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Books > Humanities > History > World history > BCE to 500 CE
This textbook is endorsed by OCR and supports the specification for
A-Level Classical Civilisation (first teaching September 2017). It
covers Components 31 and 34 from the 'Beliefs and Ideas' Component
Group: Greek Religion by Athina Mitropoulos and Julietta Steinhauer
Democracy and the Athenians by Tim Morrison and James Renshaw Why
was worshipping the gods so important to ancient Greek life? To
what extent did Greeks question religious belief? How and why did
the Athenians invent democracy? How does Athenian democracy compare
with democracy today? Drawing on modern scholarship and using a
wide variety of illustrations, this book guides A-Level students to
a greater understanding of these issues. It explores the
fundamental features of Greek religion, as well as its major
centres such as Delphi and Olympia. It then moves on to analyse the
development and workings of Athenian democracy, as well as
reflecting on ancient critiques of it, both celebratory and
critical. The ideal preparation for the final examinations, all
content is presented by experts and experienced teachers in a clear
and accessible narrative. Ancient literary and visual sources are
described and analysed, with supporting images. Helpful student
features include study questions, quotations from contemporary
scholars, further reading, and boxes focusing in on key people,
events and terms. Practice questions and exam guidance prepare
students for assessment. A Companion Website is available at
www.bloomsbury.com/class-civ-as-a-level.
Athanasius of Alexandria (c.295-373) is one of the greatest and
most controversial figures of early Christian history. His life
spanned the period of fundamental change for the Roman Empire and
the Christian Church that followed the conversion of Constantine
the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor. A bishop and
theologian, an ascetic and a pastoral father, Athanasius played a
central role in shaping Christianity in these crucial formative
years. As bishop of Alexandria (328-73) he fought to unite the
divided Egyptian Church and inspired admiration and opposition
alike from fellow bishops and the emperor Constantine and his
successors. Athanasius attended the first ecumenical Council of
Nicaea summoned by Constantine in 325 and as a theologian would be
remembered as the defender of the original Nicene Creed against the
'Arian' heresy. He was also a champion of the ascetic movement that
transformed Christianity, a patron of monks and virgins and the
author of numerous ascetic works including the famous Life of
Antony. All these elements played their part in Athanasius'
vocation as a pastoral father, responsible for the physical and
spiritual wellbeing of his congregations. This book offers the
first study in English to draw together these diverse yet
inseparable roles that defined Athanasius' life and the influence
that he exerted on subsequent Christian tradition. The presentation
is accessible to both specialists and non-specialists and is
illuminated throughout by extensive quotation from Athanasius' many
writings, for it is through his own words that we may best approach
this remarkable man.
The Rhetorical Arts in Late Antique and Early Medieval Ireland
represents the first study of the art of rhetoric in medieval
Ireland, a culture often neglected by medieval rhetorical studies.
In a series of three case studies, Brian James Stone traces the
textual transmission of rhetorical theories and practices from the
late Roman period to those early Irish monastic communities who
would not only preserve and pass on the light of learning, but
adapt an ancient tradition to their own cultural needs,
contributing to the history of rhetoric in important ways. The
manuscript tradition of early Ireland, which gave us the largest
body of vernacular literature in the medieval period and is already
appreciated for its literary contributions, is also a site of
rhetorical innovation and creative practice.
Drawing on the latest archaeology, epigraphy and historical
interpretation, this major volume presents a survey of ancient
Macedon, important parts of which are published by their excavators
for the first time, including the palace of King Philip II.
Archaeologists and historians of the ancient Greek worlds will
welcome this milestone in the study of this rapidly changing filed,
packed with new information, interpretations and essential
bibliography.
Dynamic Reading examines the reception history of Epicurean
philosophy through a series of eleven case studies, which range
chronologically from the latter days of the Roman Republic to late
twentieth-century France and America. Rather than attempting to
separate an original Epicureanism from its later readings and
misreadings, this collection studies the philosophy together with
its subsequent reception, focusing in particular on the ways in
which it has provided terms and conceptual tools for defining how
we read and respond to texts, artwork, and the world more
generally. Whether it helps us to characterize the "swerviness" of
literary influence, the transformative effects of philosophy, or
the "events" that shape history, Epicureanism has been a dynamic
force in the intellectual history of the West. These essays seek to
capture some of that dynamism.
