415927 and ISBN 0767415922.