Why does the study of Greek and Roman history so often keep these overlapping societies compartmentalized? Antiquity: Greeks and Romans in Context offers a unique introduction to the history of these civilizations by discussing the whole of the ancient world within a single chronology. While the Greco-Roman world of between 1000 B.C. and A.D. 500 holds center stage, readers begin their journey with an overview of the earliest periods of human history and continue up to the rise of Islam in the seventh century A.D. For every period in Antiquity there is an introductory chapter which also discusses developments in contemporary civilizations: China, India, Central Asia and the Middle East. Themes and topics explored reflect interests of modern research and include the general social fabric of ancient Mediterranean societies, including economics, social hierarchy, and political organization. Helping readers navigate this complex world are a chronological chart and a multitude of images, maps, and diagrams. A user-friendly introduction to the field, Antiquity: Greeks and Romans in Context, provides a fresh approach to the study of the entire ancient Mediterranean world.