The study of Regal and Republican Rome presents a difficult and yet
exciting challenge. The extant evidence, which for the most part is
literary, is late, sparse, and difficult, and the value of it has
long been a subject of intense and sometimes heated scholarly
discussion. This volume provides students with an introduction to a
range of important problems in the study of ancient Rome during the
Regal and Republican periods in one accessible collection, bringing
together a diverse range of influential papers. Of particular
importance is the question of the value of the historiographical
evidence (i.e. what the Romans themselves wrote about their past).
By juxtaposing different and sometimes incompatible reactions to
the evidence, the collection aims to challenge its readers and
invite them to join the debate, and to assess the ancient evidence
and modern interpretations of it for themselves.
Ancient Magic and the Supernatural in the Modern Visual and
Performing Arts examines the impact of ancient religious,
mythological and magical models on modern mentalities and
ideologies as expressed in the visual and performing arts.To what
extent did mythological figures such as Circe and Medea influence
the representation of the powerful "oriental" enchantress in modern
Western art? What role did the ancient gods and heroes play in the
construction of the imaginary worlds of the modern fantasy genre?
What is the role of undead creatures like zombies and vampires in
mythological films? The heroes, gods and demons of the ancient
world always played a prominent role in the post-classical
imagination.Similarly, the great adventures and the love affairs
between gods and mortals have always influenced the reception of
Classical culture and still features prominently in modern
constructions of antiquity. Examples such the use of magic in
Medea's myth as a symbol of cultural and political strangeness, the
transformation of Circe in a femme fatale, the reshaping of the
oriental cults of the Roman Empire as a menace to new-born
Christianity and the revival and adaptation of ancient myths and
religion in the arts provide an important backdrop for the
exploration of contemporary fears, hopes and ideals across
centuries. The volume further aims to deconstruct certain scholarly
traditions by proposing original interdisciplinary approaches and
collaborations and to show to what extent the visual and performing
arts of different periods interlink and shape cultural and social
identities.This book offers an original approach to different media
- from comics to film, from painting to opera - by authors from
different fields and countries. The volume provides the reader with
a clear insight into mechanisms of re-elaboration and reception
which can be steadily seen at work in artistic and commercial
productions. It also supplies new approaches to the most debated
questions of the relationship between magic, religion and
superstition in the ancient and in the modern worlds. It shows and
discusses the shifting and biased interpretations of these concepts
in modern visual culture.
In Byblos in the Late Bronze Age, Marwan Kilani reconstructs the
"biography" of the city of Byblos during the Late Bronze Age.
Commonly described simply as a centre for the trade of wood, the
city appears here as a dynamic actor involved in multiple aspects
of the regional geopolitical reality. By combining the information
provided by written sources and by a fresh reanalysis of the
archaeological evidence, the author explores the development of the
city during the Late Bronze Age, showing how the evolution of a
wide range of geopolitical, economic and ideological factors
resulted in periods of prosperity and decline. The Studies in the
Archaeology and History of the Levant series publishes volumes from
the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East. Other series offered
by Brill that publish volumes from the Museum include Harvard
Semitic Studies and Harvard Semitic Monographs,
https://hmane.harvard.edu/publications.
This volume aims to provide an interdisciplinary examination of
various facets of being alone in Greco-Roman antiquity. Its focus
is on solitude, social isolation and misanthropy, and the differing
perceptions and experiences of and varying meanings and
connotations attributed to them in the ancient world. Individual
chapters examine a range of ancient contexts in which problems of
solitude, loneliness, isolation and seclusion arose and were
discussed, and in doing so shed light on some of humankind's
fundamental needs, fears and values.
Pantomime was arguably the most popular dramatic genre during the
Roman Empire, but has been relatively neglected by literary
critics. Seneca's Tragedies and the Aesthetics of Pantomime adds to
our understanding of Seneca's tragic art by demonstrating that
elements which have long puzzled scholars can be attributed to the
influence of pantomime. The work argues that certain formal
features which depart from the conventions of fifth-century Attic
drama can be explained by the influence of, and interaction with,
this more popular genre. The work includes a detailed and
systematic analysis of the specific pantomime-inspired features of
Seneca's tragedies: the loose dramatic structure, the presence of
"running commentaries" (minute descriptions of characters
undergoing emotional strains or performing specific actions), of
monologues of self-analysis, and of narrative set-pieces. Relevant
to the culture of Roman imperial culture more generally, Seneca's
Tragedies and the Aesthetics of Pantomime includes an outline of
the general features of pantomime as a genre. The work shows that
the influence of sub-literary-genres such as pantomime and mime,
the sister art of pantomime, can be traced in several Roman writers
whose literary production was antecedent or contemporary with
Seneca's. Furthermore, the work sheds light on the interaction
between sub-literary genres of a performative nature such as mime
and pantomime and more literary ones, an aspect of Latin culture
which previous scholarship has tended to overlook. Seneca's
Tragedies and the Aesthetics of Pantomime provides an original
contribution to the understanding of the impact of pantomime on
Roman literary culture and of controversial and little-understood
features of Senecan tragedies.
