From palace-based societies in Minoan Crete to the Germanic invasion of Rome, Elizabeth Wyse tells the story of these classical civilizations, covering their political development, the rise of the city state, and the growth of their empires. Also included in this illustrated history are insights into the architectural, artistic, and cultural impact of early Greece and Rome, and vignettes that give us a clearer picture of such figures as Homer, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar.