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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
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.
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.
384 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2010
151 people are currently reading
2360 people want to read
About the author
Robert Garland
46 books107 followersDr. Robert S.J. Garland is the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics at Colgate University. He earned his B.A. in Classics from Manchester University, his M.A. in Classics from McMaster University, and his Ph.D. in Ancient History from University College London.
A former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the George Grote Ancient History Prize, Professor Garland has educated students and audiences at a variety of levels. In addition to teaching classics at Colgate University, he has taught English and Drama to secondary school students and lectured at universities throughout Britain as well as the British School of Archaeology in Athens.
Professor Garland is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals and books capturing details of all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman life, including The Greek Way of Life: From Conception to Old Age; Introducing New Gods: The Politics of Athenian Religion; and Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. His expertise has been featured in The History Channel's "Last Stand of the 300," and he has repeatedly served as a consultant for educational film companies.
A former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the George Grote Ancient History Prize, Professor Garland has educated students and audiences at a variety of levels. In addition to teaching classics at Colgate University, he has taught English and Drama to secondary school students and lectured at universities throughout Britain as well as the British School of Archaeology in Athens.
Professor Garland is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals and books capturing details of all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman life, including The Greek Way of Life: From Conception to Old Age; Introducing New Gods: The Politics of Athenian Religion; and Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. His expertise has been featured in The History Channel's "Last Stand of the 300," and he has repeatedly served as a consultant for educational film companies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
January 2, 2016
I think I've had enough of linguistics for now. But the word histories, the idea of Proto-European has reawakened my interest in ancient history and how we are connected and how we are not connected but it seems like we are. For instance, writing arose at about the same independently on several continents by people with no contact with each other.
So far, and I'm up to Minoans and Myceneans it is fascinating. I'd like to find some books/lectures on palaeontological anthropology - about the earliest people, how they lived.
I'm glad I discovered these Great Courses. They are fascinating. There is one bad effect though, I am finding I can't get into light biographies and fiction at all.
So far, and I'm up to Minoans and Myceneans it is fascinating. I'd like to find some books/lectures on palaeontological anthropology - about the earliest people, how they lived.
I'm glad I discovered these Great Courses. They are fascinating. There is one bad effect though, I am finding I can't get into light biographies and fiction at all.
December 17, 2018
I am tired of kings and prelates and their problems. This has come at just the right time. Garland takes us from pre-history (thanks to archeology) through the Middle Ages. As time progresses, this narrative becomes a bit more Euro-centric, but the 48 lectures provide a wealth of information on the daily life of ordinary people: their work; their recreations; their religions and their communities.
Garland's expertise is in the B.C.E., but he shares some wonderful aspects of the later epochs including an important analysis of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
When all is said and done, it was the similarities that I found myself pondering. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. There are so many "things" that have changed our lives but we behave in much the same way. Our need for companionship; our propensities for conflict; our search for a higher authority and thoughts of an afterlife.
Each lecture is just short of half an hour. There wasn't one that I found less than informative and entertaining.
Garland's expertise is in the B.C.E., but he shares some wonderful aspects of the later epochs including an important analysis of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
When all is said and done, it was the similarities that I found myself pondering. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. There are so many "things" that have changed our lives but we behave in much the same way. Our need for companionship; our propensities for conflict; our search for a higher authority and thoughts of an afterlife.
Each lecture is just short of half an hour. There wasn't one that I found less than informative and entertaining.
June 16, 2014
I found these lectures interesting because they were the product of a lecturer who has given a lot of research time to collecting information about what life was like for ordinary people in the ancient world. When I read history I often try to image what everyday life was like, but my thoughts are imaginings based on few clues or evidence. Here's a lecturer who's done the work for me.
There are forty-eight lectures in this collection, and they cover history from the Paleolithic, through the ancient Mediterranean civilizations, and then on through Medieval times. I thought they were well done, and I enjoyed them very much. The following is a list of lecture titles which can give an idea of the various civilizations discussed.
There are forty-eight lectures in this collection, and they cover history from the Paleolithic, through the ancient Mediterranean civilizations, and then on through Medieval times. I thought they were well done, and I enjoyed them very much. The following is a list of lecture titles which can give an idea of the various civilizations discussed.
1 Taking on the Other Side of History
2 Being Paleolithic
3 Living in Mesopotamia
4 Being Egyptian
5 Belonging to an Egyptian Family
6 Practicing Egyptian Religion
7 Being a Dead Egyptian
8 Being an Egyptian Worker
9 Being Minoan and Mycenaean
10 Being Greek
11 Growing Up Greek
12 Being a Greek Slave
13 Being a Greek Soldier or Sailor
14 Being a Greek Woman
15 Relaxing Greek Style
16 Being a Greek Refugee
17 Being a Sick or Disabled Greek
18 Practicing Greek Religion
19 Being an Old Greek
20 Being a Dead Greek
21 Being Persian
22 Living in Hellenistic Egypt
23 Being Roman
24 Being a Roman Slave
25 Being a Roman Soldier
26 Being a Roman Woman
27 Being a Poor Roman
28 Being a Rich Roman
29 Being a Roman Celebrity
30 Being a Roman Criminal
31 Relaxing Roman Style
32 Practicing Roman Religion
33 Being Jewish under Roman Rule
34 Being Christian under Roman Rule
35 Being a Celt in Ancient Britain
36 Being a Roman Briton
37 Being Anglo-Saxon
38 Being a Viking Raider
39 Living under Norman Rule
40 Being Medieval
41 Being Poor in the Middle Ages
42 Being a Medieval Woman
43 Being a Medieval Christian or Heretic
44 Being a Medieval Knight
45 Being a Crusader
46 Being a Pilgrim
47 Relaxing Medieval Style
48 Daily Life Matters
December 12, 2020
In my freshman year of college I took an elective course in cultural anthropology, and was hooked immediately. The course focused on something it had never occurred to me to study: daily life in different parts of the world. I was astounded to learn that there was so much variation regarding such basic acts as eating, hanging out with friends, and falling in love. By the end of the course my fascination had grown so intense that I impetuously switched my major from chemistry to anthropology—a decision that was, in retrospect, extremely unwise for my finances, but at least good for travel.
What Garland is attempting to do in this course is a kind of anthropology of the past, something which naturally appealed to me. We have all learned about the kings and emperors, the philosophers and poets; but few history books focus on the anonymous multitudes who actually built the pyramids, fought the battles, or copied the books. And there are good reasons for this. Not only is it naturally easier to think about individuals than societies, but the humbler classes inevitably leave less evidence behind for future historians. Castles remain while huts decompose; and literacy was, until recently, confined to a very select elite.
