罗伊·T.马修斯的《西方人文读本》这本教材自2003年问世以来，一直受到大学教师和学生的欢迎，不断再版。书中把整个西方历史从人文成就的角度进行了重新梳理和展示。书中将西方的经济、社会、政治、军事的历史与文学艺术、科学、哲学、宗教等知识的发展融会贯通，从宏观和微观角度对西方人文史进行立体的把握。

《西方人文读本(注释版第6版英文大学人文经典教材)》作者罗伊·T.马修斯是美国大学西方人文史专业的教授，把西方人文历史放到国际互动的大背景下进行介绍和评价，细致入微地介绍了西方文明的起源、发展、演变，以及在这个过程中对其他地区人文成就的吸收与融合。

《西方人文读本(注释版第6版英文大学人文经典教材)》将西方的经济、社会、政治、军事的历史与文学艺术、科学、哲学、宗教等知识的发展融会贯通，从宏观和微观角度对西方人文史进行立体的把握。

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION:

Why Study Cultural History?

A HUMANITIES PRIMER:

How to Understand the Arts

1

PREHISTORY AND

NEAR EASTERN

CIVILIZATIONS

PREHISTORY AND EARLY CULTURES

Paleolithic Period

Neolithic Period

Technology in Early Cultures

 Stone Age Technology Bronze Age Technology

 Iron Age Technology

THE CIVILIZATIONS OF THE TIGRIS AND

 EUPHRATES RIVER VALLEY: MESOPOTAMIA

The Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian Kingdoms

The Cradle of Civilization

 Writing Religion

 ENCOUNTER The Phoenicians and the Alphabet

 Literature Law

SLICE OF LIFE "A Sumerian Father Lectures His Son"

 Anonymous, from clay tablets

 Science, Mathematics, and Medicine Art and

 Architecture

THE CIVILIZATION OF THE NILE RIVER VALLEY:

 EGYPT

Continuity and Change over Three Thousand Years

A Quest for Eternal Cultural Values

 Religion Writing and Literature Science and Medicine

SLICE OF LIFE Life's Instruction Book for Egyptians

 Anonymous, from A Papyrus Text

 Architecture ~ Sculpture, Painting, and Minor

 Arts

HEIRS TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN AND EGYPTIAN

 EMPIRES

The Hittites

The Assyrians

The Medes

The Persians

THE LEGACY OF EARLY NEAR EASTERN

 CIVILIZATIONS

KEY CULTURAL TERMS

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING

2

AEGEAN CIVILIZATIONS

The Minoans, the Mycenaeans,

and the Greeks of the Archaic

Age

PRELUDE: MINOAN CIVILIZATION,

 3000-1100 B.C.E.

BEGINNINGS: MYCENAEAN CWILIZATION,

 1900-1100 KC.E.

Technology in Minoan Crete and Mycenae

INTERLUDE: THE DARK AGES, 1100-800 B.C.E.

THE ARCHAIC AGE, 800-479 B.C.E.

Political, Economic, and Social Structures

The Greek PolLs: Sparta and Athens

Technology in Archaic Greece

The Persian Wars

THE EMERGENCE OF GREEK GENIUS: THE

 MASTERY OF FORM

Religion

Literature

 Epic Poetry Lyric Poetry

 ENCOUNTER Near Eastern Art and Greek Pottery

Philosophy, Science, and Medicine

 Natural Philosophy

 SLICE OF LIFE The Worlds of Women and Men in Ancient

 Greece Sappho, "He Seems to Be a God" and Alcaeus,

 "Longing for Home"

 Medicine

Architecture

Sculpture

THE LEGACY OF ARCHAIC GREEK

 CWILIZATION

……