Ancient History Vol. 1: An Enthralling Guide to Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Rome

Three manuscripts in one book:

• Ancient Egypt: An Enthralling Overview of Egyptian History, Starting from the Settlement of the Nile Valley through the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms to the Death of Cleopatra VII
• Ancient Rome: An Enthralling Overview of Roman History, Starting From the Romulus and Remus Myth through the Republic to the Fall of the Roman Empire
• Ancient Mesopotamia: An Enthralling Overview of Mesopotamian History, Starting from Eridu through the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Hittites, and Persians to Alexander the Great

Explore the interesting journey of the ancient Egypt, from the first unification of its lands up until its most glorious era of the New Kingdom rulers and the fall of the kingdom at the hands of Augustus.

In the first part of this book, you'll discover:

• The mysterious identities of Narmer and Menes, the first pharaoh of Egypt
• How the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed with human hands
• The dangerous journey into the realm of the dead
• How Egypt's religious beliefs played a role in its government
• The fall of Egypt after the death of Cleopatra VII

Rome's astonishing history now spans 28 centuries, growing from obscurity into a massive empire stretching from Britain to the Middle East and south to Africa. Rome's culture and institutions left an enduring legacy that continues to impact civilizations around the world.

In the second part of this book, you'll discover:

• What happened when a goddess met a handsome shepherd on a lonely hilltop?
• Who escaped from burning Troy to later become a king in Italy?
• What ill-fated romance impelled Queen Dido of Carthage to commit suicide?
• How did a Vestal Virgin get pregnant?
• Why were the babies floating down the river in a basket - and what happened to them?
• What strategies did the Romans learn to fight against war elephants? And how did Hannibal get those elephants through the snow and over the Alps?
• Which disastrous wars led to the term "pyrrhic victory?"
• Who was the Roman gladiator who led a slave revolt of 40,000 people?
• What canny strategies led to the conquest of Britain? Which Scottish people were covered with blue tattoos?
• Which power-hungry Grandma had one of her grandsons assassinated to put another one on the throne?

Ancient Mesopotamia's legacy was truly revolutionary. Childlike pictures scratched into wet clay evolved into the first written language. The Mesopotamians wrote the first epic poems, the first hymns, the first histories, and the first law codes. They developed the first wheel for transportation; simple carts that hauled bricks or produce morphed into chariots racing along at thirty-five miles per hour.

In the third part of this book, you'll discover:

• How old is the world's first city?
• How did the Eridu Genesis compare to Noah and the ark?
• How fast was the world's first postal system?
• How many times did Babylon's patron god Marduk get stolen?
• How did Hammurabi's law code compare to the Law of Moses?
• Did Xerxes really have a million men in his army?
• Which empire encompassed 44 percent of the world's population?