Garland sidesteps these problems by focusing on parts of the world with unusually complete records: Egypt, Greece, Rome, and England. The geographical scope of this course is thus fairly small. Added to this, Garland’s academic specialty is in Greece and Rome, so this is where he concentrates most of his energy—and also where this course is at its best. Each lecture is usually devoted to a different sort of person (women, slaves, the urban poor) or to a different sort of activity (religion, warfare, leisure), and most are narrated in the second person—with Garland instructing you what to imagine life would be like in each of these circumstances.
On the whole, the quality of this course is quite high. Not only is Garland clearly an expert in his field—especially on the subject of ancient religions—but he is also an animated and engaging lecturer. True, his delivery does sometimes have an awkward, stilted quality, as if he is reading from a sentence that has a period after every word (like.this.), but I found it rather endearing. A more serious criticism of this course is that he does not always stay the course, shifting his focus away from daily life and back onto major historical events, like the Crusades or the Norman Invasion. Granted, these events also majorly effected daily life; but I still think they could have been further de-emphasized.
I was even more disappointed at Garland’s avoidance of the economic side of life. At any given time in this historical period, the vast majority of men and women were undoubtedly farmers; but Garland does not have very much to say about these silent soily toilers. Likewise, Garland mostly skips over the professions—like, say, blacksmiths or merchants. This was particularly irksome to me, since I wish I had a better understanding of how, say, a medieval peasant or a Roman shopkeeper thought of “work,” as I suspect it was very different from how we conceived of it.
Well, I suppose I cannot be too disappointed in a course that was equal parts entertaining and informative. And even if I did not learn everything I had hoped to, I still did learn a lot. So I think I can heartily recommend Garland’s anthropology of the past. It truly was a foreign country back then.
What Garland is attempting to do in this course is a kind of anthropology of the past, something which naturally appealed to me. We have all learned about the kings and emperors, the philosophers and poets; but few history books focus on the anonymous multitudes who actually built the pyramids, fought the battles, or copied the books. And there are good reasons for this. Not only is it naturally easier to think about individuals than societies, but the humbler classes inevitably leave less evidence behind for future historians. Castles remain while huts decompose; and literacy was, until recently, confined to a very select elite.
Garland sidesteps these problems by focusing on parts of the world with unusually complete records: Egypt, Greece, Rome, and England. The geographical scope of this course is thus fairly small. Added to this, Garland’s academic specialty is in Greece and Rome, so this is where he concentrates most of his energy—and also where this course is at its best. Each lecture is usually devoted to a different sort of person (women, slaves, the urban poor) or to a different sort of activity (religion, warfare, leisure), and most are narrated in the second person—with Garland instructing you what to imagine life would be like in each of these circumstances.
On the whole, the quality of this course is quite high. Not only is Garland clearly an expert in his field—especially on the subject of ancient religions—but he is also an animated and engaging lecturer. True, his delivery does sometimes have an awkward, stilted quality, as if he is reading from a sentence that has a period after every word (like.this.), but I found it rather endearing. A more serious criticism of this course is that he does not always stay the course, shifting his focus away from daily life and back onto major historical events, like the Crusades or the Norman Invasion. Granted, these events also majorly effected daily life; but I still think they could have been further de-emphasized.
I was even more disappointed at Garland’s avoidance of the economic side of life. At any given time in this historical period, the vast majority of men and women were undoubtedly farmers; but Garland does not have very much to say about these silent soily toilers. Likewise, Garland mostly skips over the professions—like, say, blacksmiths or merchants. This was particularly irksome to me, since I wish I had a better understanding of how, say, a medieval peasant or a Roman shopkeeper thought of “work,” as I suspect it was very different from how we conceived of it.
Well, I suppose I cannot be too disappointed in a course that was equal parts entertaining and informative. And even if I did not learn everything I had hoped to, I still did learn a lot. So I think I can heartily recommend Garland’s anthropology of the past. It truly was a foreign country back then.
August 20, 2025
This was my second time through this book. I enjoyed it so much last time that I just had to get a repeat performance going.
If you’ve ever read a history book and thought, “That’s nice, but what did people eat for lunch?” - then Robert Garland is your guy. This book isn’t your typical parade of generals, emperors, and popes strutting across the stage. This one’s about the folks in the cheap seats. The regular Joes and Janes of the ancient world. The people who never made it into the dusty volumes of history - because they were too busy hauling water, swatting flies, and trying to stay out the way of the powerful.
Robert Garland is an absolute delight. He’s the kind of professor you’d actually show up early to class for - not just to get a good seat, but because you know you’re in for a performance. He’s passionate, funny, deeply informed, and just radiates this infectious enthusiasm for the subject. You get the sense he wakes up giddy to talk about Roman plumbing or Greek footraces. It’s endearing. Truly, this man has found his calling, and we all benefit from the joy he brings to it.
The book is structured as a series of 48 short lectures, which is kind of brilliant. You can just dip in wherever you like. Want to know what childbirth was like in ancient Egypt? There’s a lecture for that. Curious about what laundry looked like in the Roman Empire? Garland’s got you. Each chapter is a self-contained little world, rich with detail and told in such a conversational tone that it often feels like you’re chatting with a particularly nerdy friend over coffee.
One of the things I appreciated most was how the book unapologetically shifts the spotlight away from the ruling class. Garland reminds us, again and again, that while history tends to obsess over pharaohs and philosophers, the vast majority of people were farmers, slaves, or artisans—people who didn’t leave behind marble statues or epic poems. And it’s precisely those people that this book seeks to resurrect. Garland breathes life into their daily routines, their struggles, and their fleeting joys. I found myself weirdly invested in whether slaves every got their freedom and whether an Athenian housewife had access to running water. (Spoiler: Probably no to both.)
That said, it’s not always a fun read - and I mean that in the best way. Because wow, ancient life was brutal. You think traffic is bad or rent is high? At least you’re not being sold into slavery because your crops failed. The sheer scale of human suffering is staggering. Diseases, malnutrition, violence, exploitation - every chapter is a fresh slap in the face reminding you how hard life used to be. And while that might sound bleak, I actually found it kind of therapeutic. Complaining about modern life somehow feels petty after reading about a Roman soldier freezing to death in Germany while surviving on moldy grain.
And then there’s slavery. Garland doesn’t sugarcoat it. It’s everywhere - Greek, Roman, Persian, Egyptian - you name it. We lionize these civilizations for their philosophy and architecture, but huge portions of their population was in chains. It’s sobering. And disheartening. Especially when you realize how often history turns tyrants into heroes simply because they built something big or commissioned some fancy art.
Religion, too, comes under the microscope. Garland doesn’t shy away from pointing out the hypocrisy and manipulation that often came packaged with ancient faith. Sure, religion offered comfort, but it also funneled gold into the pockets of elites while scaring the poor into compliance with threats of eternal damnation. Sound familiar?
One section that hit me particularly hard was the discussion around the collapse of the Roman Empire. With the state’s power unraveling, everyday people were suddenly on their own - and it wasn’t pretty. Without a central authority to keep the peace, things got Hobbesian real fast. “Nasty, brutish, and short” wasn’t just a turn of phrase - it was the local weather forecast.
