author
A. T. (Albert Ten Eyck) Olmstead
1880–1945
A leading American historian of the ancient Near East, he helped bring Assyrian and Persian history to a wider audience through clear, ambitious scholarship. His books remained influential long after his lifetime, especially for readers interested in the ancient empires of Western Asia.
1 Audiobook
Assyrian Historiography: A Source Study
by A. T. (Albert Ten Eyck) Olmstead
About the author
Albert Ten Eyck Olmstead was an American historian and academic who specialized in Assyriology, the study of ancient Mesopotamia. Born in 1880 and dying in 1945, he became known for making the history of the ancient Near East more accessible to general readers as well as students.
He taught at the University of Chicago, where he served as Professor of Oriental History at the Oriental Institute. His best-known works include History of Assyria and History of the Persian Empire, books that helped shape English-language understanding of the ancient empires of Western Asia.
Olmstead wrote with the range of a scholar and the drive of a storyteller, connecting political history, empire, and culture across long stretches of time. For listeners drawn to the ancient world, his work offers a window into how early twentieth-century historians interpreted some of history's most powerful civilizations.