The Ancient World, THU-WOO

The modern world may look very different from the world that existed in the time of ancient civilizations, but our modern-day life continues to show the influence of cultures, traditions, ideas, and innovations from hundreds of years ago. Learn more about important historical civilizations, sites, people, and events.
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The Ancient World Encyclopedia Articles By Title

Thutmose IV
Thutmose IV was an 18th-dynasty king of ancient Egypt who reigned during the 2nd millennium BCE. He secured an......
Tiberius
Tiberius was the second Roman emperor (14–37 ce), the adopted son of Augustus, whose imperial institutions and......
Tigellinus, Ofonius
Ofonius Tigellinus was the Roman emperor Nero’s chief adviser from 62 to 68, notorious for the influence his cruelty......
Tiglath-pileser I
Tiglath-pileser I was one of the greatest of the early kings of Assyria, reigning c. 1115–c. 1077 bc. Tiglath-pileser......
Tiglath-pileser II
Tiglath-pileser II was the king of Assyria (c. 965–c. 932 bc). He apparently ruled effectively, as a successor......
Tiglath-pileser III
Tiglath-pileser III was the king of Assyria (745–727 bc) who inaugurated the last and greatest phase of Assyrian......
Tigris-Euphrates river system
Tigris-Euphrates river system, great river system of southwestern Asia. It comprises the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,......
Tikal
Tikal, city and ceremonial centre of the ancient Maya civilization. The largest urban centre in the southern Maya......
Tillemont, Sébastien Le Nain de
Sébastien Le Nain de Tillemont was a French ecclesiastical historian who was one of the earliest scholars to provide......
Tissaphernes
Tissaphernes was a Persian satrap (governor) who played a leading part in Persia’s struggle to reconquer the Ionian......
Titus
Titus was a Roman emperor (79–81), and the conqueror of Jerusalem in 70. After service in Britain and Germany,......
Titus Tatius
Titus Tatius, traditionally the Sabine king who ruled with Romulus, the founder of Rome. It is unlikely that either......
Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku, major pre-Columbian civilization known from ruins of the same name that are situated near the southern......
Toltec
Toltec, Nahuatl-speaking tribe who held sway over what is now central Mexico from the 10th to the 12th century......
Toprakkale
Toprakkale, ancient Urartian fortress located near modern Van in southeastern Turkey. The walls of Toprakkale,......
Torres-García, Joaquín
Joaquín Torres-García was a Uruguayan painter who introduced Constructivism to South America. In 1891 Torres-García......
Trajan
Trajan was a Roman emperor (98–117 ce) who sought to extend the boundaries of the empire to the east (notably in......
Trasimene, Battle of
Battle of Trasimene, (June 217 bce), second major battle of the Second Punic War, in which the Carthaginian forces......
Trebbia River, Battle of the
Battle of the Trebbia River, (December 218 bce), first major battle of the Second Punic War, in which the Carthaginian......
Trebonius, Gaius
Gaius Trebonius was a Roman general and politician who had been one of Caesar’s most trusted lieutenants before......
tribe
tribe, in Roman history, a unit of the Roman state. The first Roman tribes were probably ethnic in origin and consisted......
tribune
tribune, any of various military and civil officials in ancient Rome. Military tribunes (tribuni militum) were......
triumvirate
triumvirate, in ancient Rome, a board of three officials. There were several types: Tresviri capitales, or tresviri......
Troas
Troas, the land of Troy, ancient district formed mainly by the northwestern projection of Asia Minor (now the Asian......
Trojan War
Trojan War, legendary conflict between the early Greeks and the people of Troy in western Anatolia, dated by later......
Troy
Troy, ancient city in northwestern Anatolia that holds an enduring place in both literature and archaeology. It......
Trypillya culture
Trypillya culture, Neolithic European culture that arose in Ukraine between the Seret and Bug rivers, with extensions......
Tukulti-Ninurta Epic
Tukulti-Ninurta Epic, the only extant Assyrian epic tale; it relates the wars between Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria......
Tukulti-Ninurta I
Tukulti-Ninurta I, (reigned c. 1243–c. 1207 bc), king of Assyria who asserted Assyrian supremacy over King Kashtiliashu......
