This text is primarily concerned with enhancing the reader's study by focusing on particular themes developed within the traditional chronological framework of western civilization. Historical themes, such as Myth and Reality in the Ancient World, Church and State in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Politics, Society, and Revolution in 18th-century Europe, and New Imperialism, allow instructor and student alike to engage in an in-depth analysis of some of the most important aspects of the development of civilization. The readings contained in this volume extend from the beginning of civilization in the Ancient Near East and Egypt through the Modern Age and provide balanced coverage of periods and aspects of the history of western civilization.