Ancient history Books

Book SynopsisThis book aims to bring together all the evidence relevant for understanding Plato’s Atlantis Story, providing the Greek text of the relevant Platonic texts (the start of Plato’s Timaeus and the incomplete Critias), together with a commentary on language and content, and a full vocabulary of Greek words. This essential work also offers a new translation of these texts and a full introduction. The book has two special objectives. The introduction offers a full-scale interpretative reading of the Atlantis story, focused on the philosophical meaning of the story and the significance of Plato’s presentation, and responding to recent scholarly discussion of these questions. In conjunction with the new translation, this introduction provides a point of entry to a fascinating story for a wide range of readers. The introduction also discusses the question whether the story had a factual basis, and assesses possible links with Minoan Crete. Secondly, the Greek text (the Oxford Classical text) and commentary are juxtaposed and presented in ‘bite-size’ chunks making it easy to use and helpful especially for students using the book to improve their Greek. The notes provide full grammatical and linguistic help as well as pointers on the philosophical content and presentation, supported by the translation and complete vocabulary of Greek terms. The book is a second edition of one published in 1980. This edition has a new translation, a much fuller introduction, revised and updated notes and a new commentary format.Trade ReviewReviews 'The new interpretation, then, represents a bold development in Gill’s thought and one that is, on the whole, absolutely agreeable and certain to become canonical.' Charles Ives, Journal of the History of Philosophy'[This work is] a useful summation and update for those for whom it is already Plato’s Atlantis story, as well as an introduction for those who do not.' Carol Atack, Bryn Mawr Classical Review'For the scholar who wants to approach the pages of the Timaeus and the Critias for the first time on the story of Atlantis, understand the main problems, get in touch with the positions of the critics, and read the text with adequate depth, the Gill's volume remains, without any doubt, an indispensable and inevitable starting point.' (Translated from Italian.)Marianna A. Nardi, Syzetesis 'This version renews and considerably enriches the one from which I had drawn a great deal of inspiration when writing my Platon, Timée/Critias [...] exhibits an exceptional erudition while remaining accessible to students.' Luc Brisson, AtlantísTable of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: Plato’s Atlantis StoryBibliographyTranslation (Plato Timaeus 17a–27b, Critias)The Atlantis Story: Greek Text and CommentaryFigures 1–4VocabularyIndex of Ancient PassagesGeneral Index

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Claudia Glatz reconsiders the concept of empire and the processes of imperial making and undoing of the Hittite network in Late Bronze Age Anatolia. Using an array of archaeological, iconographic, and textual sources, she offers a fresh account of one of the earliest, well-attested imperialist polities of the ancient Near East. Glatz critically examines the complexity and ever transforming nature of imperial relationships, and the practices through which Hittite elites and administrators aimed to bind disparate communities and achieve a measure of sovereignty in particular places and landscapes. She also tracks the ambiguities inherent in these practices -- what they did or did not achieve, how they were resisted, and how they were subtly negotiated in different regional and cultural contexts.Trade Review'With Making, Glatz has written a monograph that is both an exciting application and case study of the archaeology of imperialism, and a comprehensive archaeological treatment of an empire that has never adequately received one … the most significant booklength treatment of the Hittite Empire for many years to come, and has immediately emerged as essential reading for all those interested in this time and place.' James F. Osborne, Journal of Near Eastern StudiesTable of Contents1. Empire is always in the making; 2. Placing empire; 3. Sovereign performance; 4. The pontic shatter zone; 5. Nesting faults; 6. Arresting geographies – ambiguous edges; 7. Discipline and difference; 8. Plain things; 9. Ceasing empire; 10. Concluding thoughts.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Nuggets of wisdom for the budding leader . . . glimmer through an anthology that sometimes feels like a mashup of Polonius’s TED talk to Laertes and the epistolary musings of an aging historian."---Jonathan W. Jordan, Wall Street Journal"[How to Be a Leader is] one of the best leadership books I've read in a very long time—and not surprisingly, it was written a very long time ago. There's a reason Plutarch has been a favorite of thinkers and doers since the days of Ancient Rome. He's insightful. He's funny. He's a great story teller. He wasn't just a writer either, but like the best historians and philosophers, a practitioner of what he talked about. Highly recommend."---Ryan Holiday, Ryan Holiday Reading List Newsletter"In How to Be a Leader, Beneker provides fresh translations of Plutarch’s three most important political essays . . . Beneker’s book delivers on its promises. With regard to its aim—making the practical wisdom of the ancient world accessible for modern life—the book is a success."---Thierry V. Oppeneer, Bryn Mawr Classical Review"It is refreshing to see such public-facing editions undertaken by noted scholars."---Kristine M. Trego, Classical Review"Jeffrey Beneker's is a fresh, clear and accurate translation. . . . we cannot help but saying that the excellent material and graphical conditions of its printing make this book a definite “keeper” in any bibliophile's library."---Stefan Teodor, Classica et Christiana

