Susan Wise Bauer, The History of the Medieval World

Chapter 1: p.6 Edict of Milan gave religious freedom to all religions, not just Christians.

Chapter 3: p.24 very interesting comments about Asoka's grief over the suffering he caused, and the juxtaposition of the later king's (Samudragupta) braggings.

Chapter 5: p.37 "You know well that if anyone extinguishes our literature, we are put on a level with the barbarians." -- Libanius to Emporer Julian, 358 AD