From palace-based societies in Minoan Crete to the Germanic invasion of Rome, this beautiful hardback with tipped in illustration on the front cover and gold tooling tells the story of these classical civilisations, covering their political development, the rise of the city state and the growth of their empires. Also included are insights into the architectural, artistic and cultural impact of early Greece and Rome and vignettes of key political and cultural figures. Topics include the Greek alphabet, tyrants, the Olympic Games, Sparta, the Persian war, Greek theatre in philosophy, the rise of Macedonia, the Etruscans, Rome growing from village to city, the Punic wars, Roman lettering, the rise of Julius Caesar, Augustus and the rise of Imperial Rome, water management, the Roman villa, roads, glassware, army and fort, baths, dining, childhood, trade, Pompeii frozen in time, the mosaics of North Africa, a Christian empire, the city of Constantine, the fall of Rome, and the classical legacy among them. There are dozens of examples of Hellenistic art and exquisite artefacts, all reproduced on very glossy large bright white pages plus feature boxes, maps and superb colour photographs. 384 pages, 19 x 25cm.