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Book SynopsisThe death of Ptolemy VI brought his younger brother Ptolemy VIII to the kingship. This was the start of a prolonged, if intermittent, turbulent period of family strife, punctuated by rebellions, plots and wars. One king, Ptolemy VII, was murdered, Ptolemy VIII's two simultaneous wives plotted and rebelled, and when he died one of these, Kleopatra III, was his effective successor. Ptolemy VIII was in fact not a bad king in some ways, and encouraged the exploitation of the discovery of the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean to develop trade with India, as well as using his (much reduced) navy to maintain contact with the lands of the Mediterranean. Kleopatra III made a renewed effort to reconquer Palestine, but failed (Eighth Syrian War). From the death of Ptolemy IX in 80 BC there were two overriding problems. Ptolemy IX was the last legitimate Ptolemy, and the succession was constantly in dispute from then on. And looming over all was the rising power of Rome. This had been largely absent from the eastern Mediterranean until the Mithradatic wars brought its power repeatedly into the East. Egypt gradually became drawn into the republic's orbit, mainly as a source of cash to fund its wars and the greed of the Roman aristocracy until, choosing the side of Mark Antony, the final Ptolemy, Kleopatra VII, went down to defeat before Octavian's forces.

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Book SynopsisThe Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome tells the story of 2200 years of the use and misuse of the idea of Roman decline by ambitious politicians, authors, and autocrats as well as the people scapegoated and victimized in the name of Roman renewal. It focuses on the long history of a way of describing change that might seem innocuous, but which has cost countless people their lives, liberty, or property across two millennia.Trade ReviewProponents of gradualism, sceptical about the need for radical change and its promised benefits, will have a handy primer to challenge the misuse of Roman precedents. * MICHAEL WHITBY, The Classical Review *The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome might be one of Watts's most significant books. * Evan Axel Andersson, World History Encyclopedia *This clearly written scholarly work covers 2,000 years of political and intellectual history. * A. J. Papalas, East Carolina University, Choice Connect *This is a gripping book, which packs much detail into its 242 pages. It is built around the theme of continuous decline or apparent decline. The book has many insights, in particular the way in which Roman history is misused by modern writers and politicians. This reviewer would strongly recommend the book to anyone with an interest in European history or classics. * Rupert Jackson, Classics for All *Edward J. Watts, a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, is a scholar of the later ancient world, who takes his readers from republican Rome to Republican Washington with a resounding theme that anyone promising to restore lost greatness is probably up to no good.... This is a powerful lens through which to view the past, both for those who already think they know it well and those who have practical uses for it.... He gives a masterly account of the complex family who founded the Roman empire's last and longest-lasting dynasty, and of its principal figure, Michael Palaeologus (1261-82), who restored Constantinople to its capital status while committing 'sins so great that even his successors hesitated to embrace his legacy too closely. * Peter Stothard, Wall Street Journal *History professor Watts accomplishes an impressive feat by effectively compressing the vast history of Rome and its empire into a relatively short book... In such an abbreviated history of much of the Western World, Watts succeeds admirably in his purpose. But his truly novel contribution is his ability to weave in the ways that the 'deeply entrenched narrative' of Roman decline and recovery accompanied Rome's growth in the second century B.C.E. and on to its commanding position in the western empire as the seat of Catholicism, before the break with Constantinople.... A fresh, complex story of how historical perceptions come into being and are used to persuade and rule. * Kirkus Reviews *The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome traces the dreams and nightmares of the longest lasting polity in the history of Europe. For almost two millennia, Romans remained haunted by the prospect of their own decline and fall. They were also constantly hypnotized by programs that claimed to 'Make Rome Great Again.' Each such program left a trail of victims and scapegoats. Edward Watts tells this story of alternating hopes, fears, and grand illusions from beginning to end with zest and truly panoramic erudition. Those who wish to understand how the chill ghost of Rome's fall can still be conjured up by modern pundits and politicians - and frequently with toxic results--should read this book. * Peter Brown, author of The Ransom of the Soul: Afterlife and Wealth in Early Western Christianity *The 'fall of Rome' is an idea that has been weaponized throughout the ages. Where one speaks of a 'decline,' talk of blame is usually soon to follow. Any 'renewal' or 'revival' quickly results in its own victims. TheEternal Decline and Fall of Rome is the first book to tell the story of the use and misuse of these ideas over the long course of Roman history. As Watts lays out, there was no one decline of Rome, nor one fall, but a series of them, each of them heavily politicized. * Anthony Kaldellis, author of Streams of Gold, Rivers of Blood: The Rise and Fall of Byzantium, 955 A.D. to the First Crusade *In this timely and well-executed work, Edward Watts has brought off three exceptional achievements: literary, historical, and political. His well-tempered description of Roman decline and fall strikes chords in contemporary America, inviting a use of Rome's example to think more responsibly about the challenges of our own world. * Janet Nelson, author of King and Emperor: A New Life of Charlemagne *Memory of Rome's imperial greatness has inspired over the centuries the ambitions of rulers, popes, and warlords. But alongside this was the warning of Rome's fall. In this masterful compression, Edward Watts brings together ideas of empire and decline, showing their interaction over almost two millennia and their continued relevance and misuse in politics today. * Martyn Rady, author of The Habsburgs: The Rise and Fall of a World Power *Watt's book is well-written and it demonstrates the work of a classical scholar at the top of his game. Moreover, he makes an admirable argument about the need for a positive American leader akin to Marcus Aurelius. * Jesse Russell, European Conservative *Table of ContentsChapter 1 A Snapshot and a Story Chapter 2 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Republic, c. 200 BC-14 AD Chapter 3 Manufacturing the Golden Age of Trajan, 14 -117 AD Chapter 4 Renewal without Decline: The Antonines and Severans, 117-235 AD Chapter 5 Decline and False Renewal: The Third Century Crisis, 235-284 AD Chapter 6 Decline, Renewal, and the Invention of Christian Progress, 284-337 AD Chapter 7 Roman Renewal versus Christian Progress, 337-363 AD Chapter 8 When Renewal Fails to Arrive, 363-384 AD Chapter 9 The Loss of the Roman West and the Christian Future, 384-c. 470 AD Chapter 10 Justinian, Roman Progress, and the Death of the Western Roman Empire, c. 470-565 AD Chapter 11 Rome, the Arabs, and Iconoclasm, 565-c. 750 AD Chapter 12 Old Rome, New Rome, and Future Rome, c. 750-814 AD Chapter 13 The Retrenchment of One Roman Empire, the Resurgence of Another, 814-1085 AD Chapter 14 The Captures of Constantinople, 1085-1282 AD Chapter 15 The Fall of Roman Constantinople and the End of Roman Renewal, 1282-1461 AD Chapter 16 Roman Renewal After the Fall, c.1450-c. 1560 AD Chapter 17 The Dangerous Idea

