The ancient Mediterranean world was interconnected and saw the
interactions between numerous civilizations throughout the period.
Despite the common focus of history books on the ancient Greek and
Roman worlds, they were continually influenced by surrounding
civilizations, from Northern Africa to the modern Middle East,
stretching as far east as the Indus river at some points. For this
essay I would like you to discuss the influence that these
interactions had on classical Athens during the
5th century BCE, the empire created by Alexander
the Great, the Roman Republic of the 3rd century
BCE, and the early decades of the Roman Empire established in 27
BCE. How was western civilization shaped by these interactions?