UNIT 1. The Earliest Civilizations 1. Stonehenge: How Did the Stones Get There?, Aubrey Burl, History Today , March 2001 Many myths have been created about the famous stone circles in Britain. Aubrey Burl maintains that the stones were not dragged for hundreds of miles, but, rather, they were there as a result of glaciation. 2. Hatshepsut: The Female Pharaoh, John Ray, History Today , May 1994 Greece, ancient Ancient Egypt, like most societies, was patriarchal. But Egyptian women enjoyed more freedoms and legal rights than did their counterparts in the classical world of Greece and Rome. Under some circumstances, albeit rare ones, a woman could rule the land of the Nile. This… article details how a female pharaoh came to power. 3. The Cradle of Cash, Heather Pringle, Discover , October 1998 Ancient Mesopotamia, now Iraq, first invented signs for barter on their cuneiform texts and then used tokens and coils of silver in exchange for items in trade. The idea of money greased the wheels of commerce, spurred the development of mathematics, and helped officials and kings bring in taxes. 4. The Coming of the Sea Peoples, Neil Asher Silberman, Military History Quarterly , Winter 1998 Around 1200 b.c. a new military force swept southward across the Aegean Sea and into Asia Minor, Cyprus, and Canaan—and even reached the borders of Egypt. Who were these “sea peoples,” and how did their weapons and tactics launch a military revolution in the ancient world? 5. Grisly Assyrian Record of Torture and Death, Erika Bleibtreu, Biblical Archaeology Review , January/February 1991 Can an empire be maintained by violence? The Assyrians relied on destruction and devastation to conquer and control their subjects. Erika Bleibtreu chronicles the bloody policies of the Assyrian kings. 6. Scythian Gold, Doug Stewart, Smithsonian , March 2000 The Scythians were a group of nomadic tribes who lived in the area between the Don and Danube rivers. They were known for using poisons on their arrows and gilding the skulls of their enemies. They may have contributed to the Greek myths of the centaurs. Yet they became known for their expertise in art. UNIT 2. Greece and Rome: The Classical Tradition 7. Olympic Self-Sacrifice, Paul Cartledge, History Today , October 2000 The modern Olympic games began in 1896 with the belief that they were a direct imitation of the ancient games. Paul Cartledge examines how the games were part of the Greek religion, and how their nakedness, prizes, and armistices were all intertwined in their religious ideas. 8. Was Socrates a Democrat?, Melissa Lane, History Today , January 2002 Melissa Lane looks at the charges against Socrates as related in Plato’s Apologia of Socrates. Socrates was convicted by the Athenians of impiety—introducing new gods and corrupting the youth of the city. The author finds defenders and critics of Socrates were swayed by their own ideological suppositions. 9. Alexander: The Great Mystery, T. Peter Limber, Aramco World , May/June 2001 When Alexander the Great died in 323, his body was embalmed with the intent to return it to Macedonia. His corpse, however, was taken by one of his generals, Ptolemy, who seized Egypt and placed Alexander’s body in a great tomb. T. Peter Limber traces the tomb’s history and the famous persons who visited it until it disappeared. The search for the tomb has fascinated people for years and the hunt is still going on. 10. Love and Death in Ancient Greece, Kenneth Cavander, Horizon , Spring 1974 This discussion of an ancient murder case involving an Athenian who murdered his wife’s lover sheds light on ancient Greek society. Specifically, it considers justice and the place of women in Hellenic society. 11. Cleopatra: What Kind of a Woman Was She, Anyway?, Barbara Holland, Smithsonian , February 1997 Was Cleopatra a sex kitten, a scheming adventuress who came to a bad end, or was she a beautiful, intelligent queen who could have ruled the eastern Mediterranean if only she had not become entwined in Roman politics ? Barbara Holland investigates differing views of Cleopatra’s reputation. 12. Ancient Rome and the Pirates, Philip de Souza, History Today , July 2001 Pirates roamed the Mediterranean Sea attacking shipping, coastal peoples, and holding captives for ransom. Although the Romans did give Pompey Magnus one of the greatest military commands in order to suppress piracy, it was not until the creation of the empire under Octavian Caesar that a permanent, professional navy could bring maritime security. 13. Sudden Death, Frank Lidz, Sports Illustrated , February 12, 2001 While gladiatorial games may have originated with the Etruscans as funeral celebrations, the Romans made them more lurid and frequent, as each city had its own arena. During the Republic convicts, prisoners of war, and a few free citizens were used, but under the Empire nobles, emperors, and even a few women fought. Such was the prestige of a gladiator that some were crowned with laurel wreaths, given their freedom, and their sweat was used in facial creams for Roman women. UNIT 3. The Judeo-Christian Heritage 14. Jews and Christians in a Roman World, Eric M. Meyers and L. Michael White, Archaeology , March/April 1989 Recent archaeological finds have shed new light on Judaism and Christianity in the Roman province of Palestine and elsewhere. The evidence summarized here suggests that Jews, Christians, and pagans lived together in greater harmony than previously supposed. 15. The Other Jesus, Kenneth L. Woodward, Newsweek , March 27, 2000 Kenneth Woodward describes how the major world religions each view Jesus as different from the traditional Christian interpretation as the son of God. Jews see Jesus as an admirable Jew; Buddhists see him as an enlightened being who helped others; Hindus are drawn to his compassion, not his singularity; and Muslims see Jesus as a human prophet, the precursor of Muhammad. 16. Ecstasy in Late Imperial Rome, Dirk Bennett, History Today , October 1998 What happened to the world of ancient paganism, to its rituals, symbols, holy days, and holy places? Dirk Bennett examines the struggle of Christianity against the official Roman religion and the various cults. He points out that the Christian Church incorporated many pagan elements, and transformed and reinterpreted them. 17. Who the Devil Is the Devil?, Robert Wernick, Smithsonian , October 1999 The first development of evil in personal form was Ahriman, who fought for control of the wo