Tullus Hostilius
Tullus Hostilius, traditionally, the third king of Rome, reigning from 672 to 641 bc. He was a legendary figure,......
Tunis
Tunis, capital and largest city of Tunisia, on the northern African coast, between the western and eastern basins......
Turin Papyrus
Turin Papyrus, hieratic manuscript of the 19th dynasty (1292–1190 bce) of ancient Egypt, listing the kings of Egypt......
Tusculum
Tusculum, ancient Italic city (modern Frascati) in Latium, 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Rome, a favourite resort......
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun was a king of ancient Egypt (reigned c. 1333–24 bce), known chiefly for his intact tomb, KV 62 (tomb......
Tzeltal
Tzeltal, Mayan Indians of central Chiapas, in southeastern Mexico, most closely related culturally and linguistically......
Tzotzil
Tzotzil, Mayan Indians of central Chiapas in southeastern Mexico. Linguistically and culturally, the Tzotzil are......
Tz’utujil
Tz’utujil, Mayan Indians of the midwestern highlands of Guatemala. The Tz’utujil language is closely related to......
Uaxactún
Uaxactún, ruined ancient Mayan city of the southern lowlands, located in what is now north-central Guatemala, about......
Ulfilas
Ulfilas was a Christian bishop and missionary who evangelized the Goths, reputedly created the Gothic alphabet,......
Umbri
Umbri, ancient pre-Etruscan people who gradually concentrated in Umbria (in central Italy) in response to Etruscan......
Unas
Unas was the last king of the 5th dynasty (c. 2435–c. 2306 bce) of ancient Egypt and the first pharaoh to inscribe......
United Kingdom
United Kingdom, island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom comprises......
Ur
Ur, important city of ancient southern Mesopotamia (Sumer), situated about 140 miles (225 km) southeast of the......
Uraha Hill
Uraha Hill, a paleoanthropological site in northern Malawi known for the discovery of a jawbone of an ancient human......
Urartu
Urartu, ancient country of southwest Asia centred in the mountainous region southeast of the Black Sea and southwest......
Urci
Urci, ancient settlement in southeastern Roman Hispania mentioned by Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, and Claudius......
Urnfield culture
Urnfield culture, a Late Bronze Age culture of Europe, so called because of the custom of placing the cremated......
Userkaf
Userkaf was the first king of the 5th dynasty of ancient Egypt (c. 2435–c. 2306 bce), under whose reign the cult......
Utnapishtim
Utnapishtim, in the Babylonian Gilgamesh epic, survivor of a mythological flood whom Gilgamesh consults about the......
Uxmal
Uxmal, ruined ancient Maya city in Yucatán state, Mexico, about 90 miles (150 km) west-southwest of Chichén Itzá......
Vadstena Bracteate
Vadstena Bracteate, gold coin-like ornament with runic inscriptions and rich designs, discovered in Östergötland,......
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman emperor from 364 to 378. He was the younger brother of Valentinian I, who assumed......
Valentinian I
Valentinian I was a Roman emperor from 364 to 375 who skillfully and successfully defended the frontiers of the......
Valentinian II
Valentinian II was the Roman emperor from 375 to 392. Valentinian was the son of the emperor Valentinian I and......
Valentinian III
Valentinian III was a Roman emperor from 425 to 455. At no time in his long reign were the affairs of state personally......
Valerian
Valerian was a Roman emperor from 253 to 260. Licinius Valerianus was consul under Severus Alexander (emperor 222–235)......
Valle, Pietro della
Pietro della Valle was an Italian traveler to Persia and India whose letters detailing his wanderings are valuable......
Van Deman, Esther Boise
Esther Boise Van Deman was an American archaeologist and the first woman to specialize in Roman field archaeology.......
Vandal
Vandal, member of a Germanic people who maintained a kingdom in North Africa from 429 to 534 ce and who sacked......
Vapheio
Vapheio, ancient site in Laconia, Greece, on the right bank of the Eurotas River, five miles south of Sparta; the......
Varus, Publius Quinctilius
Publius Quinctilius Varus was a Roman general whose loss of three legions to Germanic tribes in the Battle of the......
Vegetius
Vegetius was a Roman military expert who wrote what was perhaps the single most influential military treatise in......
