|
|
Books > Humanities > History > World history > BCE to 500 CE
Greek ethnography is commonly believed to have developed in
conjunction with the wider sense of Greek identity that emerged
during the Greeks' "encounter with the barbarian"--Achaemenid
Persia--during the late sixth to early fifth centuries BC. The
dramatic nature of this meeting, it was thought, caused previous
imaginings to crystallise into the diametric opposition between
"Hellene" and "barbarian" that would ultimately give rise to
ethnographic prose. The Invention of Greek Ethnography challenges
the legitimacy of this conventional narrative. Drawing on recent
advances in ethnographic and cultural studies and in the material
culture-based analyses of the Ancient Mediterranean, Joseph Skinner
argues that ethnographic discourse was already ubiquitous
throughout the archaic Greek world, not only in the form of texts
but also in a wide range of iconographic and archaeological
materials. As such, it can be differentiated both on the margins of
the Greek world, like in Olbia and Calabria and in its imagined
centers, such as Delphi and Olympia. The reconstruction of this
"ethnography before ethnography" demonstrates that discourses of
identity and difference played a vital role in defining what it
meant to be Greek in the first place long before the fifth century
BC. The development of ethnographic writing and historiography are
shown to be rooted in this wider process of "positioning" that was
continually unfurling across time, as groups and individuals
scattered the length and breadth of the Mediterranean world sought
to locate themselves in relation to the narratives of the past.
This shift in perspective provided by The Invention of Greek
Ethnography has significant implications for current understanding
of the means by which a sense of Greek identity came into being,
the manner in which early discourses of identity and difference
should be conceptualized, and the way in which so-called "Great
Historiography," or narrative history, should ultimately be
interpreted.
The period from the departure of the Romans through to the coming
of the Vikings saw the gradual conversion of the peoples of the
British Isles to Christianity and (with the exception of Ireland)
the redrawing of the ethnic and political map of the islands. The
chapters in this volume analyse in turn the different nationalities
and kingdoms that existed in the British Isles during this period,
the process of their conversion to Christianity, the development of
art and of a written culture and the interaction between this
written culture and the societies of the day. Moving away from the
pattern of histories constructed on the basis of later nation
states, this volume takes Britain and Ireland as a whole, so as to
understand them better as they were at the time and avoid
anachronistic divisions from a later era. It is an approach that
allows the volume to give greater weight to the important
religious, intellectual and artistic developments and interactions
of the period, which normally crossed national boundaries at this
time.
AN IMPORTANT BRANCH OF EUROPEAN CIVIL LAW. Origianlly published:
Grahamstown, Cape Colony: African Book Co., 1908. iv (new
introduction), xv, 791 pp. With a New Introduction by Michael
Hoeflich, John H. & John M. Kane Professor of Law, University
of Kansas School of Law. Roman-Dutch law is a hybrid of medieval
Dutch law, mainly Germanic in origin, and Roman law as defined by
the Corpus Juris Civilis and its later reception. It was developed
in Holland during the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries. Bynkershoek, Damhouder, Grotius and other Roman-Dutch
jurists had a profound influence on the development of European
civil law and were the primary source of civil-law study in
America. The Dutch brought it to their colonies, most notably South
Africa and Indonesia, and it became the basis of their
post-colonial legal systems. This engagingly written history offers
a thorough analysis of Roman-Dutch jurisprudence and its
intellectual background. Wessels devotes a great deal of attention
to its literature, and he analyzes several treatises at length.
Valuable as an introduction to one of the most important legal
systems in history, it is equally useful as a reference.
"On the whole, the work is deserving of high praise, both for its
learning and its literary quality. It will prove a most
illuminating adjunct to the standard authorities on this system of
law." --JAMES MACKINTOSH, Juridical Review 20 (1908-1909) 370.
JOHANNES WILHELMUS WESSELS 1862-1936] was a judge of the Transvaal
Supreme Court. His works include The Status of the Uitlander
(1894), Codification of Law in South Africa (1927) and The Law of
Contract in South Africa (1937).