In February, 2007, a conference entitled "Reconsidering the Concept
of 'Revolutionary Monotheism'" was convened on the campus of
Princeton University. The meeting was unique in that it brought
together scholars who were engaged in various disciplines of
research, and though all were involved in the geographical area of
the ancient Near East, everyone brought a different expertise to
the question of how to approach the concept of the divine. What
followed, in the course of two days, was an intense debate
regarding the issue stated in the title of the conference; the
dialogue was productive, and the papers-which were reworked in the
wake of the conference and in accord with the interaction among the
participants-are useful perspectives on the vexing topic of
monotheism and the divine. The papers in the this volume are
presented by John Baines (gods in New Kingdom/Third Intermediate
period Egypt), Gonzalo Rubio (Mesopotamian pantheon), Francesca
Rochberg (polytheistic cosmogony in Mesopotamia), Beate
Pongratz-Leisten (astralization of gods in Mesopotamia), Peter
Machinist (dying gods and cosmic restructuring), Mark S. Smith
(cross-cultural recognition of divinity in Israel), Konrad Schmid
(monotheism in the Priestly texts), John Collins (king and messiah
as Son of God), and P. O. Skjaervo (Zarathustra and monotheism).
This book focus on Athenian art in the second half of the fifth
century, one of the most important periods of ancient art.
Including papers on architecture, sculpture, and vase painting the
volume offers new and before unpublished material as well as new
interpretations of famous monuments like the sculptures of the
Parthenon. The contributions go back to an international conference
at the American School of Classical Studies, Athens.
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.
Paul and the Gentile Problem provides a new explanation for the
apostle Paul's statements about the Jewish law in his letters to
the Romans and Galatians. Paul's arguments against circumcision and
the law in Romans 2 and his reading of Genesis 15-21 in Galatians
4:21-31 belong within a stream of Jewish thinking which rejected
the possibility that gentiles could undergo circumcision and adopt
the Jewish law, thereby becoming Jews. Paul opposes this solution
to the gentile problem because he thinks it misunderstands how
essentially hopeless the gentile situation remains outside of
Christ. The second part of the book moves from Paul's arguments
against a gospel that requires gentiles to undergo circumcision and
adoption of the Jewish law to his own positive account, based on
his reading of the Abraham Narrative, of the way in which Israel's
God relates to gentiles. Having received the Spirit (pneuma) of
Christ, gentiles are incorporated into Christ, who is the singular
seed of Abraham, and, therefore, become materially related to
Abraham. But this solution raises a question: Why is it so
important for Paul that gentiles become seed of Abraham? The
argument of this book is that Paul believes that God had made
certain promises to Abraham that only those who are his seed could
enjoy and that these promises can be summarized as being empowered
to live a moral life, inheriting the cosmos, and having the hope of
an indestructible life.
This pivotal history of the kings of Sparta not only describes
their critical leadership in war, but also documents the waxing and
waning of their social, political, and religious powers in the
Spartan state. The Spartans have seemingly never gone out of
interest, serving as mythic icons who exemplify fearlessness and an
unwillingness to give in against impossible odds. Yet most are
unaware of the true nature of the Spartan leaders-the fact that the
kings maintained their position of power for 600 years by their
willingness to compromise, even if it meant giving up some of their
power, for example. Organized in a logical and chronological order,
Leonidas and the Kings of Sparta: Mightiest Warriors, Fairest
Kingdom describes the legendary origins of the dual kingship in
Sparta, documents the many reigning eras of the kings, and then
concludes with the time when the kingship was abolished six
centuries later. The book examines the kings' roles in war and
battle, in religion, in the social life of the city, and in
formulating Spartan policy both at home and abroad. No other book
on Sparta has concentrated on describing the role of the kings-and
their absolutely essential contributions to Spartan society in
general. Numerous translations by the author of original sources
Chronology history from the Dorian Invasion (ca. 1000 BC) to the
last king of Sparta (mid-2nd century BC) Illustrations of the kings
of Sparta, gods, and heroes, as well as diagrams of battles and
family trees Maps of Laconia, the Peloponnesus, and Greece A
bibliography containing ancient and modern sources for Sparta
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