Velikovsky, Immanuel
Immanuel Velikovsky was an American writer, proponent of controversial theories of cosmogony and history. Educated......
Velleius Paterculus
Velleius Paterculus was a Roman soldier, political figure, and historian whose work on Rome is a valuable if amateurish......
Veneti
Veneti, ancient people of northeastern Italy, who arrived about 1000 bc and occupied country stretching south to......
Ventidius, Publius
Publius Ventidius was a Roman general and politician who rose from captivity to military fame, a change of fortune......
Verghina
Verghina, archaeological site and ancient capital of Macedonia (Modern Greek: Makedonía) in Imathía nomós (department),......
Verginius Rufus, Lucius
Lucius Verginius Rufus was a Roman provincial governor and distinguished official, known for his repeated refusal......
Verres, Gaius
Gaius Verres was a Roman magistrate notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His trial exposed the extent of......
Verulamium
Verulamium, pre-Roman and Romano-British town in the territory of the Catuvellauni, across the River Ver from what......
Verus, Lucius
Lucius Verus was a Roman emperor who jointly (161–169) ruled with Marcus Aurelius. Though he enjoyed equal constitutional......
Vespasian
Vespasian was a Roman emperor (ad 69–79) who, though of humble birth, became the founder of the Flavian dynasty......
Villanovan culture
Villanovan culture, Early Iron Age culture in Italy, named after the village of Villanova, near Bologna, where......
Vindex, Gaius Julius
Gaius Julius Vindex was the governor of the Roman province of Lugdunensis (east-central and northern Gaul) who......
Vindija
Vindija, site of paleoanthropological excavations in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region of Croatia, known for Neanderthal......
Visigoth
Visigoth, member of a division of the Goths (see Goth). One of the most important of the Germanic peoples, the......
Vitellius, Aulus
Aulus Vitellius was a Roman emperor, the last of Nero’s three short-lived successors. Vitellius was the son of......
vizier
vizier, originally the chief minister or representative of the ʿAbbāsid caliphs and later a high administrative......
Vologeses I
Vologeses I was the king of Parthia (reigned c. ad 51–80), the son of the previous king, Vonones II, by a Greek......
Vologeses IV
Vologeses IV (or III) was the king of Parthia (reigned 148–192). In the early part of his reign he was able to......
Vologeses V
Vologeses V (or IV) was the king of Parthia who reigned from 191–208/209. He first appeared in 191 as a rebel against......
Volsinii
Volsinii, ancient Etruscan town on the site of present-day Bolsena (Viterbo province, Italy). At an unidentified......
Volubilis
Volubilis, North African archaeological site, located near Fès in the Jebel Zerhoun Plain of Morocco. Under the......
Wainwright, Geoffrey
Geoffrey Wainwright was a British archaeologist who was most widely known for his work with archaeologist Timothy......
Warring States
Warring States, (475–221 bce), designation for seven or more small feuding Chinese kingdoms whose careers collectively......
Wassukkani
Wassukkani, capital of the Mitannian empire (c. 1500–c. 1340 bc), possibly located near the head of the Khabur......
Watling Street
Watling Street, Roman road in England that ran from Dover west-northwest to London and thence northwest via St.......
Watling Street, Battle of
Battle of Watling Street, battle fought between Britons and Romans in 61 CE about 25 miles west of modern metropolitan......
Wei
Wei, one of the many warring states into which China was divided during the Dong (Eastern) Zhou period (770–256......
Wendi
Wendi was the posthumous name (shi) of the fourth emperor (reigned 180–157 bc) of the Han dynasty (206 bc–ad 220)......
West Bengal
West Bengal, state of India, located in the eastern part of the country. It is bounded to the north by the state......
Wheeler, Sir Mortimer
Sir Mortimer Wheeler was a British archaeologist noted for his discoveries in Great Britain and India and for his......
Winckelmann, Johann
Johann Winckelmann was a German archaeologist and art historian whose writings directed popular taste toward classical......
Winckler, Hugo
Hugo Winckler was a German archaeologist and historian whose excavations at Boğazköy, in Turkey, disclosed the......
Woodland cultures
Woodland cultures, prehistoric cultures of eastern North America dating from the 1st millennium bc. A variant of......

The Ancient World Encyclopedia Articles By Title