Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Main Page

The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook has expanded greatly since its creation, and now contains hundred of local files as well as links to source texts throughout the net.

See Introduction for an explanation of the Sourcebook's goals.
See the Help! page for all the help on research I can offer.
Although I am more than happy to receive notes if you have comments on this web site, I cannot answer specific research enquiries [and - for students - I cannot, or rather will not, do your homework.]

The Ancient History Sourcebook works as follows:

This Main Index page [this page] shows all sections and sub sections. These have also been regularized in a consistent hierarchy. This should allow rapid review of where texts are.
To access the sub-section pages, simply browse the sections below and select the highlighted (white text with blue background) section title on the left.
In addition there are two navigation bars on the left of each page for every sub-section

The top - and smaller - navigation bar directs you to the other main parts of the Sourcebook - this overall Index page [clicking IAHS logo will also take you there if you ever get lost]; the Full Texts page; the Legal Texts page: the Search page; and a new HELP! page, which you should consult if you get lost, or need research assistance.
The lower - and larger - navigation bar will take you directly to any of the sub-sections from any of the other sub-sections, each indicated by a short title.
For materials added since July 1998 see the New Additions page.

Additional Study/Research Aids

In addition to the above structure, there are a series of pages to help teacher and students.

Ancient History in the Movies

SECTIONS	*Subjects covered by the source texts in each Section.*
Studying Ancient History	Introduction: Using Primary Sources Nature of Historiography Other Sources of Information on Ancient History General Guides to Net Texts [link to texts at other sites.] General E-text Projects [sites with texts online.] Egypt/ANE Greece Rome Religion Philosophy Adding More Texts Other Ancient World Resource Projects
Human Origins	Human Origins Archeology Hunter-Gathering Societies The Beginnings of Agricultural Societies Modern Perspectives on the Agricultural Revolution Origins of Patriarchy?
The Ancient Near East
Mesopotamia	Ancient Near East Sumeria (c. 3100-c. 2000 BCE) The Epic of Gilgamesh Sumerian Language Art Connections with India Akkadia (c.2350-2200 BCE) Babylonia (c.2000-1600 BCE) Code of Hammarabi Cities Creation Myths Religion Kassites and Hittites (c.1600-717 BCE) Kassites Hittites Hittite Texts Material Culture Assyria (c.1350- 612 BCE) Chaldea/Neo-Babylonia (612-539 BCE) Syrian Cities: Ebla, Ugarit, Emar Phoenicia 950 BCE on Carthage: The Punic Empire ANE Arts and Architecture ANE Mathematics and Astronomy Gender and Sexuality Modern Perspectives on Mesopotamia Common Issues: Mesopotamian/Egyptian/Hebrew/Greek History Centuries of Darkness?
Egypt	General Maps Chronologies Modern Egyptology The Old Kingdom (2705-2213 BCE) [Dynasties 3-8] The Middle Kingdom (1991-1668 BCE) [Dynasties 12-13] The New Kingdom (1570-1070 BCE) [Dynasties 18-20] Akhnaten [Amenhotep IV](r. 1363-1347 BCE) Post Imperial Egypt (1070-332 BCE) [Dynasties 21-31] Religion Origin Myths The Memphite Theology Gods and Goddesses Isis and Osiris Death and Resurrection Art and Architecture Literature Music Everyday Life Mathematics Gender and Sexuality Nubia Libya and Western North Africa Modern Perspectives on Egypt Black Athena Debate
Persia	Persia: General The Persian State: Acheamenids (560-330 BCE) The Persian State: Parthia and Arcsacids (247 BCE-226 CE) The Persian State: Sassanids (224-636 CE) Persian Religions Art and Architecture Modern Perspectives on Ancient Iran
