Ancient beyond the Classical
I loved and love studying the Greeks and Romans, and teaching various aspects of their culture and history.
But it is worth just saying that the classical world, normally defined as the Greco-Roman world, is in no way the limits of the ancient world.
Recent explorations for pedagogical purposes led me into the territory of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, the Maya, Chinese philosopher, and (thought slightly beyond the bounds of ancient), the Banu Musa brothers. So much wonderful learning has come from all corners of our globe and has shaped our knowledge base in science, art, literature, even medicine.
So, go and explore beyond Greece and Rome.
As a starting point, I can highly recommend Philip Matyszak's Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World, Matthew Restall and Amara Solari, The Maya: A Very Short Introduction, Bryan W. Van Norden's, Introduction to Chinese Classical Philosophy, and this super website on the Banu Musa brothers (https://www.1001inventions.com/initiatives/banu-musa/).
It's a great and sobering adventure that should lead us to question our application of the term 'modern' as if it is somehow equivocal with 'advancement'.