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Book SynopsisThe Roman emperor Julian (361-363) was raised as a Christian, but soon after apostatized, and, during his short reign, attempted to revive paganism. This provoked the anger of the Christians, who raised accusations against him as a persecutor. In The Last Pagan Emperor, these claims are carefully investigated.Trade ReviewAn impeccably scholarly work. It establishes in great detail, and with a certain dry humor, the fact that most of the martyrdoms said to have been undergone by Christians during the reign of the apostate emperor were mere fairy tales invented by Christians of a later age. * Peter Brown, New York Review of Books *The book is written in an easy-to-read prose that will please students and scholars alike, whether familiar or not with the characters and texts treated. Almost fifty pages of notes, sixty-six of bibliography, and a useful index close the book. ... In summary, the book is a major contribution to the late antique debate of the conflict between paganism and Christianity as it engages in topics which until not so long ago were nearly undeniable * Marco Alviz Fernández, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *The author's explication of the troublesome ancient sources (such as Christian apologetics and letters) particularly impresses. This book [explains] everything clearly and pleasantly without requiring specialized knowledge. An excellent introduction to this period and its personalities. ... Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. * T. Doran, CHOICE *It is about time someone put the myth of Julian the Persecutor to rest. Teitler does it with style, authority, and some well-placed humor. There is an enormous amount of erudition packed into these pages, yet they unfold at a measured, almost leisurely pace. The result is a study that is both highly informative and highly accessible. It is that rare combination of a lively and readable text with thorough documentation. * H. A. Drake, University of California, Santa Barbara *In the reign of Julian religious tensions ran high. Teitler reveals how the flashpoints these created were magnified and distorted in their retelling by later Christian authors. From this book emerges a much clearer picture of late antiquity's most enigmatic emperor. * Noel Lenski, Yale University *Teitler offers a compelling, vivid, and readable portrait of the life and legacy of the emperor Julian. He traces Julian's path from Christianity to paganism, explains the careful measures the emperor took to shift the religious landscape of the Roman world, and shows how Christian contemporaries unfairly redefined Julian as a persecuting tyrant. This book provides an exciting new way to understand the mind of Rome's last pagan emperor as well as the world that shaped our modern views of Julian's unique legacy. * Edward Watts, University of California, San Diego *Teitler has pulled off the trick of exculpating Julian of anti-Christian pogroms in a fully evidenced and highly accessible text -- a page-turner, in fact. He does not, of course, suggest that there were not attacks on Christians -- simply that there was no Julianic programme of religious cleansing. Indeed, we see Julian upbraiding those who would indulge in torture and execution on the grounds that the worst you could do is deny a would-be saint martyrdom ... The reviewer has no hesitation in recommending this book to all readers * Adrian Spooner, Classics for All *Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations Map of the Near East in the Time of Julian Introduction I Julian's Apostasy II Constantine and the Christians III A Fleeting Cloud? IV George of Cappadocia V Artemius VI Pagan Temples and Christian Churches VII Sacrifices to the Gods VIII Julian's School Edict: a Form of Persecution? IX Basil of Ancyra X Idols and Psalm-Singing XI Julian and his Uncle Julianus XII Caesarea and Gaza XIII Eugenius and Macarius XIV The Banner of the Cross XV Chrysostom and Julian XVI To the End and Beyond XVII Elophius XVIII Praise and Blame Chronological Outline Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Persian Empire was the world''s first hyperpower, with territory stretching from Central Asia to Northeastern Africa and from Southeastern Europe to the Indus Valley. It was the dominant geopolitical force from the later sixth century to its conquest by Alexander in the 330s BCE. Much of the empire''s territory was conquered by its founder, Cyrus the Great, who reigned from 559-530 BCE. Cyrus became a legend in his own lifetime, and his career inspired keen interest from Persia''s unruly neighbors to the west, the ancient Greeks. The idealized portrait of Cyrus by the Greek Xenophon had a profound impact on ancient, medieval, and early modern debates about rulership. King of the World provides an authoritative and accessible account of Cyrus the Great''s life, career, and legacy. While Greek sources remain central to any narrative about Cyrus, a wealth of primary evidence is found in the ancient Near East, including