This is a guide to the greatest empires of the past. It takes the reader on an amazing tour of ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome and the lands of the Aztecs and Incas. Written and organized in the style of a travel guide, it concentrates on what it really meant to be a citizen of those mysterious past civilizations. It is organized into four chapters - one for each civilization - and each chapter is divided into sections that include "accommodation", "things to do", and "top attractions". Each section is packed full of useful information for would-be tourists as well as quirky sightseers' tips that advise travellers in the Inca country to hire llamas for mountain journeys and suggest that visitors to the Roman baths wear sandals to protect their feet from the hot tiles.

 

This book is part of a book series called Life in the Ancient World .

There are 128 pages in this book. This book was published 2002 by Pan Macmillan .

The Unknown Adventurer is still believed to be at large in the wild.

This book has the following chapters: 1-5 Prelims; 6-7 Ancient Egypt chapter opener. Welcome to Egypt in the time of Rameses II, pharaoh from 1289-1224BC. 8-9 Information - Introducing Egypt; Historical context for the book with details of the reign of Rameses II. 10-11 Information - Travelling Around; How to get around in Ancient Egypt - boat trips on the Nile, by foot and by donkey. Why the Egyptians did not like to travel. (Tip: Make sure you travel on a seaworthy vessel - the Nile is full of crocodiles!); 12-13 Information - What to Wear; How to dress like an Ancient Egyptian - jewellery, wigs and perfume. (Tip: You'll need more than one pair of sandals - they are made from woven reed and wear out very quickly!); 14-15 Information - Food and Drink; Local foods and dishes, how bread and beer are made. (Tip: You may prefer to strain the beer before drinking it - it is made from old bread and looks like a muddy soup!); 16-17 Information - Accommodation; Different types of accommodation from a nobleman's house to a poor town house. (Tip: Don't expect a comfortable night's sleep - the beds are made with ropes or leather straps, and the Ancient Egyptians use wooden headrests instead of pillows!); 18-19 Things to do - Shopping; What you can buy at the town market - foods, pottery etc. The barter system and how officials make sure that trade is fair. (Tip: Don't be tempted to steal anything, markets are patrolled by sniffer baboons!); 20-21 Things to do - Leisure Time; What the Egyptians do for entertainment. Stories and games. (Tip: Some Egyptian stories may be familiar - Cinderella originates from Ancient Egyptian times!); 22-23 Things to do - Hunting; Hunting hippos and birds. (Tip: Many Egyptians take their pet cats with them when they go hunting for birds!); 24-25 Things to do - Mummification; Mummification. (Tip: Egyptians believe strongly in magic - any part of your body can be used in a spell against you!); 26-27 Top Attractions - The Pyramids; The pyramids at Giza. (Tip: Pyramids are already hundreds of years old so not much is known about how they were constructed!); 28-29 Top Attractions - Karnak; Temples at Karnak and Luxor - Egyptian gods and religion, hieroglyphs. (Tip: You may not be allowed inside the temple - normally only priests and priestesses can enter. )