Philip Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St John's College, Oxford. He is the author of numerous books on the ancient world, including the highly successful Thames & Hudson titles Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day, Legionary: The Roman Soldier's (Unofficial) Manual, The Greek and Roman Myths, Ancient Magic and Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece and Rome, all published by Thames & Hudson.

Introduction - Resurrecting A Forgotten World

The First Civilizations
Introduction - Starting from Scratch in Mesopotamia
The Akkadians - The First Empire Builders
The Amorites - 'Founders' of Babylon
The Canaanites - Israel Before the Israelites
The Elamites - The Empire Before Persia
The Hittites - Masters of Anatolia
The Hyksos - Invaders of Egypt
The Sea Peoples - Riders of the Storm

From Assyria to Alexander
Introduction - Recovering from the Bronze Age Collapse
The Lost Tribes of Israel - Ten Still Missing
The Arameans - Nomadic Conquerors in the Middle East
The Philistines - Strangers in a Strange Land
The Dorians - People of the Spear
The Phrygians - King Midas and the Gordian Knot
The Illyrians - Balkan Raiders
The Lydians - As Rich as Croesus
The Sicels - Settlers of Sicily
The Medes - Destroyers of Nineveh
The Chaldeans - Masters of Magic
The Kushites - Egypt's Southern Conquerors
The Bactrians - Powerful Traders on the Silk Road

The Coming of Rome
Introduction - Civilization Spreads West Beyond the Mediterranean
The Epirots - The Original Pyrrhic Victory
The Sabines - Co-founders of Rome?
The Samaritans - Survivors of Antiquity
The Garamantes and Numidians - Forgotten Peoples of North Africa
The Sarmatians - Horse Riders of the Steppe
The Nabataeans - The People of Petra
The Celtiberians - The Celts of Spain
The Galatians - Gauls in Asia Minor
The Arverni - For Vercingetorix and Victory!
The Thracians - Masters of Metalworking
The Catuvellauni - The Tribe of Caractacus
The Iceni - Led into Battle by Boudica
The Batavi - Allies and Enemies of Rome
The Dacians - On the Edge of Empire

The Fall of Rome in the West
Introduction - Barbarian Invasions and the End of Empire
The Alans - Westwards Through a Falling Empire
The Vandals - More than Vandalism
The Visigoths - The Tribe that Broke Rome
The Ostrogoths - Heirs to Rome
The Alemanni - The Tribe of 'Humans United'
The Jutes - Forgotten Invaders of Britain
The Hephthalites - The Mysterious 'White Huns'

Epilogue
Timeline of the ancient world
Further reading
Sources of illustrations