History
EASY READ Ancient worlds
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EASY READ A timeline of the ancient world
Ancient history tells the story of the world between about 10,000 BC, about the time when people first started farming, to about 500 AD. During this time, civilizations flowered in...
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EASY READ Who lived in ancient Babylon?
Babylon was one of the most important cities in Mesopotamia. This was the fertile land that lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was one of the first...
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EASY READ Who were the pharaohs?
Pharaoh was the title for the man (and, in some cases, woman) who was high priest and ruler of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was more than just a ruler. He...
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EASY READ How were the pyramids built?
The pyramids were built as huge stone tombs for pharaohs when they died. The largest one, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, was 147 metres (482 feet) high. It took thousands of workers...
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EASY READ What was it like to live in ancient Egypt?
Thousands of years ago, one of the greatest civilizations that ever existed began in the valley of the River Nile in Egypt. A few kilometres to either side of the river lay the...
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EASY READ Why were ancient Egyptian mummies made?
The Egyptians believed that their pharaoh was a god. He would come to life again after he died (the Afterlife). But this would only happen if the his body had not decayed. Turning...
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EASY READ What do we know about ancient China?
The Chinese civilization grew up on the banks of the Yellow River (Huang He) in northern China more than 7000 years ago. It was completely separate from the rest of the world for...
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EASY READ Who lived in ancient India?
The Indian civilization is one of the oldest in the world. Farmers had begun to build villages in the valley of the River Indus by about 7000 BC. These settlements grew larger and...
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EASY READ What happened in the Trojan War?
The Trojan War was fought between the Greeks and the city of Troy, probably during the 14th century BC—we do not know exactly when. A real war, or series of wars, may well have...
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EASY READ When was the Golden Age of Greece?
The “Golden Age” of Greece began around 2500 years ago. The country was divided into small states, each consisting of a city or town and surrounding villages. The city-state of...
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EASY READ How did the Roman Empire arise?
Two thousand years ago, the Romans ruled most of Europe and beyond. The Roman Empire stretched from Britain to the Middle East. It included all the lands surrounding the...
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EASY READ What was it like in the Roman army?
It was thanks to their well-trained army that the Romans were successful in conquering other lands and building a huge empire. The powerful army crushed any rebellions within the...
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EASY READ What did the Romans build?
The Romans were expert builders and engineers. They built thousands of kilometres of roads across their empire. They also built great aqueducts, long stone channels that carried...
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EASY READ What was it like to live in Roman times?
Every Roman town had its own bathhouse, theatre, amphitheatre and circus (chariot racing circuit). There were also shops, bars, restaurants and workshops. Farmers from the...
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EASY READ Who were the gladiators?
Gladiators were slaves or criminals who were trained to fight one another in Roman times. Gladiatorial contests were held in stadiums called amphitheatres attended by large crowds...
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EASY READ Who were the Aztecs?
Centuries ago, the Aztecs ruled a huge area of what is now Mexico. They conquered many neighbouring tribes. They had a huge army of trained soldiers, including the fearsome Jaguar...
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EASY READ Where was the Inca Empire?
About 500 years ago, the Incas ruled an empire in the Andes Mountains of South America. It stretched 4000 kilometres (2500 miles) from north to south. Until the Spanish arrived in...
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