This 172 page volume embraces the great civilizations of the Mediterranean, beginning with Minoan Crete some 1700 years B.C. It lasted until the 4th century A.D. when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire in the reign of Constantine the Great.

128 full color plates and 109 black & white illustrations, combined with an illuminating text, bring this creative and decisive period of world history into vivid and real life. The many artifacts and antiquities dot the pages of this volume, bringing this period to life as it provides a clear explanation of how these works of art came to be produced and their prime importance in the history of western man.