documentary, archaeological, art historical, and biblical material. Matt Waters draws from all of these sources while consistently contextualizing them in order to provide a cohesive understanding of Cyrus the Great. This overview addresses issues of interpretation and reconciles limited material, while the narrative keeps Cyrus the Great''s compelling career at the forefront. Cyrus'' legacy is enormous and not fully appreciated King of the World takes readers on a journey that reveals his powerful impact and preserves his story for future generations.Trade ReviewThe book is a quick read and is a page turner. The interdisciplinary approach of weaving together history, archaeology, and other fields is much appreciated as well.... An excellent book for anyone seeking to learn about Cyrus and the Persian Empire. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *[Waters] has put together a careful but readable account of what we know about that empire's charismatic founder. * Claremont Review of Books *Matt Waters...is one of those rare scholars capable both of reading the Cyrus Cylinder in its original Standard Babylonian—he includes a new translation as an appendix to his book King of the World—and also of writing about it, and its putative author, in an engaging, approachable way. His study takes us deep inside the career and achievements of Cyrus, while sensibly declining to reconstruct the king's inner life....His portrait of Cyrus is attractive and his research authoritative. * New York Review of Books *Matt Waters' King of the World is an impressive biographical study of one of the most important figures in ancient history. Waters not only situates Cyrus in the context of Near Eastern and world history, but also his reception in the longue durée. * Touraj Daryaee, Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies & Culture, and Director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture, University of California, Irvine *This study of Cyrus the Great is a tour-de-force and will be welcomed and used by teachers, scholars, students, and the interested public. Waters' command of ancient sources and vast knowledge of recent scholarship offers a comprehensive overview of Cyrus, contextualized within the human landscape of the ancient world. Magnificent! * Elspeth Dusinberre, Professor of Distinction, University of Colorado Boulder *Table of ContentsPreface Figures and Maps Chronological Chart/Table Timeline Chapter 1 DS Introduction: The Kings of Anshan Scope and Scale: The Cusp of the First World Empire An Achaemenid Renaissance Setting the Historical Stage Persians and Iranians The Kingdom of Anshan/Parsumash among the Great Powers pp. 14-23 Cyrus I A Royal Heirloom What's in a (Throne) Name? Endnotes Chapter 2 DS An Irresistible Force A New Son Rising Cyrus and Cassandane The Daughters of Cyrus: Atossa and Artystone Endnotes Chapter 3 DS On the March Median Problems (More) Dreaming of Cyrus Cyrus' War with Astyages Go West, Young Man Endnotes Chapter 4 DS The Chosen One The Conquest of Babylonia Cyrus' Babylonian Inscriptions The Cyrus Cylinder Royal Inscriptions from Uruk and Ur The Verse Account A Time of Transition Endnotes Chapter 5 DS The Imperial Project (Re)Ordering the World The Roads Go Ever On The Persian Army A Unifying Ideology More Territory, More Capitals Pasargadae Tomb of Cyrus Gate R Palaces S and P Paradise Found, The Royal Garden The Zendan and the Tall-i Takht Exit Pasargadae Cyrus the Polytheist Endnotes Chapter 6 DS Legacies The Death of Cyrus Reality and Imagination Recalling Cyrus: Alexander III of Macedon Subtle but Formidable Remembrances Conclusions: New out of Old Endnotes Appendix A DS On Sources Endnotes Appendix B DS Translation of the Cyrus Cylinder Appendix C DS Teispids and Achaemenids Endotes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAs the site of only a small and obscure Christian population between 135 and 313 CE, Jerusalem witnessed few instances of anti-Christian persecution. This fact became a source of embarrassment to the city in late antiquitya period when martyr traditions, relics, and shrines were closely intertwined with local prestige. At that time, the city had every incentive to stretch the fame of its few, apostolic martyrs as far as possible-especially the fame of the biblical St. Stephen, the figure traditionally regarded as the first Christian martyr (Acts 6-8). What the church lacked in the quantity of its martyrs, it believed it could compensate for in an exclusive, local claim to the figure widely hailed as the Protomartyr, firstborn of the martyrs, and chief of confessors in contemporary sources. This book traces the rise of the cult of Stephen in Jerusalem, exploring such historical episodes as the fabrication of his relics, the construction of a grand basilica in his honour, and the multiplication of the saint''s feast days. It argues that local church authorities promoted devotion to Stephen in the fifth century in a conscious attempt to position him as a patron saint for Jerusalemthat is, a symbolic embodiment of the city''s Christian identity and power.

