The essays in Constructing Identities in Late Antiquity concern themselves with the theme of identity, an increasingly popular topic in Classical studies. Through detailed discussions of particular Roman texts and images, the contributors show not only how these texts were used to create and organise particular visions of late antique society and culture, but also how constructions of identity and culture contributed to the fashioning of 'late antiquity' into a distinct historical period.

Author Biography:
Richard Miles is a Research Fellow in Classical Studies at the Open University, and a Teaching By-Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics at Churchill College, Cambridge. He is currently working on a book on text and authority in the late antique North African church.

This is the first book for over twenty years to undertake a holistic examination of the Donatist Controversy, a bilious and sometimes violent schism that broke out in the North African Christian Church in the early years of the century AD and which continued up until the sixth century AD. What made this religious dispute so important was that its protagonists brought to the fore a number of issues and practices that had empire-wide ramifications for how the Christian church and the Roman imperial government dealt with the growing number of dissidents in their ranks. Very significantly it was during the Donatist Controversy that Augustine of Hippo, who was heavily involved in the dispute, developed the idea of 'tough love' in dealing with those at odds with the tenets of the main church, which in turn acted as the justification for the later brutal excesses of the Inquisition. In order to reappraise the Donatist Controversy for the first time in many years, 14 specialists in the religious, cultural, social, legal and political history as well as the archaeology of Late Antique North Africa have examined what was one of the most significant religious controversies in the Late Roman World through a set of key contexts that explain its significance the Donatist Schism not just in North Africa but across the whole Roman Empire, and beyond.

This is the first book for over twenty years to undertake a holistic examination of the Donatist Controversy, a bilious and sometimes violent schism that broke out in the North African Christian Church in the early years of the century AD and which continued up until the sixth century AD. What made this religious dispute so important was that its protagonists brought to the fore a number of issues and practices that had empire-wide ramifications for how the Christian church and the Roman imperial government dealt with the growing number of dissidents in their ranks. Very significantly it was during the Donatist Controversy that Augustine of Hippo, who was heavily involved in the dispute, developed the idea of 'tough love' in dealing with those at odds with the tenets of the main church, which in turn acted as the justification for the later brutal excesses of the Inquisition. In order to reappraise the Donatist Controversy for the first time in many years, 14 specialists in the religious, cultural, social, legal and political history as well as the archaeology of Late Antique North Africa have examined what was one of the most significant religious controversies in the Late Roman World through a set of key contexts that explain its significance the Donatist Schism not just in North Africa but across the whole Roman Empire, and beyond.

The first full-scale history of Hannibal's Carthage in decades and "a convincing and enthralling narrative." ("The Economist ")

Drawing on a wealth of new research, archaeologist, historian, and master storyteller Richard Miles resurrects the civilization that ancient Rome struggled so mightily to expunge. This monumental work charts the entirety of Carthage's history, from its origins among the Phoenician settlements of Lebanon to its apotheosis as a Mediterranean empire whose epic land-and-sea clash with Rome made a legend of Hannibal and shaped the course of Western history. "Carthage Must Be Destroyed" reintroduces readers to the ancient glory of a lost people and their generations-long struggle against an implacable enemy.

The questions of how a large population of neurons in the brain functions, how synchronized firing of neurons is achieved, and what factors regulate how many and which neurons fire under different conditions form the central theme of this book. Using a combined experimental-theoretical approach unique in neuroscience, the authors present important techniques for the physiological reconstruction of a large biological neuronal network. They begin by discussing experimental studies of the CA3 hippocampal region in vitro, focusing on single-cell and synaptic electrophysiology, particularly the effects a single neuron exerts on its neighbours. This is followed by a description of a computer model of the system, first for individual cells then for the entire detailed network, and the model is compared with experiments under a variety of conditions. The results shed significant light into the mechanisms of epilepsy, electroencephalograms, and biological oscillations and provide an excellent test case for theories of neural networks. Researchers in neurophysiology and physiological psychology, physicians concerned with epilepsy and related disorders, and researchers in computational neuroscience will find this book an invaluable resource.

The questions of how a large population of neurons in the brain functions, how synchronized firing of neurons is achieved, and what factors regulate how many and which neurons fire under different conditions form the central theme of this book. Using a combined experimental-theoretical approach unique in neuroscience, the authors present important new techniques for the physiological reconstruction of a large biological neuronal network. They begin by discussing experimental studies of the CA3 hippocampal region in vitro, focusing on single-cell and synaptic electrophysiology, particularly the effects a single neuron exerts on its neighbors. This is followed by a description of a computer model of the system, first for individual cells then for the entire detailed network, and the model is compared with experiments under a variety of conditions. The results shed significant light into the mechanisms of epilepsy, electroencephalograms, and biological oscillations and provide an excellent test case for theories of neural networks.

Love the Psalms? Struggle with them? Here are 36 brand new translations for you to enjoy, freshly translated from the original Hebrew. Betty Bracha Stone's translations of thirty-six Biblical psalms are innovative in their freshness, and yet deeply conservative in their faithfulness to the original Hebrew. Constructed in eloquent contemporary language, these interpretations give voice to the deepest sentiments in the human heart. Stone accomplishes the difficult task of renegotiating the passages that can plague the modern reader. For example, the concept of "enemy" is reinterpreted, as are allusions to ancient practices for which we have no meaningful reference. And yet, Stone's offerings bring forward the vibrant piety of the original supplicants. These translations carry the reader into the heart of the psalmists' service as we imagine it was practiced thousands of years ago. We are invited to join them and each other in gratitude, supplication and praise. Well voiced and well executed, this is an excellent companion volume for the personal and deeply felt spiritual journey. "Remarkable " "Bracha Stone's remarkable versions of thirty-six biblical psalms carry the reader into the hearts of religious poets who lived and wrote thousands of years ago. She has fashioned an eloquent contemporary language that reveals the spiritual experiences of these ancient worshipful writers." -- Rabbi Burt Jacobson, Founding Rabbi, Kehilla Community Synagogue "Innovative, fresh and yet deeply conservative" "Innovative in their contemporary freshness, and yet deeply conservative ... these re-voicings carry the prayerful reader to a place where all those who have prayed or sung these psalms join in one chorus." -- J. Gerald Janzen, Professor Emeritus, Christian Theological Seminary "To be savored" "Bracha Stone's offerings are to be savored by those new to the treasure of the Psalms and those who know them in the Hebrew. The words of each psalm take hold of her heart and demand her honest and fresh interpretation, and help us deepen to our own relationship with the Mystery we call God." -- Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Chaplain, Kaiser Hospital, Oakland CA A perfect gift for yourself or your loved ones Order a copy now.

Carnegie Institution Of Washington, No. 333.