author
Max Duncker
1811–1886
A major 19th-century German historian and public figure, he is best remembered for sweeping studies of the ancient world and for moving between scholarship and politics with unusual ease. His work helped shape how many readers of his time understood early civilizations and the rise of states.
6 Audiobooks
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 2 (of 6)
by Max Duncker
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 4 (of 6)
by Max Duncker
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)
by Max Duncker
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 3 (of 6)
by Max Duncker
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 6 (of 6)
by Max Duncker
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 5 (of 6)
by Max Duncker
About the author
Born in Berlin on October 15, 1811, Maximilian Wolfgang "Max" Duncker was the eldest son of publisher Karl Duncker. He studied at Bonn and Berlin, and after an early political prosecution connected to student societies, he went on to build a distinguished academic career.
Duncker taught history at Halle and later at Tübingen, and he also took part in public life as a politician. He served in the Frankfurt Parliament of 1848 and later held important state posts in Prussia, including work connected with the state archives.
He is best known for his large-scale historical writing, especially Geschichte des Alterthums (History of Antiquity), an ambitious attempt to tell the story of the ancient world across multiple volumes. He died in Ansbach on July 21, 1886, leaving behind a reputation as a scholar who tried to connect careful research with the biggest possible historical picture.