|
Books > Humanities > History > World history > BCE to 500 CE
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the
1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly
expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable,
high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
Classical Memories is an intervention into the field of adaptation
studies, taking the example of classical reception to show that
adaptation is a process that can be driven by and produce
intertextual memories. I see 'classical memories' as a
memory-driven type of adaptation that draws on and reproduces
schematic and otherwise de-contextualised conceptions of antiquity
and its cultural 'exports' in, broadly speaking, the twentieth and
twenty-first centuries. These memory-driven adaptations differ,
often in significant ways, from more traditional adaptations that
seek to either continue or deconstruct a long-running tradition
that can be traced back to antiquity as well as its canonical
points of reception in later ages. When investigating such a
popular and widespread set of narratives, characters, and images
like those that remain of Graeco-Roman antiquity, terms like
'adaptation' and 'reception' could and should be nuanced further to
allow us to understand the complex interactions between modern
works and classical antiquity in more detail, particularly when it
pertains to postcolonial or post-digital classical reception. In
Classical Memories, I propose that understanding certain types of
adaptations as intertextual memories allows us to do just that.
Otto Hoefler (1901-1987) was an Austrian Germanist and
Scandinavist. His research on >Germanic culture<, in
particular on Germanic Mannerbunde (men's bands), was controversial
and remains a topic of academic debate. In modern discourse,
Hoefler's theories are often fundamentally rejected on account of
his involvement in the National Socialist movement and his
contribution to the research initiatives of the SS Ahnenerbe, or
they are adopted by scholars who ignore his problematic
methodologies and the ideological and political elements of his
work. The present study takes a comprehensive approach to Hoefler's
research on >Germanic culture< and analyses his
characterisation of the >Germanic peoples<, contextualising
his research in the backdrop of German philological studies of the
early twentieth century and highlighting elements of his theories
that are still the topic of modern academic discourse. A thorough
analysis of his main research theses, focusing on his
Mannerbund-research, reveals that his concept of >Germanic
culture< is underscored by a belief in the deep-seated
religiosity of the >Germanic peoples< formed through
sacred-daemonic forces.
The resurgence of interest in Cicero's political philosophy in the
last twenty years demands a re-evaluation of Cicero's ideal
statesman and its relationship not only to Cicero's political
theory but also to his practical politics. Jonathan Zarecki
proposes three original arguments: firstly, that by the publication
of his De Republica in 51 BC Cicero accepted that some sort of
return to monarchy was inevitable. Secondly, that Cicero created
his model of the ideal statesman as part of an attempt to reconcile
the mixed constitution of Rome's past with his belief in the
inevitable return of sole-person rule. Thirdly, that the ideal
statesman was the primary construct against which Cicero viewed the
political and military activities of Pompey, Caesar and Antony, and
himself.
Do you believe in love at first sight? The Greeks and the Romans
certainly did. But far from enjoying this romantic moment carefree,
they saw it as a cruel experience and an infection. Then what are
the symptoms of falling in love? Are there any remedies? Any form
of immunity? This book explores the conception of love (eros) as a
physical, emotional, and mental disease, a social-ethical disorder,
and a literary unorthodoxy in Greek and Latin literature. Through
illustrative case studies, the contributors to this volume examine
two distinct, yet historically and poetically interrelated
traditions of 'pathological love': lovesickness as/similar to
disease and deviant sexuality described in nosologic terms. The
chapters represent a wide range of genres (lyric poetry,
philosophy, oratory, comedy, tragedy, elegy, satire, novel, and of
course medical literature) and a fascinating synthesis of
methodologies and approaches, including textual criticism,
comparative philology, narratology, performance theory, and social
history. The book closes with an anthology of Greek and Latin
passages on pathological eros. While primarily aimed at an academic
readership, the book is accessible to anyone interested in Classics
and/or the theme of love.
The origin of world civilization can be traced to the Indus
Valley cradle, where brilliant and original thinkers made
groundbreaking discoveries. The history of these discoveries is
recorded in the vast Sanskrit literature.
