Consciously or not, all of us operate as historians and make judgments and decisions based on our knowledge, however inadequate, of what has gone before. Formal study of history -- the critical examination of human accomplishments and failures -- greatly enhances our ability to judge and decide about private matters as well as public issues. In the study of history we seek the origins of modern institutions, attitudes, and problems. Studying civilizations more remote in time and space, we also gain perspective on our society and ourselves.