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Garland has this lovely way of highlighting the humanity buried beneath the hardship. You get glimpses of humor, love, ambition - even silliness. It’s oddly comforting to realize that ancient folks weren’t all that different. They gossiped, worried about money, looked for meaning, and hoped their kids would turn out okay. Just like us.
If I had to nitpick, I’d say some of the lectures veer a bit into repetition. The charm of the format is also its downside - you might feel like you’re circling the same topics now and then. But honestly? I didn’t mind. Garland is such a good storyteller that I was happy to go along for the ride, even if it doubled back a few times.
So what’s the takeaway? For me, two things: First, the past was rough. Oppression, brutality, and suffering weren’t bugs in the system - they were the system. And second, I’m so incredibly grateful to be alive now. Even with all our mess, at least I’m not in danger of being kidnapped into slavery while I slowly die of dysentery in a dirt-floored hut.
In short, this book isn’t just informative - it’s grounding. It reminded me not only of where we came from, but of how far we’ve come. And Robert Garland? He makes the journey downright fun.
If you’ve ever read a history book and thought, “That’s nice, but what did people eat for lunch?” - then Robert Garland is your guy. This book isn’t your typical parade of generals, emperors, and popes strutting across the stage. This one’s about the folks in the cheap seats. The regular Joes and Janes of the ancient world. The people who never made it into the dusty volumes of history - because they were too busy hauling water, swatting flies, and trying to stay out the way of the powerful.
Robert Garland is an absolute delight. He’s the kind of professor you’d actually show up early to class for - not just to get a good seat, but because you know you’re in for a performance. He’s passionate, funny, deeply informed, and just radiates this infectious enthusiasm for the subject. You get the sense he wakes up giddy to talk about Roman plumbing or Greek footraces. It’s endearing. Truly, this man has found his calling, and we all benefit from the joy he brings to it.
The book is structured as a series of 48 short lectures, which is kind of brilliant. You can just dip in wherever you like. Want to know what childbirth was like in ancient Egypt? There’s a lecture for that. Curious about what laundry looked like in the Roman Empire? Garland’s got you. Each chapter is a self-contained little world, rich with detail and told in such a conversational tone that it often feels like you’re chatting with a particularly nerdy friend over coffee.
One of the things I appreciated most was how the book unapologetically shifts the spotlight away from the ruling class. Garland reminds us, again and again, that while history tends to obsess over pharaohs and philosophers, the vast majority of people were farmers, slaves, or artisans—people who didn’t leave behind marble statues or epic poems. And it’s precisely those people that this book seeks to resurrect. Garland breathes life into their daily routines, their struggles, and their fleeting joys. I found myself weirdly invested in whether slaves every got their freedom and whether an Athenian housewife had access to running water. (Spoiler: Probably no to both.)
That said, it’s not always a fun read - and I mean that in the best way. Because wow, ancient life was brutal. You think traffic is bad or rent is high? At least you’re not being sold into slavery because your crops failed. The sheer scale of human suffering is staggering. Diseases, malnutrition, violence, exploitation - every chapter is a fresh slap in the face reminding you how hard life used to be. And while that might sound bleak, I actually found it kind of therapeutic. Complaining about modern life somehow feels petty after reading about a Roman soldier freezing to death in Germany while surviving on moldy grain.
And then there’s slavery. Garland doesn’t sugarcoat it. It’s everywhere - Greek, Roman, Persian, Egyptian - you name it. We lionize these civilizations for their philosophy and architecture, but huge portions of their population was in chains. It’s sobering. And disheartening. Especially when you realize how often history turns tyrants into heroes simply because they built something big or commissioned some fancy art.
Religion, too, comes under the microscope. Garland doesn’t shy away from pointing out the hypocrisy and manipulation that often came packaged with ancient faith. Sure, religion offered comfort, but it also funneled gold into the pockets of elites while scaring the poor into compliance with threats of eternal damnation. Sound familiar?
One section that hit me particularly hard was the discussion around the collapse of the Roman Empire. With the state’s power unraveling, everyday people were suddenly on their own - and it wasn’t pretty. Without a central authority to keep the peace, things got Hobbesian real fast. “Nasty, brutish, and short” wasn’t just a turn of phrase - it was the local weather forecast.
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Garland has this lovely way of highlighting the humanity buried beneath the hardship. You get glimpses of humor, love, ambition - even silliness. It’s oddly comforting to realize that ancient folks weren’t all that different. They gossiped, worried about money, looked for meaning, and hoped their kids would turn out okay. Just like us.
If I had to nitpick, I’d say some of the lectures veer a bit into repetition. The charm of the format is also its downside - you might feel like you’re circling the same topics now and then. But honestly? I didn’t mind. Garland is such a good storyteller that I was happy to go along for the ride, even if it doubled back a few times.
So what’s the takeaway? For me, two things: First, the past was rough. Oppression, brutality, and suffering weren’t bugs in the system - they were the system. And second, I’m so incredibly grateful to be alive now. Even with all our mess, at least I’m not in danger of being kidnapped into slavery while I slowly die of dysentery in a dirt-floored hut.
In short, this book isn’t just informative - it’s grounding. It reminded me not only of where we came from, but of how far we’ve come. And Robert Garland? He makes the journey downright fun.
August 21, 2023
Finished this with just hours to spare on my library loan.
Since most history lectures in the Great Courses, or most anywhere, tend to focus on those in charge or those with influence or wealth, I wanted to see what this would offer up in regards to how the other half lived. What would your life had been like as a tradesman, a craftsman, a farmer, a thief, a slave, or a woman, etc, at any point in ancient times? Garland covers mostly ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, English and Norway.
I'm a bit disappointed how Eurocentric this was. Other than Egypt and a bit of Persia to talk about Alexander, we don't spend a whole lot of time on any other continent. Garland does his best to try to get you into the mindset of these various ancient peoples and give us an idea of what the everyday citizen's life might have been like. He broadly touches on a lot of various subjects that I've already encountered elsewhere, such as Spartans exposing babies to the elements if they're deemed lacking, or the fact that slave did not indeed build the pyramids. He also goes into more details on the prestige that craftsmen would have enjoyed, the misery of being a slave pretty much anywhere at any time, the benefits of being a thief in a time with no cops (but basically everyone can bring anyone to justice), and how radically your life would have changed under Roman rule, etc. The parts I particularly liked, weirdly enough, were the parts that focused on what happened when peopled aged, if they were lucky enough to do so, and died, what the customs were around death.
Garland is a decent presenter, though I do wonder if his William Shanter way of talking might annoy some people. I did get a bit tired of how many times he used the course title in his lectures, but that's a particular pet peeve of mine.
