Ancients

Ancients is a term used to refer to people, cultures, or beings from the distant past. In historical and archaeological discourse, it commonly denotes early civilizations and cultures that laid foundations for later societies, such as those in the Near East, the Mediterranean, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. The label is imprecise and varies by scholarship, time period, and geography; it often covers roughly the period from the rise of urban societies to the end of classical antiquity.

In classical antiquity, “the Ancients” can refer specifically to Greek and Roman societies, while broader usage includes earlier Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age cultures depending on context. The term is descriptive rather than a formal category, used to distinguish earlier eras from modern history.

In popular culture and fiction, “Ancients” frequently denotes elder, powerful, or primordial entities, lost civilizations, or transcendent civilizations. Such usage emphasizes mystery, longevity, and advanced knowledge, and it is common in fantasy, science fiction, and myth retellings.

Scholars critique the term for implying a fixed, homogeneous past and for often overlooking regional diversity and living descendants. Modern scholarship emphasizes specific cultures, periods, and material evidence rather than broad, generalized labels. Despite variations in meaning, the concept of the Ancients persists as a flexible shorthand for humanity’s distant past and for stories about existence before the present.