Images

The Achaemenid Empire during the reign of Cyrus the Great, 559 BCE-530 BCE. Major cities are marked and modern borders are superimposed.

Map of the Roman Empire at its maximum extent in 117 CE, under the rule of Trajan.

A panoramic view of ruins of the ancient desert city of Palmyra in Syria, which grew large in the Syrian desert in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The ruins are now a United Nations World Heritage site.

The image shows part of the excavated city of Ebla in Syria. Most of the ruins have been given a top layer of new bricks. Some stones used to grind flour are also seen in the picture.

A map of the Roman Empire and Europe in 125 CE, at the time of Roman emperor Hadrian. "Barbarian" names and locations are given as found in the works of Tacitus (written c. 100 CE).

A map showing Iberian peninsula in 125 AD including important roads, locations of legions and gold (Au) and silver (Ag) mines.

The School of Athens by Raphael, painted between 1510-1511 CE, depicting all of the major philosophers of antiquity with Plato and Aristotle at the centre. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

Bust of the Greek philosopher Parmenides of Elea.

Bust of Marcus Aurelius (reign 161–180 CE). Glyptothek, Munich, Germany.

A family tree of the Akkadian Dynasty, starting with La'ibum and Sargon of Akkad.