1. What is 'speculative philosophy of history', and why study it? -- 2. Pre-classical ideas on 'history' -- 3. Classical Greek and Roman speculations on history -- 4. The Christian challenge to Graeco-Roman historical perspectives -- 5. A changing consciousness of history: the Renaissance and Machiavelli -- 6. An innovative interlude: from Machiavelli to Vico -- 7. Vico's philosophy of history -- 8. Speculative philosophy of history during the Enlightenment.