HOW TO LOSE A CIVILISATION
It’s sometimes said that being remembered is a form of immortality. By this measure the peoples of ancient Rome, Athens and Egypt to name just a few will never really die. Their memory, culture, rulers and achievements have been passed down through the generations and spread across the globe to make them part of the bedrock of history.
But what of their neighbours? What about the city states that only popped up in our school history books as adversaries and nuisances on the seemingly inevitable path to victory for these megastars of the past? Is it simply that the records were written by the victors?
In some cases that might be the case, but the fate of many cultures and nations can not so simply be written off in such Darwinian terms. Military strength alone did not protect a people from the cruel twists of nature and time, because if it did then they would be standing alongside us to this day.
In his new book, Forgotten Peoples Of The Ancient World, Philip Matyszak looks to chronicle the achievements and contributions of some of the lost nations of history. From the Akkadians to the Visigoths, he picks through the evidence, sifts through the myths and legends and looks to reveal the people who have otherwise been relegated to the background of history.
Given all of this, we were curious to
