THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE EGYPTIANS, CARTHAGINIANS, ASSYRIANS, BABLYONIANS, MEDES AND PERSIANS, GRECIANS, AND MACEDONIANS.  INCLUDING A HISTORY OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCE OF THE ANCIENTS.  By Charles Rollin.  With a Life of the Author, by James Bell.  Two Volumes.  Cincinnati.  Applegate & Co., 1858.

Charles Rollin, a French historian and educationist, wrote an immensely popular history of ancient times that for more than a century served as the standard work on the topic in several languages.  Born in Paris, Rollin became rector of the University of Paris near the end of the 17^th century, rendering great service among other things by reviving the study of Greek. His religious opinions deprived him of various appointments and apparently prevented his election to the Académie française.  Forbidden to teach, Rollin proceeded to produce this history and other erudite works.  In cultures still largely in thrall to the vanished world of ancient times, Rollin’s Ancient History was published over and over, providing half a dozen generations with their knowledge of the pre-Roman world.

Rollin’s two volumes are divided into 24 books, which run as follows:

Book I - The Ancient History of the Egyptians.  Book II - The History of the Carthaginians.  Book III - The History of the Assyrians.  Book IV - The Foundation of the Empire of the Persians and Medes.  Book V - The History of the Origin and First Settlement of Several States and Governments of Greece. Book VI - The History of the Persians and Grecians.  Books VII to XIII - The Ancient History of the Persians and Grecians.  Book XIV - The History of Philip.  Book XV - The History of Alexander. Book XVI to XXI - The History of Alexander's Successors.  Book XXII - The History of Syracuse.  Book XXIII - The History of Pontus.  Book XXIV - The History of Egypt.

Volume I of this edition of Rollin’s Ancient History contains 656 pages, while volume II has 605.  Volume II ends with a geographical table and a chronological table before the index.

Each of these volumes measures 6 by 9 ½ inches and is almost 2 inches thick.  The volumes are bound in full calf, with decorated edges to the pages.  The hinges of both volumes are weakened but still holding, with significant wear to the front hinges, especially of volume I, which is not far from coming loose (see photos).  The books’ pages are still in fine condition, with essentially no foxing and only a bit of browning.  Each volume has an illustration on the half-title page, and volume I has a frontispiece portrait of Rollin, but otherwise there are no maps or illustrations. 

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