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Book SynopsisEdited by Barry Cunliffe, one of the world''s leading archaeologists, this book provides a comprehensive account of prehistoric Europe from the coming of the Stone Age to the fall of the Roman Empire. Unique in its approach, it is a history of both humanity and the environment, looking at the changing landscape of Europe and the responses and adaptations to these changes.With over 300 plates, maps, and figures, this fascinating volume will be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in the early history, art, and archaeology of Europe.Trade Reviewtakes the reader on a fascinating journey through the development of Western culture -- a definitive study. * Oxford Times *Table of ContentsList of Colour Plates ; List of Maps ; Acknowledgements ; Introduction ; 1. The Peopling of Europe, 700,000-400,000 Years before the Present ; 2. The Upper Paleolithic Revolution ; 3. The Mesolithic Age ; 4. The First Farmers ; 5. The Transformation of Early Agrarian Europe: The Later Neolithic and Copper Ages, 4500-2500 BC ; 6. The Palace Civilizations of Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece, 2000-1200 BC ; 7. The Emergence of Elites: Earlier Bronze Age Europe, 2500-1300 BC ; 8. The Collapse of Aegean Civilization at the End of the Late Bronze Age ; 9. Reformation in Barbarian Europe, 1300-600 BC ; 10. Iron Age Societies in Western Europe and Beyond: 800-140 BC ; 11. Thracians, Scythians, and Dacians, 800 BC-AD 300 ; 12. The Impact of Rome on Barbarian Society, 140 BC-AD300 ; 13. Barbarian Europe, AD 300-700 ; Further Reading ; Chronological Tables ; Acknowledgement of Sources ; Index