MICHAEL H. HOEFLICH is the John H. & John M. Kane Professor of
Law at the University of Kansas School of Law. He is the author of
numerous books including Roman and Civil Law and the Development of
Anglo-American Jurisprudence (1997), Legal Publishing in Antebellum
America (2010), Sources of the History of the American Law of
Lawyering (2007) and The Law in Postcards and Ephemera 1890-1962
(2012), the latter two published by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.
Pliny the Younger who lived c. 100 AD, left a large collection of
letters, thanks to which we know him better than almost any other
Roman. He is best known as witness to the eruption of Vesuvius in
79 that destroyed Pompeii, and for his dealings with the early
Christians when a regional governor. He was not an emperor or
general, but a famous lawyer of his time specialising in private
finance and later a senior state official specialising in public
finance. His life straddled both a 'bad'; emperor (Domitian) and a
'good'; emperor (Trajan), so his life and letters are relevant to
perennial political questions like how an honourable man could
serve an absolute autocracy such as Rome, and how justice could
live alongside power. His letters also give a unique insight into
social, literary and domestic life among the wealthy upper classes
of the empire. He knew most of the famous writers of his time, and
wrote love letters to his wife. But there are serious controversies
about how honest and truthful a man he was - did he use his letters
to rewrite history (his own history) and cover up questionable
aspects of his career? This general biographical account of Pliny
is the first of its kind and covers all aspects of his life in a
systematic way. This accessible title tackles key issues including
his political anxieties and issues, his relationship with women and
his literary style in a roughly chronological order. It covers his
life as a lawyer, both in private practice and in state
prosecutions, his literary circle, his career in state office and
his working relationships with two very different emperors, his
background, his property and his family life.
This volume examines the period from Rome's earliest involvement in
the eastern Mediterranean to the establishment of Roman
geopolitical dominance over all the Greek states from the Adriatic
Sea to Syria by the 180s BC.
Applies modern political theory to ancient Mediterranean history,
taking a Realist approach to its analysis of Roman involvement in
the Greek Mediterranean
Focuses on the harsh nature of interactions among states under
conditions of anarchy while examining the conduct of both Rome and
Greek states during the period, and focuses on what the concepts of
modern political science can tell us about ancient international
relations
Includes detailed discussion of the crisis that convulsed the Greek
world in the last decade of the third century BC
Provides a balanced portrait of Roman militarism and imperialism in
the Hellenistic world
Richard Evans revisits the sites of a selection of Greek and Roman
battles and sieges to seek new insights. The battle narratives in
ancient sources can be a thrilling read and form the basis of our
knowledge of these epic events, but they can just as often provide
an incomplete or obscure record. Details, especially those related
to topographical and geographical issues which can have a
fundamental importance to military actions, are left tantalisingly
unclear to the modern reader. The evidence from archaeological
excavation work can sometimes fill in a gap in our understanding,
but such an approach remains uncommon in studying ancient battles.
By combining the ancient sources and latest archaeological findings
with his personal observations on the ground, Richard Evans brings
new perspectives to the dramatic events of the distant past. The
campaigns and battles selected for this volume are: Ionian Revolt
(499-493BC), Marathon (490 BC), Thermopylai (480 BC), Ilerda (49
BC) and Bedriacum (AD69).
How do you contend with Josephus's interpretation of events when
undertaking historical inquiry? Taking as a test case the
presentation of Judaea in the first century CE, McLaren argues that
existing scholarship fails to achieve conceptual independence from
Josephus. It simply repeats Josephus's presentation of a society
engulfed in an escalating turmoil that allegedly culminated in the
revolt of 66-70 CE. A new strategy is offered here by applying a
case-study approach and formulating open-ended questions. In so
doing, McLaren calls for an entirely fresh appraisal of the
situation in Judaea and other areas where Josephus serves as a
major source.
