Between the Rivers: The History of Ancient Mesopotamia

by Alexis Q. Castor

Digital audiobook, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

935

Series

The Great Courses (3180)

The Great Courses: History (3180)

Collection

Wishlist_GC

Publication

The Great Courses (2013), 18 hours, 36 lectures

Description

"In this course, we will explore Mesopotamian societies from the Neolithic era (c. 9,000 B.C.) to the defeat of the great Persian Empire at Gaugamela by Alexander the Great (331 B.C.) The study will take us from the world of international diplomacy with powerful neighbors in Egypt, Syria, and Anatolia to the mundane issues of daily life, such as providing food for the family, curing disease, and settling legal disputes. It examines archaeological discoveries, historical documents, and literary texts to explore how these lands between the rivers created a civilization that has contributed to the development of our own. A recurring them of the course is the creation of an urban lifestyle, which becomes increasingly sophisticated and complex as cultures expand."-- p. 1 of guidebook.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member annbury

Realizing that I knew virtually nothing about the history of Mesopotamia, I turned to this book to get a basic grasp of the subject. The "Great Courses" audiobook is a series of 36 lectures, covering the whole ancient history of the region -- from pre-history to Alexander the Great. The material is

informative and accessible, the presentation is clear, and the whole process was very enjoyable. I learned a lot, and will certainly try more "Great Courses".

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Language

English

Original language

English

Local notes

[1] The Iraq Museum [2] Geography and environment [3] Discovering Mesopotamia [4] Archaeological methods [5] Farming and early settlements [6] The Uruk phenomenon [7] Writing [8] Temples [9] Mesopotamian deities [10] Gilgamesh: hero and king [11] The early dynastic period [12] Warfare and diplomacy [13] The Royal Cemetery at Ur [14] The Akkadians [15] Ideology of kingship: Naram-Sin and Gudea [16] The Ur III dynasty [17] Life in a Mesopotamian city [18] Food and drink [19] Assyrian trade networks [20] Hammurabi of Babylon [21] Zimri-Lim of Mari [22] Laws [23] Medicine, science, and math [24] Poetry and literature [25] Internationalism [26] Assyrian expansion [27] Sargon II [28] Ideology of empire [29] Control and revolt [30] Medes and the neo-Babylonian state Lecture] 31] The rise of the Achaemenids [32] Persians in Egypt and Greece [33] Xerxes's invasion of Greece [34] Persian and art culture [35] Alexander the Great [36] After Alexander