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Book SynopsisNorthern Africa is dominated now by the Sahara Desert, stretching across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. This book is about the people who lived around the edges of the Desert and the different ways in which they responded to its challenges, establishing networks of communication across its expanse.Trade ReviewA marvellously rich book in which the Sahara holds centre stage...Cunliffe has once again magisterially filled a major gap in the literature with this surprisingly rich history of the far from empty Sahara and the vibrant cultures of the lands surrounding it. * David Abulafia, Literary Review *Facing the Sea of Sand covers a huge amount of ground, yet the clarity of the writing and the array of accompanying maps, graphs, illustrations and photographs ensure that it doesn't feel overwhelming. * Shafik Meghji, Geographical *Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe is an historian of the grand scale...a fascinating account of one of our planet's most hostile places. * Anthony Sattin, Engelsberg Ideas *Distilling an extraordinary amount of Saharan research into a readable narrative is an accomplishment in itself. Successfully placing it into a continental and global context is genius...A masterpiece of African scholarship featuring stunning full-color photography and edifying maps. * Jessica A. Bushore, Library Journal *Barry Cunliffe's words are delivered with great panache, and the images and maps make the book accessible to the widest possible audience. * Arpan Banerjee, Times Literary Supplement *A masterful account of the desert and the peoples both to the north and to the south. * Andrew Selkirk, Current World Archaeology *Table of ContentsPreface 1: The Desert, the Rivers and the Ocean 2: The Long Beginning 3: Domesticating the Land: 6500-1000 BC 4: Creating Connectivities: 1000-140 BC 5: The Impact of Empire: 140 BC-AD 400 6: An End and a Beginning: AD 400- 760 7: Emerging States: AD 760-1150 8: Widening Horizons: AD 1150-1400 9: Africa and the World: AD1400-1600 10: Retrospect and Prospect

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Book SynopsisTen years after its original publication, Roman Homosexuality remains the definitive statement of this interesting but often misunderstood aspect of Roman culture. Learned yet accessible, the book has reached both students and general readers with an interest in ancient sexuality. This second edition features a new foreword by Martha Nussbaum, a completely rewritten introduction that takes account of new developments in the field, a rewritten and expanded appendix on ancient images of sexuality, and an updated bibliography.Trade ReviewThis book may do more for the understanding of classical sexuality than any since Kenneth Dover's Greek Homosexuality of twenty years ago. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsABBREVIATIONS; NOTES TO THE SECOND EDITION; PREFACE; INTRODUCTION; CONCLUSIONS; APPENDIX 1; APPENDIX 2; APPENDIX 3; APPENDIX 4; AFTERWORD; NOTES; WORKS CITED; INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED; GENERAL INDEX

