The Far Edges of the Known World By Owen Rees

A revisionist history of the ancient world that shifts our focus from Athens and Rome to the long-ignored societies on the borders.

To many ancient Greeks and Romans, the outer reaches of their world was where civilization ceased to exist. But what was it like to live on the edges of these empires, on the boundaries of the known world? Thanks to new archaeological excavations, we now know that these border zones were thriving multicultural spaces where the boundaries of “civilized” and “barbarian” blurred. Historian Owen Rees takes readers on a fascinating journey to explore the diverse peoples in Europe, Asia, and Africa beyond the reaches of Greece and along the sandy caravan routes of Morocco to the freezing winters of the northern Black Sea, from the Red River valley of Vietnam to the rain-lashed forts south of Hadrian’s Wall. Through this globe-spanning historical tapestry, The Far Edges of the Known World offers us a rich new lens to see and understand the ancient world.