Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World

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