The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World

By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Robert Garland

Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.

The past truly comes alive as you take a series of imaginative leaps into the world of history's anonymous citizens, people such as a Greek soldier marching into battle in the front row of a phalanx; an Egyptian woman putting on makeup before attending an evening party with her husband; a Greek citizen relaxing at a drinking party with the likes of Socrates; a Roman slave captured in war and sent to work in the mines; and a Celtic monk scurrying away with the Book of Kells during a Viking invasion.

Put yourself in the sandals of ordinary people and discover what it was like to be among history's 99%. What did these everyday people do for a living? What was their home like? What did they eat? What did they wear? What did they do to relax? What were their beliefs about marriage? Religion? The afterlife?

This extraordinary journey takes you across space and time in an effort to be another person - someone with whom you might not think you have anything at all in common - and come away with an incredible sense of interconnectedness. You'll see the range of possibilities of what it means to be human, making this a journey very much worth taking.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

The Greatest of Great Courses

What a wonderful way to learn. The courses were organized and presented in such a perfect way to optimize both interest and retention of the material. I find myself quoting things I learned in this course on a regular basis. Having listened to other Great Courses, I can appreciate this one as having all of the best aspects of an audio lecture. The professor is not only a great presenter, but he understands that the listener cannot always be looking at the supplemental materials or google (if you are driving as I was) and conveys his thoughts and imagery in a vivid manner so anyone could understand. I look forward to Professor Garland's other lectures.

Fascinating & edifying

All the way from the mists of distant antiquity, numerous things bind humanity together. This course explores many of those binding themes: family relations, work, religion, death... and the theme of the 'other side' of history (especially as it contains to vignettes of everyday life) is helpful and refreshing.

Interestingly, Professor Garland brings together the fruit of all of the narrow sectarian scholarship of recent vintage (think Blume and closing minds). Homosexual, feminist, all manner of niche minority studies all rolled up into one course. I don't mean to give the impression that this course is only composed of those studies, as Professor Garland draws more broadly than that.

If the material for the course is distinctly modern in its construction, so are the moral judgments of the professor. In fact, the moralizing of Professor Garland seems the most common thread to run through the all of the material.

Just what I was looking for

I loved every minute of this lecture series. It was entertaining , well paced and extremely well researched and informative. I felt I was being told a story of the great majority of people like me who lived and aspired to happiness and simply vanished. Thank you for giving these people a say once again.

Worth it

I feel more knowledgeable on history, but it had chapters I had to skip over because I just wasn't interested in.

More intriguing as it went on

The lecturer took some getting used to, but overall I'm glad I listened, and I'll listen to it again.

Best of the best !!

I have enjoyed it very much

Dear Prof. Garland, Thank you for a great course

Dear listeners, if you like history, this course is for you.

All the best
Eyal
Israel

absolutely loved it

I was so happy with this amazing lecture series. The lecturer is fantastic - obviously very knowledgeable, well spoken, and funny at times. I feel like I've really enriched my understanding of ancient peoples. This is a dense lecture and I think it will be worth a second listen in the future.

Great lecture, great lecturer!

Such a span of history! And yet, Professor Garland is able to both relativize and contextualize each segment in such a way that the immediacy of the daily life of ancient people is palpable. A splendid series!

Too eurocentric

Great lectures however it is too Eurocentric. Egypt and Babylon are included to go into the past, as past beyond Greeks does not have much of known European history. Chinese, Indian, African or Pre Columbian mesoamerican find no place on the "other side." However, I must say, whatever is covered, is described beautifully and above all with passion for history.

Good content but lateral lisp of narrator distract

Great content and most informative especially since it given from the point of view of a common person during the various times covered.

A severe lateral lisp in the professor (narrator) is extremely distracting. He cannot say "s" without an escape of air in a Donald Duck like manner. Sad because Professor Garland seems very knowledgeable with a good sense of humor.