The document discusses the history of empires. It describes how Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire in the 4th century BC in hopes of unifying Asia and Europe. However, he died without appointing an heir, and his empire was later divided among his generals. One of the greatest achievements of the Roman Empire was establishing its legal system. The Roman Empire expanded greatly but eventually became too large to manage from a single center. It also transitioned from a polytheistic pagan society to a monotheistic Christian one before splitting into western and eastern parts.

1. Peoples and Empires By David Roper