The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World, Prof. Garland (48 Lectures / 30 Minutes Per Lecture / 8x DVD - The Great Courses)
 
Professor Robert Garland, shifts focus from political elites to the lived experiences of ordinary people across 48 lectures. The course covers daily realities for various groups throughout history—including diet, housing, and social struggles - to provide a humanizing perspective on the lives of the 99% who are often overlooked in traditional narratives. The course is structured to provide a sensory and social understanding of the past through specific lenses, spanning multiple major civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt's New Kingdom, Greece, Rome, and Northern Europe's  Celts, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings. Daily Survival & domestic life from Egyptian villas to rat-infested Roman tenements, clothing, food, and family structures. You will explore the "brutality of privilege" through topics like Roman crime and punishment - witnessing everything from midnight muggings to crucifixion - and the specific rights or lack thereof,  for refugees and slaves. The series examines how ordinary people practiced religion outside of elite temples, their views on the afterlife, and how they relaxed—whether at a Greek drinking party with Socrates or at violent Roman gladiatorial games. Ultimately, the course aims to reveal the "interconnectedness" of human experience by showing how these ancient individuals sought satisfaction and social cohesion despite severe cultural and environmental constraints.
 
Dr. Robert Garland, the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster, Professor of the Classics at Colgate University, is a renowned scholar in the field of ancient history. He earned his Ph.D. in Ancient History from University College London and has held prestigious positions as a Fulbright Scholar, a fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies in D.C. and was a visiting scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton.
 
At Book Archaeology, we value the preservation and discovery of intellectual treasures, making this collectible DVD an essential resource for any history enthusiast eager to unlock the complexities of our shared ancient foot prints.