Ancient Egypt
The rise of a succession of unified states in the Nile Valley known as the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt was followed by a period of long decline and then foreign occupation...

Ancient Mesopotamia
The land of Sumer, in Ancient Mesopotamia, was home to the first civilization in human history. Prior to 3500BC, the Roots of Sumer can be traced back several centuries, allowing archaeologists to trace the evolution of the civilization of the Sumerians. The first great conquerors in history created the first empires, which were followed by a period of division until Mesopotamia was re-united under the Babylonian Empire...

Ancient Greece
The first European civilization appeared in Crete and Mycenae, and in the dark ages that followed the classical civilization of the early Greeks began to take shape. Expansion and change led to great advances and a revolution in art and ideas. The dynamic Greek city states of Athens and Sparta rose to power and led the defence of Greece in the Persian Wars, after which came the Golden Age of Athens. Feuding with Sparta led to the Peloponnesian Wars in which Sparta claimed victory, but the Fourth Century saw new powers emerge...

The Romans
In the 8th century BC eastern Mediterranean civilization started to influence Italian culture, and the Origins of Rome can be traced to this time. Dealing with the challenges of external pressures and internal tensions, the Early Republic laid solid foundations for future greatness. The Roman expansion in Italy was followed by the Punic Wars, leaving Rome as the mistress of the Mediterranean. Despite great victories and expansion, internal problems plagued the Late Republic, leading to the titanic conflict between Pompey and Caesar. These destructive episodes led swiftly to the end of the Republic...