The Ancient History Library
Read accessible, richly presented features on civilisations, rulers, warfare, religion, daily life and archaeology.
Ancient Arcadia
Arcadia (Ἀρκαδία) Arcadia was a mountainous and largely inland region in the central Peloponnese, occupying a distinctive place in the history and imagination of the ancient Greek…
Read article →Ancient Delos
Delos (Δήλος) Delos was one of the most sacred and symbolically powerful islands of the ancient Greek world. Situated in the centre of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea, Delos held im…
Read article →Ancient Chios
Chios (Χίος) Chios was one of the most important and prosperous islands of the ancient Greek world. Located in the eastern Aegean Sea, close to the coast of Asia Minor, Chios occup…
Read article →Ancient Samos
Samos (Σάμος) Samos was one of the most significant and prosperous islands of the ancient Greek world. Situated in the eastern Aegean Sea, close to the coast of Asia Minor, Samos o…
Read article →Ancient Lesbos
Lesbos (Λέσβος) Lesbos was one of the largest and most culturally significant islands of the ancient Greek world. Situated in the north-eastern Aegean Sea, close to the coast of As…
Read article →Ancient Naxos
Naxos (Νάξος) Naxos was one of the largest and most prosperous islands of the ancient Cyclades, situated in the central Aegean Sea. Known for its fertile land, abundant natural res…
Read article →Ancient Paros
Paros (Πάρος) Paros was one of the most prominent islands of the Cyclades in the central Aegean Sea. Known in antiquity for its fine white marble, maritime enterprise, and cultural…
Read article →Ancient Miletus
Miletus ( Mílētos) Miletus was one of the most influential and prosperous cities of the ancient Greek world. Situated on the western coast of Asia Minor, near the mouth of the Maea…
Read article →Ancient Ephesus
Ephesus (Éphesos) Ephesus was one of the most important and magnificent cities of the ancient Mediterranean world. Situated on the western coast of Asia Minor, near the mouth of th…
Read article →Ancient Halicarnassus
Halicarnassus (Ἁλικαρνασσός ) Halicarnassus was an important ancient city located on the south-western coast of Asia Minor, in the region known in antiquity as Caria. Situated alon…
Read article →Smyrna
Smyrna (Σμύρνη/Σμύρνα) Smyrna was one of the most important and long-lived cities of the ancient Greek world, located on the western coast of Asia Minor along the Aegean Sea. Occup…
Read article →Pergamon, pergamon
Smyrna (Πέργαμον) Smyrna was one of the most important and long-lived cities of the ancient Greek world, located on the western coast of Asia Minor along the Aegean Sea. Occupying…
Read article →Syracuse
Syracuse (Συρᾱ́κουσαι) Syracuse was one of the greatest and most powerful cities of the ancient Greek world, located on the south-eastern coast of Sicily. Founded as a Greek colony…
Read article →Tarentum
Tarentum (Tárantas) Tarentum, known in Greek as Taras, was one of the most powerful and prosperous Greek colonies in southern Italy. Situated on the coast of the Ionian Sea, it bec…
Read article →Croton
Croton (Κρότων) Croton, known in Greek as Kroton, was one of the most important Greek colonies in southern Italy and a leading city of Magna Graecia. Founded in the late eighth cen…
Read article →Sybaris
Sybaris (Σύβαρις) Sybaris was one of the wealthiest and most celebrated Greek colonies in southern Italy, situated in the fertile plains of Magna Graecia. Founded in the eighth cen…
Read article →Ancient Neapolis
Neapolis (Νεάπολη) Neapolis, meaning ‘New City’ in Greek, was one of the most enduring and culturally significant Greek settlements in southern Italy. Founded in the region of Camp…
Read article →Macedon
Macedon (Μακεδονία) Macedon was an ancient kingdom located in the northern part of the Greek world, occupying a region between the Balkans and the Aegean Sea. Although initially re…
Read article →Thessaly
Thessaly (Θεσσαλία) Thessaly was a vast and fertile region of northern Greece, renowned in antiquity for its broad plains, powerful aristocratic families, and exceptional cavalry.…
Read article →Epirus
Epirus (Ήπειρος) Epirus was an ancient region situated in the north-western part of the Greek world, bordered by the Ionian Sea to the west, Macedonia to the east, and Thessaly to…
Read article →Byzantium
Byzantium (Βυζάντιον) Byzantium was an ancient Greek city founded on the European side of the Bosporus Strait, at the point where Europe and Asia meet. Its strategic position betwe…
Read article →Pericles
Pericles Pericles was one of the most influential statesmen in the history of ancient Athens and a central figure in the development of Athenian democracy during the fifth century…
Read article →Delphi
Delphi Delphi was one of the most sacred and influential religious centres of the ancient Greek world. Situated on the slopes of Mount Parnassus in central Greece, overlooking the…
Read article →Knossos
Knossos (Κνωσσός) Knossos was the largest and most influential centre of the Minoan civilisation on the island of Crete. Flourishing during the Bronze Age, it stood as one of the e…
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