Lubbock, TX Author Publishes Two Volume History Book Collection

Primary Sources for Ancient History, Volume I: The Ancient Near East and Greece and Primary Sources for Ancient History: Volume II: The Roman World, two new books by Gary Forsythe, have been released by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

Primary Sources for Ancient History, Volume I: The Ancient Near East and Greece:
Despite being condensed into neat identities of the Near East and Greece, these two titles cover a wide-ranging period of time, peoples, lands, and philosophies. Indeed, at first glance these peoples might have nothing in common except for their profound impact on our own world. In these comprehensive readings, however, we understand how all people struggled to define their relationship with their rulers, their gods, and their neighbors.

Primary Sources for Ancient History, Volume I: The Ancient Near East and Greece is a comprehensive selection of ancient writings to supplement a narrative history. Beginning with the Old Babylonian Kingdom of nearly four millennia ago and moving chronologically and geographically to the Egyptian Pharaohs, the dispossessed Jewish nations, the fractured city-kingdoms of Ancient Greece, to end with Alexander's domination of the known world, this book is comprehensive in scope. Every major period and people has at least one reading. From the Law Code of Hammurabi engraved on a stone pillar to scraps of Greek poetry, from Babylonia epics to tallies of food at religious festivals, these readings allow the personalities and actions of tyrants, philosophers, poets, and gods to take center stage. The same events and leaders can be seen through different peoples and viewpoints, giving a rich perspective.

The Ancient Near East and Greece is a valuable resource for understanding the forces - religious, political, and cultural - that have developed the modern world.

Primary Sources for Ancient History: Volume II: The Roman World:
The Roman Empire lasted for more than a millennia. From a small city it grew to encompass almost 1.7 million miles. It's innovations in warfare, politics, and the arts continue to influence the Western world.

Primary Sources for Ancient History: Volume II: The Roman World is a comprehensive selection of ancient writings to supplement a narrative history. Arranged both chronologically and thematically, this work shows how the Empire was shaped by the thoughts, religions, and systems of the people it conquered. These documents show how a variety of Romans examined the rights of the individual against the government, economic disparity, political scandals, multiculturalism - issues we continue to face today.

Beginning with Plutarch's retelling of the mythological founding of the Roman Kingdom to the Republic expansion, to the consolidation of later emperors, and the final dissolution from Germanic invasions, this is a comprehensive overview of the history and culture of the Roman Empire. While emphasis is placed on the writings of classic historians such as Livy, Josephus, Marcellinus, and more, the collection is enriched with a variety of contemporary documents. Cicero's gossipy letters, political graffiti, and funeral eulogies allow life in the Empire to come across in a fresh and contemporary way.

The Roman World is a valuable resource that shows not only how we have come to understand the Roman Empire, but how the Roman Empire viewed and defined itself.

About the Author:
Gary Forsythe is a professor at Texas Tech University.

Primary Sources for Ancient History, Volume I: The Ancient Near East and Greece is a 418-page paperback with a retail price of $25.00. The ISBN is 978-1-4809-5425-0. Primary Sources for Ancient History: Volume II: The Roman World is a 506-page paperback with a retail price of $28.00. The ISBN is 978-1-4809-5144-0. These books were published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, or to request review copies, please go to our virtual pressroom at www.dorrancepressroom.com or our online bookstore www.bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com.