In the Land of a Thousand Gods: A History of Asia Minor in the Ancient World

This monumental book provides the first comprehensive history of Asia Minor from prehistory to the Roman imperial period. In this handsome English-language edition of the critically acclaimed German book, Christian Marek masterfully weaves together illuminating citations from the ancient sources with vivid sketches of civic institutions, urban and rural society, agriculture, trade and money, the influential Greek writers of the Second Sophistic, the notoriously bloody exhibitions of the gladiatorial arena, and more.

In the Land of a Thousand Gods is truly panoramic in scope. Blending rich narrative history with in-depth analyses of political, social, and economic achievements, it traces Asia Minor's shifting orientation between East and West in the ancient world and examines its roles as both a melting pot of nations and a bridge for cultural transmission. Marek takes readers from the earliest known Stone Age settlements to the appearance and downfall of Bronze and Iron Age empires. He covers the emergence of early Greek poetry and science, the invention of coinage, Persian domination and the prosperity of cities under the Hellenistic kings, and the establishment of Roman provinces. Marek draws on the latest research--in fields ranging from demography and economics to architecture and religion--to describe how Asia Minor became a civilized and wealthy part of the Roman Empire, and shows how the advancement of Hellenization and civic autonomy was the irreversible legacy of the Pax Romana.

A breathtaking work of scholarship, In the Land of a Thousand Gods is destined to become the standard reference book on the subject in English.