Since most history lectures in the Great Courses, or most anywhere, tend to focus on those in charge or those with influence or wealth, I wanted to see what this would offer up in regards to how the other half lived. What would your life had been like as a tradesman, a craftsman, a farmer, a thief, a slave, or a woman, etc, at any point in ancient times? Garland covers mostly ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, English and Norway.
I'm a bit disappointed how Eurocentric this was. Other than Egypt and a bit of Persia to talk about Alexander, we don't spend a whole lot of time on any other continent. Garland does his best to try to get you into the mindset of these various ancient peoples and give us an idea of what the everyday citizen's life might have been like. He broadly touches on a lot of various subjects that I've already encountered elsewhere, such as Spartans exposing babies to the elements if they're deemed lacking, or the fact that slave did not indeed build the pyramids. He also goes into more details on the prestige that craftsmen would have enjoyed, the misery of being a slave pretty much anywhere at any time, the benefits of being a thief in a time with no cops (but basically everyone can bring anyone to justice), and how radically your life would have changed under Roman rule, etc. The parts I particularly liked, weirdly enough, were the parts that focused on what happened when peopled aged, if they were lucky enough to do so, and died, what the customs were around death.
Garland is a decent presenter, though I do wonder if his William Shanter way of talking might annoy some people. I did get a bit tired of how many times he used the course title in his lectures, but that's a particular pet peeve of mine.
May 22, 2017
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an ancient Egyptian farmer? How about a Roman gladiator, or maybe a geriatric Athenian? The 48 lectures by Robert Garland in The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World will help you put yourself in the place of countless people in the ancient world who did not happen to be famous generals, statesmen, kings, or philosophers: the ordinary folk of history.
I happen to greatly enjoy books which invite the reader to enter into the lives of people from the past. Books like Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Time of Christ by Alfred Edersheim or Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Metz offer interesting ways to explore and understand history. Books like The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin that take an experimental archaeology approach are also great fun. If these approaches to history interest you, then Garland’s 48 lectures in this course will be like pure mental candy. That being said, the course was a bit uneven, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
First off, Garland is at his best when breaking down ancient Greek and Roman culture. Just on the basis of this series, I’m planning on listening to his Integrated History of the Ancient Mediterranean. Every lecture about the Greeks or Romans was stellar and fantastic. Although I have a pretty strong timeline of ancient history in my head, this course helped me fill in the gaps with ideas about how the common people who were not senators, emperors, or generals lived their lives. I will probably go back and listen to some of them again before teaching ancient history to my students in the fall.
However, there were also some weaknesses in the course. The lectures on living in ancient Mesopotamia were rather sparse and perfunctory. It also seemed like Garland didn’t totally “get” the Jews either. They are skimmed over rather quickly, but the powder-keg that was 1st century Judea could have afforded at least a few lectures given the widely diverse groups living there at the time.
Finally, Garland admits in the course to not being a medievalist but rather an ancient historian. It shows. Throughout his discussion of the medieval period, it never seems like he manages to convey to his listeners what the medieval worldview is all about. He does a great job of being very sympathetic to the ancient Roman religion and society, making sure that we don’t judge them too harshly for things like slavery and their many superstitions and the like. However, rather than trying to get the listeners to feel the same sympathy for medieval Christianity, he often frankly expresses bewilderment about such things as how the Catholic Church could have ever wanted to persecute Cathars, and he presents it as a fairly capricious thing. He equates being a medieval peasant with being a Roman slave. (Seriously?) He talks about how you, an innocent person, could have been condemned as a witch by the Inquisition and put to death. (In reality, most killing of witches was an act of the secular authority alone. Through most of the middle ages, belief in witchcraft was condemned as superstition, and even during the late middle ages, it was the inquisition in Spain that ended witch trials because they didn’t measure up to the inquisitors’ standards for evidence. Likewise, his misconceptions about the Crusades are numerous. I’ve seen several reviews of Rodney Stark’s God’s Battalions: The Case for the Crusades which make the point that, while Stark’s information is not false per se, the view of the Crusades he is reacting against is a mere straw man as no actual historians still propagate the myths he is attacking. Well, Gardner trots out many of those very myths as historical fact and talks of the Crusades as one aspect of history that none of us as moderns could possibly identify with at all.
I’m not, by the way, trying to dissuade you from listening to this lecture series. They were still wonderful. The middle ages don’t make up a huge part of the series. I’m just warning you that if you want to learn about life in the middle ages, you would be better off reading some books by Frances and Joseph Gies (or even watching Terry Jones’s television series “Medieval Lives”).
So overall this is a fun series of 48 lectures for those who want a clearer picture of what it would be like to live in the past. While some parts are better than others, there is much to learn and enjoy, and Robert Garland clearly has a great love for his subject matter.
I happen to greatly enjoy books which invite the reader to enter into the lives of people from the past. Books like Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Time of Christ by Alfred Edersheim or Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Metz offer interesting ways to explore and understand history. Books like The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin that take an experimental archaeology approach are also great fun. If these approaches to history interest you, then Garland’s 48 lectures in this course will be like pure mental candy. That being said, the course was a bit uneven, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
First off, Garland is at his best when breaking down ancient Greek and Roman culture. Just on the basis of this series, I’m planning on listening to his Integrated History of the Ancient Mediterranean. Every lecture about the Greeks or Romans was stellar and fantastic. Although I have a pretty strong timeline of ancient history in my head, this course helped me fill in the gaps with ideas about how the common people who were not senators, emperors, or generals lived their lives. I will probably go back and listen to some of them again before teaching ancient history to my students in the fall.
However, there were also some weaknesses in the course. The lectures on living in ancient Mesopotamia were rather sparse and perfunctory. It also seemed like Garland didn’t totally “get” the Jews either. They are skimmed over rather quickly, but the powder-keg that was 1st century Judea could have afforded at least a few lectures given the widely diverse groups living there at the time.
Finally, Garland admits in the course to not being a medievalist but rather an ancient historian. It shows. Throughout his discussion of the medieval period, it never seems like he manages to convey to his listeners what the medieval worldview is all about. He does a great job of being very sympathetic to the ancient Roman religion and society, making sure that we don’t judge them too harshly for things like slavery and their many superstitions and the like. However, rather than trying to get the listeners to feel the same sympathy for medieval Christianity, he often frankly expresses bewilderment about such things as how the Catholic Church could have ever wanted to persecute Cathars, and he presents it as a fairly capricious thing. He equates being a medieval peasant with being a Roman slave. (Seriously?) He talks about how you, an innocent person, could have been condemned as a witch by the Inquisition and put to death. (In reality, most killing of witches was an act of the secular authority alone. Through most of the middle ages, belief in witchcraft was condemned as superstition, and even during the late middle ages, it was the inquisition in Spain that ended witch trials because they didn’t measure up to the inquisitors’ standards for evidence. Likewise, his misconceptions about the Crusades are numerous. I’ve seen several reviews of Rodney Stark’s God’s Battalions: The Case for the Crusades which make the point that, while Stark’s information is not false per se, the view of the Crusades he is reacting against is a mere straw man as no actual historians still propagate the myths he is attacking. Well, Gardner trots out many of those very myths as historical fact and talks of the Crusades as one aspect of history that none of us as moderns could possibly identify with at all.