Science in the Ancient World presents a worldwide history of
science, from prehistoric times through the medieval period. It
covers Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas and includes topics
ranging from alchemy and astrology to psychology and physics. This
work spans prehistory to 1500 CE, examining thousands of years of
history in four world regions: Asia, Africa, Europe, and the
Americas. Highlights of this period include the onset of
civilization and science in Mesopotamia and Egypt, the
accomplishments of the ancient Greeks between 700 BCE and 100 CE,
the adaptation of Greek science by the Romans, the spread of Greek
science during the Hellenistic Age, the expansion of Islamic power
and commensurate scientific knowledge, and the development of
science and philosophy in ancient China and India. Focusing on the
history of the science that blossomed in the above regions,
scientific disciplines covered include alchemy, astronomy,
astrology, agriculture, architecture, biology, botany, chemistry,
engineering, exploration, geography, hydraulics, institutions of
science, marine science, mathematics, medicine, meteorology,
military science, myth and religion, philosophy, philosophy of
science, psychology, physics, and social sciences. In all of these
fields, theory and application are explored, as are leading
individuals and schools of thought, centers of intellectual
activity, and notable accomplishments and inventions. Coverage
provides global view of science in the ancient world Short topical
sections offer objective, fundamental information about science
from antiquity through the Middle Ages Each section cites works for
further reading, and the book closes with a selected, general
bibliography A detailed timeline places important people, events,
and discoveries into chronological context
In The History of the Destruction of Troy, Dares the Phrygian
boldly claimed to be an eyewitness to the Trojan War, while
challenging the accounts of two of the ancient world's most
canonical poets, Homer and Virgil. For over a millennium, Dares'
work was circulated as the first pagan history. It promised facts
and only facts about what really happened at Troy - precise
casualty figures, no mention of mythical phenomena, and a claim
that Troy fell when Aeneas and other Trojans betrayed their city
and opened its gates to the Greeks. But for all its intrigue, the
work was as fake as it was sensational. From the late antique
encyclopedist Isidore of Seville to Thomas Jefferson, The First
Pagan Historian offers the first comprehensive account of Dares'
rise and fall as a reliable and canonical guide to the distant
past. Along the way, it reconstructs the central role of forgery in
longstanding debates over the nature of history, fiction,
criticism, philology, and myth, from ancient Rome to the
Enlightenment.
A broad introduction to a major turning point in human development,
this book guides the reader through the emergence of civilization
in Mesopotamia, when city life began and writing was invented.
Covering Mesopotamia from around 3000 BCE to the fall of Babylon in
539 BCE, Mesopotamia and the Rise of Civilization: History,
Documents, and Key Questions combines narrative history material
and reference entries that enable students to learn about the rise
of civilization in Mesopotamia and its enormous influence on
western civilization with primary source documents that promote
critical thinking skills. The book provides essential background
via a historical overview of early development of society in
Mesopotamia. This introduction is followed by reference entries on
key topics; 4,000-year-old primary sources that explore
Mesopotamian civilization through voices of the time and bring to
light the events of a schoolboy's day, the boasts of kings, and
personal letters about family concerns, for example; and a section
of argumentative essays that presents thought-provoking
perspectives on key issues. While the intended readership is high
school students, the book's authoritative coverage of intriguing
subject matter will also appeal to the wider public, especially in
these times of heightened focus on the Middle East. Includes
reference entries that explore important aspects of Mesopotamian
civilization, such as key historical developments, technological
and intellectual innovations, and aspects of social, economic,
political, and domestic life Enables readers to gain insight into
the thinking and life experience of ancient Mesopotamians through
primary sources Provokes discussion through the debate of three
major questions about the rise of civilization Combines several
different approaches to the subject to promote critical thinking
skillls and support Common Core State Standards Supports NCHS World
History standards for Era 2, Standards 1A and 1B, and Common Core
critical thinking skills for English Language Arts/World History
and Social Studies
The Computer Working Group of the International Association of
Egyptologists has been in existence since 1983. The group focuses
on the efforts of Egyptologists to find creative and useful ways of
using information technology to aid in the research and teaching of
Ancient Egypt. This volume collects the 16 papers presented during
the 2008 meeting on topics including databases, complex systems, 3D
modelling, textual analysis systems, the uses of the internet for
sharing photographs, and bibliography. This publication provides an
essential snapsot of the present uses of IT in the study of Ancient
Egypt.
A two volume masterpiece on ancient warfare
Little needs to be said here about the fascinating era of the
Roman Empire of the first century B. C., or about one of the most
outstanding military commanders in history, Gaius Julius Caesar.
