The history of the ancient world is dominated by the great civilizations of Greece, Rome, China, India, and others. Yet not far beyond the borders of these famed states lived other peoples: the barbarians. They were first given this name by the ancient Greeks, and it imitated the sounds of languages that the Greeks found incomprehensible. Soon, though, barbarians came to be thought of not just as peoples unfamiliar with the languages and customs of Greece and Rome, but as wild, uncivilized, uncultured peoples – and this stereotype has largely endured to the present day. the barbarians, however, had rich cultures of their own, as even some ancient writers realized. Barbarians! offers young people the opportunity to look beyond the borders of the familiar cultures of Greece and Rome and meet the peoples who played a compelling but often overlooked role in the history of Europe, Asia, and even Africa.