I’m not, by the way, trying to dissuade you from listening to this lecture series. They were still wonderful. The middle ages don’t make up a huge part of the series. I’m just warning you that if you want to learn about life in the middle ages, you would be better off reading some books by Frances and Joseph Gies (or even watching Terry Jones’s television series “Medieval Lives”).
So overall this is a fun series of 48 lectures for those who want a clearer picture of what it would be like to live in the past. While some parts are better than others, there is much to learn and enjoy, and Robert Garland clearly has a great love for his subject matter.
July 26, 2015
2.5 stars. It was generally good and had some interesting ideas but never quite lived up to my expectations. In particular, it too often told stories from a high and distant perspective, more an overview or summary than a close look at what life would have been like. There were a few lectures, such as one on a leisurely day in the life of an Athenian citizen, that captured the feel I had been hoping for but they were sadly a minority. Another problem is that the lecturer had a very strong bias towards modern western society; being a member of such society myself it is hard to argue that it is not a nice culture to live in but too often his words seemed to contain contempt for earlier societies and a tendency to emphasize the worst aspects of life in the periods examined. He also seemed confused about the idea of life expectancy which casts some doubt on his expertise. My understanding is that low life expectancy at birth (the most commonly quoted number) reflects high infant mortality rates and that someone who survives to adulthood (perhaps late teens to 20s depending) could expect to live to about 50 or 60 depending on exact circumstances. But the lecturer tended to make it sound like it would be a miracle for people to live that long. Of course life expectancy is a hard to grok concept and his interpretation may have been more accurate that it seemed to me, but it added to the overly negative tone that I found in the work. Still, it was a good overview of daily life in earlier civilizations and had useful ideas and concepts despite its flaws.
February 24, 2017
Really 4.5...
These lectures deal with the other, less talked about folks from ancient, classical and medieval history.
Prof Garland attributes his enthusiasm for history to the unnamed 'Ginger' discovered in Egypt about 5200 years ago. Without Ginger we might not have been able to experience the entertaining and informative lectures about the other people of history. Those 'other' people are those faceless folks who lived and died in some of the most formative times of human history.
These lectures are spawned from thoughts and informed conclusions about the lives of those not fortunate enough to be 1) educated enough to record lifetime events, 2) wealthy enough to have the 'free' time to spend in reflection and 3) aware enough to recognize that their lives, thoughts and feelings might ever matter. Mostly, for me, the lectures caused me to think about all those fellow humans that have lived throughout those ancient, classical and medieval times that tried desperately just to survive. It made me think about how the homeless might be remembered in 5000 years. What will our future historians say about the average laborer who provided for his family, or the single mom making ends meet, or the immigrant used car salesman who drives for Uber in his spare time. All these faces will never be the subject of an epic poem, or grace the ceiling of a grand cathedral or the floor with a heroic mosaic. In much the same way, Dr Garland has gently introduced us to those nobodies of yesteryear and has breathed (new) life into them...according to them the recognition due them, and perhaps giving them just a little of the immortality afforded heretofore only to the likes of Achilles-like famous characters.
I found the lectures well-paced, clear and well-organized. The good Professor has a pleasing voice and dry sense of humor. These lectures took a long time, but it was time well spent. The lectures made me think.
Highly recommended for the serious student of ancient, classical and medieval history...especially when the series is on sale, and you have a coupon handy.
These lectures deal with the other, less talked about folks from ancient, classical and medieval history.
Prof Garland attributes his enthusiasm for history to the unnamed 'Ginger' discovered in Egypt about 5200 years ago. Without Ginger we might not have been able to experience the entertaining and informative lectures about the other people of history. Those 'other' people are those faceless folks who lived and died in some of the most formative times of human history.
These lectures are spawned from thoughts and informed conclusions about the lives of those not fortunate enough to be 1) educated enough to record lifetime events, 2) wealthy enough to have the 'free' time to spend in reflection and 3) aware enough to recognize that their lives, thoughts and feelings might ever matter. Mostly, for me, the lectures caused me to think about all those fellow humans that have lived throughout those ancient, classical and medieval times that tried desperately just to survive. It made me think about how the homeless might be remembered in 5000 years. What will our future historians say about the average laborer who provided for his family, or the single mom making ends meet, or the immigrant used car salesman who drives for Uber in his spare time. All these faces will never be the subject of an epic poem, or grace the ceiling of a grand cathedral or the floor with a heroic mosaic. In much the same way, Dr Garland has gently introduced us to those nobodies of yesteryear and has breathed (new) life into them...according to them the recognition due them, and perhaps giving them just a little of the immortality afforded heretofore only to the likes of Achilles-like famous characters.
I found the lectures well-paced, clear and well-organized. The good Professor has a pleasing voice and dry sense of humor. These lectures took a long time, but it was time well spent. The lectures made me think.
Highly recommended for the serious student of ancient, classical and medieval history...especially when the series is on sale, and you have a coupon handy.
August 6, 2016
Though styled as "the other side of history", this is largely a history from the perspective of middle-class men, focusing on the ancestors of the lecturer's chiefly American audience. The lot of women, slaves and the very poor is touched upon fairly often, but generally mentioned in passing as exceptions from the normative male experience. Two of the forty-eight lectures are devoted to the lives of women and slaves as special topics.
The lecture series does have its moments, presenting, for instance, an interesting and believable account of the origins of conflict amongst Romans, Jews and Christians, but the majority of what is covered will already be familiar to anyone who has visited a few good museums. It covers a broad sweep of history, from prehistoric life to medieval times, and so has no time to get into any detail about "daily life". Or perhaps I was expecting too much and it was not time that was the limiting factor, but historical source material.
All in all, a little disappointing.
The lecture series does have its moments, presenting, for instance, an interesting and believable account of the origins of conflict amongst Romans, Jews and Christians, but the majority of what is covered will already be familiar to anyone who has visited a few good museums. It covers a broad sweep of history, from prehistoric life to medieval times, and so has no time to get into any detail about "daily life". Or perhaps I was expecting too much and it was not time that was the limiting factor, but historical source material.
All in all, a little disappointing.
April 28, 2018
A comprehensive and rare study of an ordinary human experience through the ages. It's sometimes surprisingly pretty (e.g. ancient romans/greeks in the upper echelons of society seems to have had it quite nice), but most often shockingly not so much.
March 10, 2015
I finished it! All 48 lectures!