The military history of the period has always had its avid students
and enthusiasts. It also has its notable historians and foremost
among these was former soldier, Theodore Ayrault Dodge who was
probably the first military historian to walk upon the ground on
which all of the events about which he wrote in this classic work
took place. Dodge's grasp of topography and its bearing on tactical
issues makes this work indispensible. The Leonaur editors highly
regard Dodge's works on the great captains of warfare through the
ages and our edition of 'Warfare in the Age of Napoleon' is already
available. 'Warfare in the Age of Gaius Julius Caesar' is our
second offering in the series and it follows the model already
established by its predecessor. Based on Dodge's academically
ground-breaking work, 'Caesar, ' this unique two volume edition,
like all of the author's 'great captains' series, benefits from
numerous diagrams and maps that explain the campaigns, battles,
marches, weapons, equipment, etc., in significant detail. The
Leonaur editions have been substantially represented so that all
the images-often small in the original editions-have been enlarged
to the fullest degree to aid understanding. Volume two covers a
five year period in considerable detail and concludes in 45 B. C.,
a year before Caesar's death. Chapters on Caesar the man and
soldier and the art of war in the Roman Empire are also included.
Highly Recommended.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each
title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our
hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their
spines and fabric head and tail bands.
Herodotus' Histories is a fascinating account of the interactions
between the Greeks and their powerful Near-Eastern neighbours. In
it he explores the long-term causes for the Persian invasions of
Greece in the early fifth century BCE, a momentous event both for
the development of Greek civilization and for the beginnings of
historiography, and traces the rise of the Persians as rulers of a
large multi-ethnic empire whose lands and cultures are vividly
described. This first surviving history is a tapestry of brilliant
and entertaining narratives, but it also addresses profoundly
serious concerns, such as the advantages and failings of different
forms of government, the role of religion and morality in public
life, and encounters with different cultures. This collection - the
first of two volumes - is dedicated to the historical component of
the Histories and includes important previously published essays,
some translated into English for the first time, which discuss
Herodotus' historical method, sources, narrative art, literary
antecedents, intellectual background, and political ideology. The
introduction contains an account of Herodotus' life and times, as
well as a survey of recent scholarship designed as a guide for
contextualizing the selected articles according to the range of
approaches they represent.
Although a great deal of historical work has been done in the past
decade on Roman triumphs, defeats and their place in Roman culture
have been relatively neglected. Why should we investigate the
defeats of a society that almost never lost a war? In Triumph in
Defeat, Jessica H. Clark answers this question by showing what
responses to defeat can tell us about the Roman definition of
victory. First opening with a general discussion of defeat and
commemoration at Rome and then following the Second Punic War from
its commencement to its afterlife in Roman historical memory
through the second century BCE, culminating in the career of Gaius
Marius, Clark examines both the successful production of victory
narratives within the Senate and the gradual breakdown of those
narratives. The result sheds light on the wars of the Republic, the
Romans who wrote about these wars, and the ways in which both the
events and their telling informed the political landscape of the
Roman state. Triumph in Defeat not only fills a major gap in the
study of Roman military, political, and cultural life, but also
contributes to a more nuanced picture of Roman society, one that
acknowledges the extent to which political discourse shaped Rome's
status as a world power. Clark's work shows how defeat shaped the
society whose massive reputation was-and still often is-built on
its successes.
This anthology of sixteen seminal studies of Homer's Iliad offers essential insights into the poem's artistry and cultural background. Two of the contributions have been translated for this volume and others have been revised and updated. An authoritative introduction sets the papers in context and explores significant connections between them. All Greek is translated and a glossary of Greek terms is provided.
The formula 'for the life of' is often found in votive
inscriptions, cast in Aramaic and other languages, which originate
from the Syrian-Mesopotamian desert and adjacent areas and which
roughly date from the first three centuries A.D. They belong to
objects like statues and altars that usually were erected in
temples and other structures with a ritual or sacred function. The
inscriptions establish a relationship between the dedicator and one
or more beneficiaries, those persons for whose life the dedication
was made.
Since the social context evidently bears on both the meaning of the
inscriptions as well as the status of the dedications, this volume
deals with the nature of the relationships and the socio-religious
function the dedications perform.
|
|