Since I was young, I have been interested in History. So far in university, every course that I have taken has been in the classics. However, I am currently double majoring in Computer Engineering and Applied Mathematics with a minor in Physics, and unfortunately this means that I cannot take the 10 courses at my college that span from ancient Greek history to the rise of the Byzantine empire.

First, I feel the need to mention (before any of you do) that I fully realize this is a long period to study, and that this isn't something I could go over in a weekend. Many of you either are currently or have already written your dissertations about one event in this period! So let me be completely clear what I am asking for. I am asking for a list of books that I should read over the course of 5-10 years so that one day I will have the knowledge that may not be that of a History PhD (as I will be pursuing my PhD in Computer Engineering), but it will certainly be better than most people.

A few of you may say that one of the better ways to learn history is the pedagogical approach, as a directed course of study that I receive from this site will not require me to write papers and various other things that are required of a History graduate student. I do not disagree with this, but I simply do not have the time to do so.

So with that out of the way, what I am asking for is a set of what you believe to be the best books that span from Ancient Greece to Rome, ending with the early Byzantine Empire. I will be purchasing and reading these books in chronological order, so it would be much appreciated if you would post them in this order. I am not looking for a singular book that covers a large period of time. Moreover, I am also interested in the military history of these periods. As an example, if there is a general book that covers the socio-political aspects of the Peloponnesian War very well but neglects the military history, and another book that does the opposite, then it would be much appreciated if you mention both books.

Please note that I am looking for texts that are academic in nature, as opposed to some of the books that pop up when I type "Best books on Ancient Greek History" such as Mary Renault's works.

I realize this is a lot to ask for, and many of you will only be able to concentrate on a specific area. That is all that I ask for. You have my word that I will put in as much effort into reading your responses as you did writing them.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to resuming my personal edification in History!

(TLDR: I want a large list of the best academic textbooks on Ancient Greece and Rome, and the military history of this era.)

(Note to administrators: I realize that these kinds of posts are not quite what this sub was created in mind for, but as far as I can tell, I am not violating any rules and I am sure that someone else will benefit from a post like this.)