Discovering the Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean

Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award 2024

Its name means 'center of the world', and since the dawn of history, the Mediterranean has shaped the shared horizon of countless civilizations. Here, history has merged with myth. The shimmering surface of the sea hides the remnants of lost civilizations, shipwrecked treasures, and the bones of sailors, traders, and modern refugees who drowned.

Of the many cities that adorn this ancient coastline, Tyre, Carthage, Syracuse, Ravenna, and Antioch are among the oldest and most fascinating. All are beautifully situated, and for their levels of history and cultural wealth, they rival only their sister cities, Rome, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. However, their fates have been remarkably different. Once centers of power, all have retreated into relative obscurity.

Yet, their intertwined history includes Alexander the Great, Nebuchadnezzar, Archimedes, and the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Norman conquests, and their grandeur still faintly glows for those who seek it. To bring these mysterious lost capitals to life, historian Katherine Pangonis embarks on a journey from the dawn of civilization on the Lebanese coast to a modern Turkey devastated by the earthquake of 2023. Combining on-site research with enchanting narrative skills, she offers a divergent new history of the Mediterranean and a powerful reflection on the often fleeting glory of empires.

Pages: 288, Year of Publication: 0709, Dimensions: 12.8x12.8cm