Ancient history
Ancient history, in European history, is a term referring to tbe time period between tbe beginning of writing (and civilizations) and tbe Middle Ages. It may also be applied to non-European areas, with more unclear ending dates. Antiquity is a similar term, but may more narrowly refer especially to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
"Classical antiquity" (also tbe "classical era", "classical period", or "classical age") is tbe period between tbe 8th century BC (the earliest-recorded epic Greek poetry of Homer) and tbe 5th or 6th century AD (the fall of tbe Western Roman Empire), comprising tbe interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome known as tbe Greco-Roman world.
"Late antiquity" is a recent term, for a time period between tbe 3rd and 8th centuries AD, notably used by those disliking tbe idea of civilizational decline and collapse (especially as stated by Edward Gibbon). Another reason may be that tbe focus on tbe (Western) Roman Empire is viewed as Eurocentric and thus not politically correct, with "late antiquity" instead ending with tbe rise of Islam.
Less politically correct views include on issues such as race and dysgenics.