xxiiiPr e fa c e
Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the An-
cient World, a four-volume set that provides comprehensive
coverage of the ancient world from prehistory through the
fall of Rome in 476 c.e. For coverage aft er that point, readers
are urged to consult our companion set, the Encyclopedia of
Society and Culture in the Medieval World, which covers the
period from the fall of Rome to the start of the Renaissance.
SCOPE AND ARRANGEMENT
OF THE SET
Th e Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Ancient World
contains 69 separate entries, each devoted to a specifi c cultur-
al or societal topic. Of these 69 entries, 14 comprise “major”
topics with longer, more in-depth coverage than the standard
entries. Th e entries are arranged in alphabetical order by
topic; readers may consult the Contents page for a listing of
these topics.
Each entry includes a discussion of the topic from the
perspective of the following centers of civilization:
- Africa
- Egypt
- Th e Middle East
- Asia and the Pacifi c
- Europe
- Greece
- Rome
- Th e Americas
Readers will note that there is some overlap in this list:
Egypt is part of Africa, of course, just as Greece and Rome are
part of Europe. However, because the civilizations of ancient
Egypt, Rome, and Greece are so oft en studied separately, we
decided to treat them as such in this encyclopedia. Entries de-
voted to Europe will thus not discuss Rome and Greece, while
those devoted to Africa will not discuss Egypt.
In addition, we understand that the term Middle East
has not traditionally been used to refer to the ancient regions
of the Levant (Israel, Jordan, parts of Syria, the Palestin-
ian Authority, and Lebanon), Anatolia (Turkey), Armenia,
Persia (Iran), and Mesopotamia (Iraq and parts of Syria).
However, some educators and scholars, especially those
involved in comparative history, are beginning to adopt
the term when discussing this region. We decided to use
the term Middle East for this encyclopedia in light of that
increasing usage.ENTRY DETAILS
Each entry begins with an introductory essay that outlines
the major developments on a given topic in the ancient world.
Following that introduction are separate essays on the topic
from the perspective of the named centers of civilization. At
the end of the main text of each entry is a list of “see also”
references to related entries, followed by a further reading list
of books, articles, and Web sites on the topic.OTHER ELEMENTS
In addition to the main text, the encyclopedia incorporates
sidebars on topics that do not fi t neatly into the central
discussion as well key primary source excerpts scattered
throughout the set. Th ese primary source documents ap-
pear at the end of many entries. Our goal in identifying and
including these primary sources is to facilitate additional
comparative study between cultures on a given topic. Read-
ers may consult the List of Primary Source Documents in
the front matter for a guide to the individual sources found
in the encyclopedia. Th e set also features more than 250
maps and illustrations. Th e front matter lists these maps
and illustrations.
Aside from detailing the maps, illustrations, and primary
source documents, the front matter includes a section about
the set’s advisers and contributors and a general introduction