Shared expectations are the basis of social behaviour. Nevertheless, it happens time and again that one's own view of the world is not shared by others or that one's own interpretations of the situation are not compatible. Disappointments are the result. This anthology looks at various causes of disappointment, possible forms of disappointment and programmes for dealing with disappointment in various ancient societies. The diachronic example studies are dedicated to political disappointment situations in Classical and Hellenistic Greece, in the Roman Republic and Imperial period as well as in Late Antiquity. In addition to dealing with an important phenomenon in the history of emotions, the aim is also to test for the first time the potential of 'disappointment' as an analytical category for analysing ancient societies.