In this study, author M. K. Agarwal explores the cultural and
historical significance of the region. He explores Indus Valley
culture, which encouraged creative thought-as opposed to the
Abrahamic faiths, which herded followers into dogmatic thinking. He
holds that these religions prospered because of their unfettered
hatred of the Vedic-Hindu-Buddhist peoples, who were demonized as
pagans to be murdered, tortured, raped, enslaved, and robbed. He
also considers the achievements of that culture, such as the
creation of the most affluent, most scientifically advanced, and
most spiritual of all societies, with archeological moorings that
can be traced back to 8000 BC.
No other region can even come close to transforming people and
culture like the Indus Valley, but the world's Vedic roots have
been ignored, shunned, and covered up. Uncover the history that has
been lost and develop a deeper appreciation for the true cradle of
human civilization with "The Vedic Core of Human History."
The History of Ancient Israel: A Guide for the Perplexed provides
the student with the perfect guide to why and how the history of
this most contested region has been studies, and why it continues
to be studied today. Philip R. Davies, one of the leading scholars
of Ancient Israel in recent years, begins by examining the
relevance of the study of Ancient Israel, giving an overview of the
sources and issues facing historians in approaching the material.
Davies then continues by looking at the various theories and
hypotheses that scholars have advanced throughout the 20th century,
showing how different approaches are presented and in some cases
how they are both underpinned and undermined by a range of
ideological perspectives. Davies also explains the rise and fall of
Biblical Archaeology, the 'maximalist/minimalist' debate. After
this helpful survey of past methodologies Davies introduces readers
to the current trends in biblical scholarship in the present day,
covering areas such as cultural memory, the impact of literary and
social scientific theory, and the notion of 'invented history'.
Finally, Davies considers the big question: how the various sources
of knowledge can be combined to write a modern history that
combines and accounts for all the data available, in a meaningful
way. This new guide will be a must for students of the Hebrew
Bible/Old Testament.
Athenian comedy is firmly entrenched in the classical canon, but
imperial authors debated, dissected and redirected comic texts,
plots and language of Aristophanes, Menander, and their rivals in
ways that reflect the non-Athenocentric, pan-Mediterranean
performance culture of the imperial era. Although the reception of
tragedy beyond its own contemporary era has been studied, the
legacy of Athenian comedy in the Roman world is less well
understood. This volume offers the first expansive treatment of the
reception of Athenian comedy in the Roman Empire. These engaged and
engaging studies examine the lasting impact of classical Athenian
comic drama. Demonstrating a variety of methodologies and scholarly
perspectives, sources discussed include papyri, mosaics, stage
history, epigraphy and a broad range of literature such as dramatic
works in Latin and Greek, including verse satire, essays, and
epistolary fiction.
Virgil's Georgics depicts the world and its peoples in great
detail, but this geographical interest has received little detailed
scholarly attention. Hundreds of years later, readers in the
British empire used the poem to reflect upon their travels in acts
of imagination no less political than Virgil's own. Virgil's Map
combines a comprehensive survey of the literary, economic, and
political geography of the Georgics with a case study of its
British imperial reception c. 1840-1930. Part One charts the poem's
geographical interests in relation to Roman power in and beyond the
Mediterranean; shifting readers' attention away from Rome, it
explores how the Georgics can draw attention to alternative,
non-Roman histories. Part Two examines how British travellers
quoted directly from the poem to describe peoples and places across
the world, at times equating the colonial subjects of European
empires to the 'happy farmers' of Virgil's poem, perceived to be
unaware, and in need, of the blessings of colonial rule. Drawing
attention to the depoliticization of the poem in scholarly
discourse, and using newly discovered archival material, this
interdisciplinary work seeks to re-politicize both the poem and its
history in service of a decolonizing pedagogy. Its unique dual
focus allows for an extended exploration, not just of geography and
empire, but of Europe's long relationship with the wider world.
Primitive art is inseparable from primitive consciousness and can
be correctly understood only with the correct socio-cultural
context. This book examines the ancient art of Siberia as part of
the integral whole of ancient society.
|
|