The author is informative, entertaining, and deeply compassionate about "the other side of history" -- the history of women, slaves, soldiers, peasants, servants, artisans, farmers, townspeople, and other "ordinary" people who weren't rich or powerful.
One of his other books is about celebrities in the ancient world, so he devotes some time to that topic in this series. Some people were celebrities because of their titles or money, but others became famous because they were unusually brave, beautiful, or controversial (including gladiators, acrobats, and philosophers).
I actually wish this had been longer. Garland confines himself to ancient and medieval Europe and Southwest Asia. I wish he had devoted some attention to the Americas, Asia, and Australia, but those are not his areas of expertise.
The author is informative, entertaining, and deeply compassionate about "the other side of history" -- the history of women, slaves, soldiers, peasants, servants, artisans, farmers, townspeople, and other "ordinary" people who weren't rich or powerful.
One of his other books is about celebrities in the ancient world, so he devotes some time to that topic in this series. Some people were celebrities because of their titles or money, but others became famous because they were unusually brave, beautiful, or controversial (including gladiators, acrobats, and philosophers).
I actually wish this had been longer. Garland confines himself to ancient and medieval Europe and Southwest Asia. I wish he had devoted some attention to the Americas, Asia, and Australia, but those are not his areas of expertise.
June 26, 2017
I excepted micro history, but most of it is macro history concerned with great men and great events. Moreover, the author projects 21st century Western morals on ancient society - overall disappointing.
August 6, 2020
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World by Professor Robert Garland of Colgate University is a course from the catalog company The Great Courses
This is the guidebook that came with the video lectures for this look at the life of the commoner in ancient times. Each lecture averaged around 6 pages. This included terms and important figures being called out and defined. Further reading was suggested for those interested in knowing more and lastly each lecture would include 2 questions to consider.
The book consists of 48 lectures. It starts with Being Paleolithic, then onward to Living in Mesopotamia, then drilling down into Egyptian culture to cover the family, religion, what occurred to the dead, a worker, etc… Then to the Minoan, Mycenaean, and a deeper look into Greek life (slave, soldier, women, refugee, being disabled, …), the Romans (rich and poor, celebrity and criminal, ...), living in their culture and living under it as a Jewish person, Christian, or Celts. Finally, to Britain, Vikings and the medieval age ending after the crusades.
The book is focused on Western civilization. No discussion of ancient life in other parts of the world like Africa, the Americas, etc… Which is fine as they really deserve their own courses. The amount of material covered here is of quite a breadth even just touching on it at a high level.
It’s a wonderful overview. I love the focus on daily life. We hear so much in history class of the rulers, and the clamor of battles that changed the course of history. All important of course, but most of humanity just toiled. Struggled to survive and eke out a bit of pleasure each day. They were us; we go to work, pay our bills and look to an evening or weekend when we can spend time with friends or family and find some joy. It is that connection to the past that I loved learning about.
As I did this for my own enjoyment and there were no tests. I tackled this by reading two lectures together, then watching the videos where professor Garland would provide more details (each around 30 minutes long). Lastly, I would then re-read the two lectures hoping that something would stick in this mind of mine.
The written lectures were like the notes taken down by an A student. Tersely worded and formatted with bullet points capturing the high points. All very effective and easy to digest.
As mentioned, I really enjoyed this as a side-study of a subject that I wanted to know more about. This was my first introduction to the Great Courses offerings. I will definitely try others.
This is the guidebook that came with the video lectures for this look at the life of the commoner in ancient times. Each lecture averaged around 6 pages. This included terms and important figures being called out and defined. Further reading was suggested for those interested in knowing more and lastly each lecture would include 2 questions to consider.
The book consists of 48 lectures. It starts with Being Paleolithic, then onward to Living in Mesopotamia, then drilling down into Egyptian culture to cover the family, religion, what occurred to the dead, a worker, etc… Then to the Minoan, Mycenaean, and a deeper look into Greek life (slave, soldier, women, refugee, being disabled, …), the Romans (rich and poor, celebrity and criminal, ...), living in their culture and living under it as a Jewish person, Christian, or Celts. Finally, to Britain, Vikings and the medieval age ending after the crusades.
The book is focused on Western civilization. No discussion of ancient life in other parts of the world like Africa, the Americas, etc… Which is fine as they really deserve their own courses. The amount of material covered here is of quite a breadth even just touching on it at a high level.
It’s a wonderful overview. I love the focus on daily life. We hear so much in history class of the rulers, and the clamor of battles that changed the course of history. All important of course, but most of humanity just toiled. Struggled to survive and eke out a bit of pleasure each day. They were us; we go to work, pay our bills and look to an evening or weekend when we can spend time with friends or family and find some joy. It is that connection to the past that I loved learning about.
As I did this for my own enjoyment and there were no tests. I tackled this by reading two lectures together, then watching the videos where professor Garland would provide more details (each around 30 minutes long). Lastly, I would then re-read the two lectures hoping that something would stick in this mind of mine.
The written lectures were like the notes taken down by an A student. Tersely worded and formatted with bullet points capturing the high points. All very effective and easy to digest.
As mentioned, I really enjoyed this as a side-study of a subject that I wanted to know more about. This was my first introduction to the Great Courses offerings. I will definitely try others.
March 15, 2019
Another good lecture series from Great Courses. Prof. Garland is an interesting lecturer and seems to love his subject. I especially loved some of the information about daily life of pre-historic humans and in Ancient Egypt. I also enjoyed the survey he did of the days leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. However, this series wasn't without a few minor flaws. First, I was rather surprised that he repeated the trope that Christmas is actually based on a pagan Roman holiday. Made me pause and think, "Did he really just say that?" The other one was he only uses Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" as his source for his lecture on religious pilgrimages. There was no mention of Egeria's diary of her pilgrimage to the Holy Land written in the 5th century. Not only is "The Diary of a Pilgrimage" a first-person account but I suspect that most westerners don't know about her. It was an opportunity lost by Prof. Garland. And finally, the series is decidedly Western, Christian, and English by the time we get to the 800-900s. I love this period of English history, but it would have been nice to hear about other cultures as well. As you may have guessed the title is misleading. It should be "Daily Life in the Ancient and *Medieval English* World" But, those are minor annoyances. Everything else was quite interesting and enlightening.
July 3, 2019
Прекрасный цикл лекций, если интересна повседневная жизнь в разные исторические периоды. Охвачен период от палеолита до Средних веков. Мне запомнились лекции о жизни рядового древнего египтянина и сравнения богатые VS бедные древние римляне/греки и т.д.. Средние века не так интересны, просто потому, что про них и так много написано/снято. У лектора экспрессивная манера речи, но через полчасика привыкаешь. Рекомендую.
При покупке на audible можно скачать guidebook с подробностями и источниками.
При покупке на audible можно скачать guidebook с подробностями и источниками.
