History of Ancient Civilization

History of Ancient Civilization

Project Gutenberg's History Of Ancient Civilization, by Charles Seignobos This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: History Of Ancient Civilization
Author: Charles Seignobos
Release Date: February 9, 2006 [EBook #17720]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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HISTORY OF
ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
BY
CHARLES SEIGNOBOS
DOCTOR OF LETTERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS
LONDON T. FISHER UNWIN ADELPHI TERRACE MCMVII

(All rights reserved)

EDITOR'S NOTE
In preparing this volume, the Editor has used both the three-volume edition and the two-volume edition of the "Histoire de la Civilisation." He has usually preferred the order of topics of the two-volume edition, but has supplemented the material therein with other matter drawn from the three-volume edition.
A few corrections to the text have been given in foot-notes. These notes are always clearly distinguished from the elucidations of the author.
A.H.W.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PREHISTORIC TIMES. Prehistoric arch?ology--Prehistoric remains; their antiquity--Prehistoric science--The four ages.
THE ROUGH STONE AGE. Remains found in the gravels--The cave-men.
THE POLISHED STONE AGE. Lake-villages--Megalithic monuments.
THE BRONZE AGE. Bronze--Bronze objects.
THE IRON AGE. Iron--Iron weapons--Epochs of the Iron Age.
Conclusions: How the four ages are to be conceived; uncertainties; solved questions.
CHAPTER II
HISTORY AND THE DOCUMENTS. History--Legends--History in general--Great divisions of history--Ancient history--Modern history--The Middle Ages.
SOURCES FOR THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS. Books--Monuments--Inscriptions--Languages--Lacun?.
RACES AND PEOPLES. Anthropology--The races--Civilized peoples--Aryans and Semites.
CHAPTER III
THE EGYPTIANS. Egypt--The country--The Nile--Fertility of the soil--The accounts of Herodotus--Champollion--Egyptologists--Discoveries.
THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE. Antiquity of the Egyptian people--Memphis and the pyramids--Egyptian civilization--Thebes--The Pharaoh--The subjects--Despotism--Isolation of the Egyptians.
RELIGION OF THE EGYPTIANS. The gods--Osiris--Ammon-ra--Gods with animal heads--Sacred animals--The bull Apis--Worship of the dead--Judgment of the soul--Mummies--Book of the Dead--The arts--Industry-- Architecture--Tombs--Temples--Sculpture--Painting--Literature-- Destinies of the Egyptian civilization.
CHAPTER IV
THE ASSYRIANS AND BABYLONIANS. Chaldea--The land--The people--The cities.
THE ASSYRIANS--Assyria--Origins--Ancient accounts--Modern discoveries-- Inscriptions on bricks--Cuneiform writing--The Assyrian people--The king--Fall of the Assyrian Empire.
THE BABYLONIANS. The second Chaldean empire--Babylon--The Tower of Babylon.
CUSTOMS AND RELIGION. Customs--Religion--The gods--Astrology-- Sorcery--The sciences.
THE ARTS. Architecture--Palaces--Sculpture.
CHAPTER V
THE ARYANS OF INDIA. The Aryans--Aryan languages--The Aryan people.
PRIMITIVE RELIGION OF THE HINDOOS. The Aryans on the Indus--The Vedas--The gods--Indra--Agni--The cult--Worship of ancestors.
BRAHMANIC SOCIETY. The Hindoos on the Ganges--Castes--The Impure--The Brahmans--The new religion of Brahma--Transmigration of souls-- Character of this religion--The rites--Purity--Penances--The monks.
BUDDHISM. Buddha--Nirvana--Charity--Fraternity--Tolerance--Later history of Buddhism--Changes in Buddhism--Buddha transformed into a god--Mechanical prayer--Amelioration of manners.