Israel	People of Israel Pre-Israelite Canaan/Palestine/Syria The Bible as a Source The Documentary Hypothesis Ethnogenesis Later Stories Moses and Monotheism Conquest of the Land (1250-1000 BCE?) The Judges (c.1200-1050 BCE) The National Monarchy (c.1020-586 BCE) David (1000-961 BCE) Saul (c.1020-1000 BCE), 1 Samuel 8 Solomon (961-922 BCE) Israel and Judah (922-586 BCE) The Exile (587-538 BCE) The Prophets (750-550 BCE) Mythological Foundations Creation The Origin of Language The Problem of Evil The Problem of Life Sex Hellenistic Judaisms: Diasporas The Macabbees and After Jews in the Diaspora Conflict with Rome Hellenistic Judaism: Religious Development The Emergence of Judaism The Invention of the Synagogue Samaritans Editing of the Bible The Septuagint (?made under Ptolemy II r. 283-246 BCE) Philo Judaeus (c.30 BCE-45 CE): Pharisees Sadducees Zealots Essenes The Qumran Sect The Dead Sea Scrolls Proselytism Rabbinic Judaism The Talmud Gender and Judaism Modern Perspectives on Ancient Israel
Greek Civilizations
Greece	General Greece: Major Historians: Complete Texts Herodotus (c.490-c.425 BCE) Thucydides (c.460/455-c.399 BCE) Xenophon (c.428-c.354 BCE) Aristotle (384-323 BCE) Plutarch (c.46-c.120 CE) Pausanias (fl.c.160 CE) Crete Mycenae Archaic Greece Homer (c.8th Cent. BCE) Hesiod (c.700 BCE) Later Historians Greek Colonization The Persian Wars (449-479 BCE) The Rise of the Polis The Age of Tyranny Athenian Democracy Sparta The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) and After The Fourth Century: Competing Hegemonies Philip II of Macedon (r. 339-336 BCE) Religion and Myth The Olympian Religion Chthonic and Mystery Cults Greek Conceptions of Death and Immortality Philosophy Pre-Socratics Materialists Pythagoreans Eleatic School Sophists Atomists Socrates (469-399 BCE) Plato (427-347 BCE) Aristotle (384-323 BCE) Literature Literature: Theatre Theatre Practice Drama Theory Aeschylus (525-456 BCE) Sophocles (496-405/6 BCE) Euripides (c.485-406 BCE) Aristophanes (c.445-c.385 BCE) Menander (342/1-293/89 BCE) Art Music Education Economic Life Slavery Greek Law Everyday Life Gender and Sexuality Women: Homosexuality: Modern Perspectives on Ancient Greece Homer and War Greece and Anthropology Slavery
Hellenistic World	The Hellenistic World Alexander (356-323 BCE) The Hellenistic States Ptolemaic Egypt (323-30 BCE) Seleucid Empire (323-63 BCE) Advent of Rome Art and Architecture Literature Idyll Novels Biography Philosophy Cynics Epicureans Stoics Skeptics Religion Science and Medicine Critical Thought Theoretical Science Mathematics Medicine Engineering Travel: Geography Modern Perspectives on Hellenistic Greece
Rome
Rome	General Rome: Major Historians: Complete Texts Etruscans Roman Foundations The Growth of Republican Institutions The War with Carthage Imperial Expansion under the Republic Civil Wars and Revolution Cicero (105-43 BCE) The Principate to 192 CE Augustus The Julio-Claudian Dynasty 14-68 CE 69 CE: Year of Three Emperors The Flavian Emperors 69-96 CE The Adoptive Emperors 96-192 CE Roman Law The Army The Empire and Provinces Rome: As Imperial Capital The Empire as a Unity Africa Egypt Syria/Judea Asia Asia Minor Europe Britain Later Empire (after 192 CE) Elagabulus (r.218-222 CE) Literature Art and Architecture Education Economic Life Life of the Upper Classes Trade Counting Slavery Everyday Life Food Sport and Games Names Language Technology Pompeii Religion Gender and Sexuality Women Homosexuality Modern Perspectives on Ancient Rome
Late Antiquity	Late Antiquity Military Revolution and Government The End of the Roman Empire in the West Late Ancient Philosophy Roman Stoicism Neoplatonism Roman Mystery Religions Demeter and Eleusis Cybele Isis Mithras End of Paganism Modern Perspectives on the End of Antiquity Catastrophe? Continuity?
Christian Origins	Christian Origins Source Problems The New Testament The Dead Sea Scrolls Gnostic Texts The Nag Hammadi Library Jesus of Nazareth (c.4 BCE-c.30 CE) Context Teaching Death Historical Evidence Early Church: First Century The Earliest Christians Paul of Tarsus (d.c.65 CE) and the Pauline Churches Missionary Activity Theology Early Church: 2nd-3rd Centuries Persecution and Survival Challenge to Social and Political Norms of Antiquity Church Organization The Emergence of Theologies Early Varieties Gnosticism "Orthodoxy" Early Christian Art The "Triumph" of the Church Modern Perspectives on Early Christianity

