A history of the ancient world

Front matter

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Preface

It is now eight years since my father, Professor Goodspeed, wrote "A History of the Ancient World." Had he lived it would have been his first care to follow the results of historical research and advancing methods of teaching history in secondary schools by frequent revisions of the subject-matter of the text. Recognizing the growing faith in the book on the part of those who have come to know and teach it, and the value and necessity of a revision at the present time, the family of the author have secured the services of Professors Ferguson and Chadwick to make such changes as the author himself would have considered as adding to the value of the book.

It is believed that the book in its present form will perpetuate that spirit of usefulness and the genuine scholarly feehng which characterized the author's Hfe and work.

T. H. GOODSPEED.

Department of Botany, University of California.

REVISERS' NOTE

We have been led to make this revision of the late Professor Goodspeed's " History of the Ancient World " mainly by three considerations : its use of an easy, graceful, yet clean-cut and vigorous, English; its firm grasp of the great main lines of historical development, and its high excellence in respect of type, paper, and illustrations. There seemed to us to be no necessity that a text-book should be trivial in style, weak in coherence, or inferior in presswork. Accordingly, we have been careful to preserve in the revision the character of the original. The book remains in essentials the work of Professor Goodspeed.

On the other hand, we have by no means contented ourselves with the correction of verbal inaccuracies. While at our work we have had constantly in mind the possibiHty, by making additions, expansions, and other modifications, of meeting more closely all reasonable demands of experienced teachers. And at the same time we have tried to make the text a faithful exponent of the views- now held in the most authoritative scientific circles. It is our hope that the book, as revised, will be found — in its comparative neglect of the growth of constitutions, and the comparative fulness with which it treats the matured governments of Sparta, Athens, and Rome; in its care for the transitions from the old world of the East to Greece and from Greece via Sicily and Magna

X Revisers' Note

Graecia to Italy; in its reduction of the political history of Egypt and Babylonia and of later Rome to a mere outline; and, above all, in its effort to interpret historically the Hellenistic Age — a fairly close approach to the ideal as stated in the recent report of the Committee of Five of the American Historical Association. As for its scientific quality, it will suffice to say that nowhere else in English, so far as we know, can the teacher find so closely followed the general conception of ancient history which we owe to the epoch-making work of Professor Eduard Meyer, of the University of Berlin.

Attention may be called to a number of pedagogical improvements.

(i) At the head of each section we have set in boldfaced type its general contents, and in the margins we have given a more detailed analysis of the text.

(2) The pronunciation of difficult words has been indicated on their first occurrence in the narrative as well as in the index.

(3) The index has been arranged so as to enable the student to find place-names on the maps without difficulty.

(4) A select list for reading has been added. This has been compiled almost exclusively from five single-volume works. It makes it possible for teachers in schools with large classes and small library funds to attend to collateral reading. For the small sum of eighty dollars, ten copies of each of these five books can be procured. The topics for this list have been chosen and the references made by a successful and experienced teacher — Miss Margaret McGill, Head of the History Department of the Newton High School, Massachusetts.

Revisers' Note xi

(5) By the use of strong colors, as well as by additions and corrections in details, the value of the maps taken from the first edition has been enhanced substantially. Four new maps have been added. The number of full-page illustrations has been nearly doubled.

(6) A table of dates and events has been added. This contains the chronological data found indispensable during many years' experience in college preparatory work.

(7) The material set into the text in smaller type has been expanded {a) by a number of significant Greek and Roman legends; {h) by occasional explanations of difficult matters. The latter are intended primarily for the teacher, upon whom, as Professor Goodspeed wrote in some omitted Suggestions to Teachers, "the usefulness of this book will depend largely. "

William Scott Ferguson.

S. Percy R. Chad wick.

Preface To First Edition

This volume owes much to a wide variety of helpers. Doubtless, what may be original in it is of least value. Accordingly, the author wishes, first of all, to make general confession of having drawn upon any stores of pedagogical widsom and any treasures of scholarship which seemed to contribute to his subject. In particular, however, special acknowledgments are due to some who have given personal assistance in the preparation of the book. Professors F. B. Tarbell and Gordon J. Laing, of the University of Chicago, have made helpful suggestions regarding the illustrations. Frances Ada Knox, Assistant in History in the University of Chicago, has given important aid in the preparation of the manuscript and in other ways. The maps, charts, and plans have had the skilful and scholarly attention of Mr. Harold H. Nelson, now of the Syrian Protestant College, of Beyrout. The book has also profited from the suggestions of a number of teachers in East and West who have read it in whole or in part. Nor should the share of the publishers be forgotten, whose warm interest and generous co-operation have made work with them a pleasure. If the book succeeds in serving the cause of sound historical learning in high-schools and academies, their share in making this possible is no small one.

G. S. G.

The University of Chicago, May, 1904.

Contents

I. THE EASTERN EMPIRES

PAGE

Preliminary Survey i