CHAPTER VI
THE PERSIANS. The religion of Zoroaster--Iran--The Iranians-- Zoroaster--The Zend-Avesta--Ormuzd and Ahriman--Angels and demons-- Creatures of Ormuzd and Ahriman--The cult--Morality--Funerals-- Destiny of the soul--Character of Mazdeism.
THE PERSIAN EMPIRE. The Medes--The Persians--Cyrus--The inscription of Behistun--The Persian empire--The satrapies--Revenues of the empire--The Great King--Services rendered by the Persians--Susa and Persepolis--Persian architecture.
CHAPTER VII
THE PHOENICIANS. The Phoenician people--The land--The cities--Phoenician ruins--Organization of the Phoenician--Tyre--Carthage--Carthaginian army--The Carthaginians--The Phoenician religion.
PHOENICIAN COMMERCE. Occupations of the Phoenicians--Caravans--Marine commerce--Commodities--Secret kept by the Phoenicians--Colonies-- Influence of the Phoenicians--The alphabet.
CHAPTER VIII
THE HEBREWS. Origin of the Hebrew people--The Bible--The Hebrews--The patriarchs--The Israelites--The call of Moses--Israel in the desert--The Promised Land.
THE RELIGION OF ISRAEL. One God--The people of God--The covenant--The Ten Commandments--The Law--Religion constituted the Jewish people.
THE EMPIRE OF ISRAEL. The Judges--The Hangs--Jerusalem--The tabernacle--The temple.
THE PROPHETS. Disasters of Israel--Sentiments of the Israelites--The prophets--The new teaching--The Messiah.
THE JEWISH PEOPLE. Return to Jerusalem--The Jews--The synagogues-- Destruction of the temple--The Jews after the dispersion.
CHAPTER IX
GREECE AND THE GREEKS. The country--The sea--The climate--Simplicity of Greek life--The people--Origin of the Greeks--Legends--The Trojan War--The Homeric Poems--The Greeks at the time of Homer--The Dorians--The Ionians--The Hellenes--The cities.
THE HELLENES BEYOND THE SEA. Colonization--Character of the colonies-- Traditions touching the colonies--Importance of the Greek colonies.
CHAPTER X
GREEK RELIGION. The gods--Polytheism--Anthropomorphism--Mythology--Local gods--The great gods--Attributes of the gods--Olympus and Zeus--Morality of the Greek mythology.
THE HEROES. Various sorts of heroes--Presence of the heroes-- Intervention of the heroes.
WORSHIP. Principle of the cult of the gods--The great Feasts--the sacred games--Omens--Oracles--Amphictyonies.
CHAPTER XI
SPARTA. The People--Laconia--The Helots--The Perioeci--Condition of the Spartiates.
EDUCATION. The children--The girls--The discipline--Laconism--Music-- The dance--Heroism of the women.
INSTITUTIONS. The kings and the council--The ephors--The army--The hoplites--The phalanx--Gymnastics--Athletes--R?le of the Spartiates.
CHAPTER XII
ATHENS. Origins of the Athenian people--Attica--Athens--The revolutions in Athens--Reforms of Cleisthenes.
THE ATHENIAN PEOPLE. The slaves--The foreigners--The citizens.
THE GOVERNMENT. The assembly--The courts--The magistrates--Character of the government--The demagogues.
PRIVATE LIFE. Children--Marriage--Women.
CHAPTER XIII
WARS. The Persian wars--Origin of these wars--Comparison of the two adversaries--First Persian war--Second Persian war--Reasons for the victory of the Greeks--Results of the wars.
WARS OF THE GREEKS AMONG THEMSELVES. The Peloponnesian war--War with Sparta--Savage character of the wars--Effects of these wars.
CHAPTER XIV
THE ARTS IN GREECE. Athens in the time of Pericles--Pericles--Athens and her monuments--Importance of Athens.
LETTERS. Orators--Sages--Sophists--Socrates and the philosophers--The chorus--Tragedy and comedy--Theatre.
ARTS. The Grecian temples--Characteristics