Introduction

The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook is a companion to the Internet Medieval Sourcebook and the Internet Modern History Sourcebook. The Medieval Sourcebook is both a classroom resource and the largest collection of online medieval texts. The Ancient and Modern Sourcebooks have a different role: since there are already ample online repositories of texts for these periods, the goal here is to provide and organize texts for use in classroom situations. Links to the larger online collections are provided for those who want to explore further. The distinctive feature of the Sourcebooks' layout remains here - the avoidance of images and multiple "clicking" to find texts. Unlike the Medieval and Modern History Sourcebooks, this section of the project did not involve much scanning of new material to begin with. At this stage, however, an increasing number of new etexts are available at this site. The Ancient History Sourcebook also includes links to visual and aural material, since art and archeology are far more important for the periods in question than for later history. The emphasis remains on access to primary source texts for educational purposes.

This site focuses on online texts, which, for the most part, means public domain texts translated more than 75 years ago. In many cases it is these older translations which are used in commercially available sourcebooks. But note that, for classroom use, in some cases the more modern translations are superior from a pedagogic viewpoint: this is less the case with historiography than with literature. In other words, use online resources well, but don't get carried away!

Note: Although I am more than happy to receive notes if you have comments on this web site, I cannot answer specific research enquiries [and - for students - I cannot, or rather will not, do your homework!] If you have have relevant e-texts or translations to contribute, please do contact me.

Paul Halsall,
Compiler and Editor

NOTES:

Dates of accession of material added since July 1998 can be seen in the New Additions page.. The date of inception was 4/8/1998.

Links to files at other site are indicated by [At some indication of the site name or location]. Locally available texts are marked by [At this Site].

WEB indicates a link to one of small number of high quality web sites which provide either more texts or an especially valuable overview.

© Paul Halsall, 1999.

This text is copyright. The specific electronic form, and any notes and questions are copyright. Permission is granted to copy the text, and to print out copies for personal and educational use. No permission is granted for commercial use.

If any copyright has been infringed, this was unintentional. The possibility of a site such as this, as with other collections of electronic texts, depends on the large availability of public domain material from texts translated before 1923. [In the US, all texts issued before 1923 are now in the public domain. Texts published before 1964 may be in the public domain if copyright was not renewed after 28 years. This site seeks to abide by US copyright law: the copyright status of texts here outside the US may be different.] Efforts have been made to ascertain the copyright status of all texts here, although, occasionally, this has not been possible where older or non-US publishers seem to have ceased existence. Some of the recently translated texts here are copyright to the translators indicated in each document. These translators have in every case given permission for non-commercial reproduction. No representation is made about the copyright status of offsite links: note that for the Ancient History Sourcebook, unlike the Medieval Sourcebook and Modern History Sourcebook, many texts are offsite. This site is intended for educational use. Notification of copyright infringement will result in the immediate removal of a text until its status is resolved.

Paul Halsall, April 1998-October 2000
mailto:halsall@fordham.edu?subject=Ancient History Sourcebook

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