November 7, 2019
Me gustó mucho este libro....al inicio me pareció lento y hasta un poco aburrido pero luego me enganchó bastante. Me queda más que claro que muchas veces la historia de repite, que los humanos buscamos prácticamente lo mismo sea cual sea la era en la que vivimos...en fin, me gustó mucho. Y bueno, también me queda claro que no me hubiera gustado vivir en la época medieval 🏰 😖
May 22, 2018
Trigger warning:
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because there were parts of this that were incredibly fascinating
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because there were parts of this that were incredibly fascinating
February 20, 2024
I needed a break from fiction, so I chose this series of lectures by Robert Garland about the regular folks of the ancient world. You know. The Neanderthal just hunting and gathering away. The poor Greek wife who can’t show her face in public and will most likely die because of childbirth related infection since cleanliness and hygiene were nonexistent. The Gladiator who kept whacking away regardless of broken bones, severe lacerations, and massive concussions. The medieval peasant who pooed in his kitchen, living room and bedroom because they were all the same. The good wife could use those piles of dookie to stoke the fire for the day’s fetid gruel. Um Um Good! Just kidding.
These are the things that fascinate me. After reading for a while I detected a bit of cheekiness in Garland’s words so I just had to get the audio version. Man, that was a good move! This guy is hilarious. He’s not mocking anything or being an ass, instead you can tell he just doesn’t take himself too seriously.
I love his delivery and found myself chuckling often. A truly interesting read or listen “I dare say!”
After this refreshing break I was ready to go back to Murakami.
These are the things that fascinate me. After reading for a while I detected a bit of cheekiness in Garland’s words so I just had to get the audio version. Man, that was a good move! This guy is hilarious. He’s not mocking anything or being an ass, instead you can tell he just doesn’t take himself too seriously.
I love his delivery and found myself chuckling often. A truly interesting read or listen “I dare say!”
After this refreshing break I was ready to go back to Murakami.
September 18, 2017
This course made me miss going to college.
Professor Garland is clear, crisp and smooth with the material. I never realized how interesting it would be to have 48 lessons that cover the common person's life from Neanderthal through the medieval times.
It was interesting to hear how a common person lived. Ranging from slaves, to women (sometimes one and the same, sadly more often then sometimes), to citizens, soldiers and merchants. It was interesting to hear about what their day to day lives were like, who they married and what they did when they had a day off.
I have no complaints about this Great Course, and definitely no complaints about the professor. The only thing is I did wish it had more with other cultures, but that is because I knew a lot of the information from my other studies. However, that isn't a problem because of the Course.
This was definitely 24 hours worth of instruction that was worth it. I am going to pick up my next set of lessons from the Great Courses immediately.
Professor Garland is clear, crisp and smooth with the material. I never realized how interesting it would be to have 48 lessons that cover the common person's life from Neanderthal through the medieval times.
It was interesting to hear how a common person lived. Ranging from slaves, to women (sometimes one and the same, sadly more often then sometimes), to citizens, soldiers and merchants. It was interesting to hear about what their day to day lives were like, who they married and what they did when they had a day off.
I have no complaints about this Great Course, and definitely no complaints about the professor. The only thing is I did wish it had more with other cultures, but that is because I knew a lot of the information from my other studies. However, that isn't a problem because of the Course.
This was definitely 24 hours worth of instruction that was worth it. I am going to pick up my next set of lessons from the Great Courses immediately.
October 4, 2013
You know its a professor and not a professional author because he constantly feels the need to trow in his own personal anecdotes. You could learn as much by reading the wiki pages of various civilizations. The most inexcusable to me is that the author cites the Bible as a source and talks about Jesus's life as if it actually happened. I quit there and probably won't go back.
October 17, 2018
Takes a tour through human history up to medieval times and shows us what it was like being an ordinary person, whether free citizens, slaves, women, the sick and the old. Fascinating series of lectures!
April 19, 2020
The Other Side of History is a series of lectures about what it was like to live in the ancient world. The lectures look at history from a very different perspective than the one we're used to. They don't care about the lives of kings, their wars, and their conquests as much as they care about the lives of peasants, slaves, women, and people about whom traditional history books didn't care much.
The lectures go around from one civilization to the other, exploring culture, religion, social hierarchy, gender politics, relaxation, and many of the different aspects of the daily life. In listening to those lectures, I learned about what it was like to be a Greek Slave, a Medieval Crusader, and an ancient Egyptian woman. I learned how I would have viewed religion as a Greek, how I would have spent my leisure time as a Roman, and how I would have been treated after my death as an ancient Egyptian.
The lectures are great, because they connect us to the normal people of the earlier ages, allowing us to compare our lives to theirs, and to feel more compassionate and reconciled with our history.
My only problem with the book is that it grows more and more European as it advances. It starts by talking about all of humanity, then about Mesopotamia and Egypt, but from there on, it moves into Europe, then into Britain, and gets stuck there until the end of the book. The material was very interesting, but I would have loved to learn about East Asian civilizations, or about the daily life of Muslim civilizations, or even about the lives of the indigenous people of the Americas. The book grows more and more Euro-centric, to the degree that it even makes tremendous mistakes in the very few mentions that it has of the Muslim civilization, which mainly come up in the Crusades lectures. It mentions that the Ottomans were the area back then, even though the Crusades started two centuries before the birth of the Ottoman state. It also mentions that the body of the Prophet Mohammad lies in Mecca, which is why people go on Pilgrimages there, while in reality it lies in Al Medina, and people go to Mecca for a very different reason. These mistakes were very disappointing, and led me to feel that the book was directed much more towards a European audience, than a global one.
All in all, the book was a great read, and the mistakes/lack of focus on other civilizations does not take away from the tremendous value and enjoyment that I have received from it.
The lectures go around from one civilization to the other, exploring culture, religion, social hierarchy, gender politics, relaxation, and many of the different aspects of the daily life. In listening to those lectures, I learned about what it was like to be a Greek Slave, a Medieval Crusader, and an ancient Egyptian woman. I learned how I would have viewed religion as a Greek, how I would have spent my leisure time as a Roman, and how I would have been treated after my death as an ancient Egyptian.
The lectures are great, because they connect us to the normal people of the earlier ages, allowing us to compare our lives to theirs, and to feel more compassionate and reconciled with our history.
My only problem with the book is that it grows more and more European as it advances. It starts by talking about all of humanity, then about Mesopotamia and Egypt, but from there on, it moves into Europe, then into Britain, and gets stuck there until the end of the book. The material was very interesting, but I would have loved to learn about East Asian civilizations, or about the daily life of Muslim civilizations, or even about the lives of the indigenous people of the Americas. The book grows more and more Euro-centric, to the degree that it even makes tremendous mistakes in the very few mentions that it has of the Muslim civilization, which mainly come up in the Crusades lectures. It mentions that the Ottomans were the area back then, even though the Crusades started two centuries before the birth of the Ottoman state. It also mentions that the body of the Prophet Mohammad lies in Mecca, which is why people go on Pilgrimages there, while in reality it lies in Al Medina, and people go to Mecca for a very different reason. These mistakes were very disappointing, and led me to feel that the book was directed much more towards a European audience, than a global one.
