Book I, On the Shores of the Great Sea, focuses on the civilizations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea from the time of Abraham to the birth of Christ. Brief histories of the Ancient Israelites, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Scythians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans are given, concluding with the conquest of the entire Mediterranean area by Rome. Important myths and legends that preceded recorded history are also related.

From the cover of the Yesterday's Classics reprint