All in all, the book was a great read, and the mistakes/lack of focus on other civilizations does not take away from the tremendous value and enjoyment that I have received from it.
August 26, 2023
This was my second time listening to The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World. However, the last time was a while ago, so there was plenty I had forgotten. Overall, I consider it a pretty solid course. While I’m not a historian and cannot variety any of the information presented, Robert Garland seems be very knowledgeable about the subject he is teaching. Personally, I found the middle of the course a lot more engaging than the end, but I’m not sure if it’s due to his specialization in Ancient Greece and Rome or my increased interest in those time periods. I found my interest dwindling more at the end, as we got into Medieval England. I’m not super interested in the Christian Church personally and they had a ton of influence during that time period.
I liked the way the instructor managed to personify the people he was trying to explain. He would give fictional examples of situations that actual people during the period he was talking about would have found themselves in, almost making it feel like a narrative at times, yet still demonstrating his point. I would find myself starting to get sucked in, and then remember “Wait, I’m a woman and therefore could not have done this!” That happened repeatedly. I can’t exactly blame the course for woman not having rights until very recently in history. While I love picturing myself in Ancient Greece, being allowed to leave the house and having access to healthcare is preferable. I’d highly recommend this course if you’re interested in Ancient Greece or Rome, how ordinary people lived in Ancient times, or how standards of living have evolved throughout history. Don’t listen for the Vikings though, they didn’t keep written records! 4/5 August 26 2023
I liked the way the instructor managed to personify the people he was trying to explain. He would give fictional examples of situations that actual people during the period he was talking about would have found themselves in, almost making it feel like a narrative at times, yet still demonstrating his point. I would find myself starting to get sucked in, and then remember “Wait, I’m a woman and therefore could not have done this!” That happened repeatedly. I can’t exactly blame the course for woman not having rights until very recently in history. While I love picturing myself in Ancient Greece, being allowed to leave the house and having access to healthcare is preferable. I’d highly recommend this course if you’re interested in Ancient Greece or Rome, how ordinary people lived in Ancient times, or how standards of living have evolved throughout history. Don’t listen for the Vikings though, they didn’t keep written records! 4/5 August 26 2023
March 16, 2020
I went for this book thinking it is only going to focus on Ancient Egypt, but it turned out to be a much bigger surprise. it went through the whole old world daily life history.
The narrator Dr. Robert Garland is certainly an engaging teacher. He took us through a span on ancient world making us feel and relive the feeling that this is actually our lives.
This is not a very in depth historic book. its a nice gossip life through the days of ancient world as we know it, Romans, Ancient Greek, Athenians vs Spartans. The Persians, the Vikings, he even crossed over to the middle ages. What he totally ignored is the ancient lives of middle age communities living in the middle east, the ancient far east. As usual those are totally skipped in world history, he also totally ignored the new world, perhaps we dont have enough records of it, perhaps he wanted the course to be decent in size. whether this or that, he went through the history as everyone focuses on. Europe and important parts of the Middle East. may be the rest could be a good material for another book.
at any rate, this is a soft read(listen), nothing requires too much focus or attention.
entertaining, informing and certainly engaging.
The narrator Dr. Robert Garland is certainly an engaging teacher. He took us through a span on ancient world making us feel and relive the feeling that this is actually our lives.
This is not a very in depth historic book. its a nice gossip life through the days of ancient world as we know it, Romans, Ancient Greek, Athenians vs Spartans. The Persians, the Vikings, he even crossed over to the middle ages. What he totally ignored is the ancient lives of middle age communities living in the middle east, the ancient far east. As usual those are totally skipped in world history, he also totally ignored the new world, perhaps we dont have enough records of it, perhaps he wanted the course to be decent in size. whether this or that, he went through the history as everyone focuses on. Europe and important parts of the Middle East. may be the rest could be a good material for another book.
at any rate, this is a soft read(listen), nothing requires too much focus or attention.
entertaining, informing and certainly engaging.
February 3, 2025
great commute fodder. years ago, i enjoyed garland's "integrated history of the mediterranean" course. this offering, focused on daily life in prehistory through the middle ages, doesn't disappoint...though the strength of the course resides in garland's area of specialization, namely the greek and roman-themed lectures. it's no substitute for reading lefebvre or braudel on everyday life, but garland isn't some academic lightweight and has a better speaking voice than either (why would 20th century french celebrity profs need to be good at lecturing?). highly recommended, especially if you need some comforting/edifying background accompaniment to the more tedious parts of your day.
April 26, 2019
This 48-lecture course focuses on the lives of ordinary people throughout history. It also covers the wealthy and powerful to some extent to provide contrast. Unfortunately, it deals only with Western civilization -- concentrating on the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Minoan, Greek, Roman, and British societies. (One can hope another course will cover ancient Asian, African, and American civilizations in as much detail.)
Garland's presentation is professional, smooth, and interesting. Entertaining as well as educational, it was worth my time.
(General comment on The Great courses: The canned applause tracks before and after lectures are annoying to me. (May not apply to all the courses. ??))
Garland's presentation is professional, smooth, and interesting. Entertaining as well as educational, it was worth my time.
(General comment on The Great courses: The canned applause tracks before and after lectures are annoying to me. (May not apply to all the courses. ??))
July 17, 2020
The audio version of this Great Course called The Other Side of History was an enriching listen during my daily commutes. The lecturer covered the ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome before moving on to discuss Celtic civilization in the British Isles and advancing up through medieval history. The course was filled with insights into the daily lives of the everyday people who lived during those times, and made me glad to be a beneficiary of living in the modern day!
June 11, 2022
A lot of it was already familiar to me, but there were new tidbits here and there. One amazing one was about medieval soccer. Apparently they would play between villages, which could be separated by miles! What a field to play on. This tends to explain a few things too, such as why there were originally no substitutions, and why there were so many players on the pitch at one time.
October 5, 2017
Excellent seminar on the "other" side of history; instead of focusing on the usual kings, queens, pharoahs, emperors, etc., this focuses on the forgotten people that we usually don't hear about-- the peasants, the slaves, the poor/working classes, the women (other than queens and other royalty, of course-- these are the unsung and usually repressed middle/lower-class women who didn't have anywhere near as many rights and privileges as their upper-class counterparts), etc., and how they were treated and lived their daily lives through different eras and empires-- the ancient Egyptians, Greece, Roman, Middle Ages, etc. Definitely would recommend for other history buffs who've already read and know all about all the usual histories of the royals and want to learn about the average person in these historical periods who never have books written about or movies made!
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