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Book SynopsisHailing from the Syrian city of Palmyra, a woman named Zenobia (also Bathzabbai) governed territory in the eastern Roman empire from 268 to 272. She thus became the most famous Palmyrene who ever lived. But sources for her life and career are scarce. This book situates Zenobia in the social, economic, cultural, and material context of her Palmyra. By doing so, it aims to shed greater light on the experiences of Zenobia and Palmyrene women like her at various stages of their lives. Not limiting itself to the political aspects of her governance, it contemplates what inscriptions and material culture at Palmyra enable us to know about women and the practice of gender there, and thus the world that Zenobia navigated. It reflects on her clothes, house, hygiene, property owning, gestures, religious practices, funerary practices, education, languages, social identities, marriage, and experiences motherhood, along with her meteoric rise to prominence and civil war. It also ponders Zenobia''s legacy in light of the contemporary human tragedy in Syria.Trade ReviewOf far greater consequence, especially for the educated public, are the appendices and bibliography: the destruction of monuments, the nature of Palmyrene Aramaic, original language version of inscriptions detailing Zenobia's household (Aramaic in transliteration). These and the bibliography illustrate the multinational and lengthy careers [of] those building upon intelligent assumptions in the recreation of an ancient site. * Michael Weiskopf, Berkeley, CA, Ancient West & East *Andrade has done a worthwhile job of collecting physical and literary evidence that will interest scholars of ancient history. * J.A.S. Evans, CHOICE *interesting and informative - in particular for an undergraduate course on gender history * James Corke-Webster, Kings College London, Greece & Rome *Admirable and well-articulated ... Andrade's book, intended both for the specialist and the educated reader in general, analyses each of these events with objectivity and rigour, and presents a highly fitting approximation to the attractive figure of this singular woman. We should congratulate ourselves on its publication and congratulate the author on his work. * Gustavo A. Vivas Garcia, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Zenobia's Likenesses Chapter 2: Urban Landscape Chapter 3: Social Landscape Chapter 4: Social World Chapter 5: Coming of Age Chapter 6: Marital Household Chapter 7: Widowhood Chapter 8: Dynasty Chapter 9: Civil War Chapter 10: Legacy and Likenesses

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Book SynopsisThucydides Historiae Vol. I: Books I-IV

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Book SynopsisLivy Ab Urbe Condita Books I-V

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Book SynopsisThis is the first volume of a three-volume historical and literary commentary on the eight books of Thucydides, the great fifth-century BC historian of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Of the three books covered in this volume, Book I presents Thucydides'' aims in writing the work and the historical background to the war. Books II and III describe the main events of the first five years of the war (431-426) and include Pericles'' funeral oration, the plague of Athens, the revolt of Mytilene, the destruction of Plataea, and civil war in Corcyra. Thucydides intended his work to be `an everlasting possession'' and the continuing importance of his work is undisputed. Simon Hornblower''s commentary, by translating every passage or phrase of Greek commented on, for the first time allows the reader with little or no Greek to appreciate the detail of Thucydides'' thought and subject-matter. It is the first complete commentary written by a single author this century and exploresTrade Reviewfor its attention to detail, its balanced judgements, and its broad scope, this commentary will become a standard work...it is historically authoritative and historiographically penetrating. Readers at all levels have much to learn from this book, and will appreciate its clear and careful discussions of the many literary masterpieces in Thucydides. Classics Journala model for anyone who wants to get to grips with that great historian: detailed scholarship combined with breadth and lucidity, and the Greek translated into English, too. It is the model on which all future commentaries should be based. The Timesan excellent commentary...it is also an interesting guide to how ancient Greek literature and history have been read and interpreted in the generation from 1960 to 1990. Times Literary SupplementA work at the highest scholarly level...it will play an important role in future research Gnomon

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Book SynopsisThis original study draws on the results of latest archaeological discoveries to describe London's Roman origins. It offers a wealth of new information from one of the world's richest and most intensively studied archaeological sites.Trade ReviewLondon in the Roman World collects and details the most recent archaeological and academic research on the Roman city. * D. M. Hall, CHOICE *This is a forcefully argued account of Roman London marked by an impressive mastery of a complex and fragmented archaeology. * Christopher Kelly , London Review of Books *Books of the Year 2022 * , Current Archaeology *highly informative, accessibly written * Sadie Watson, Minerva *Accessible... engagingly written... This book is an excellent and thoughtful exploration of London at a macro level, exploring the forces that governed its wider fate, and placing it firmly in context as part of a wider empire. Agree or disagree, this book will be central to discussions of the city for decades to come. * Owen Humphreys, Current Archaeology *This is a splendid book... and Dominic's wide knowledge of other parts of the Roman world gives it a depth that makes it a landmark in the study of Roman London. * Andrew Selkirk, Current Archaeology *A superbly readable, up-to-date, comprehensive and beautifully illustrated account of the history of Roman London. * Armand D'Angour, Engelsberg Ideas *This book presents the most comprehensive coverage of Roman London - Londinium - to date by the foremost authority in this sphere of Romano-British archaeology... Dominic Perring should be commended for producing a work that navigates such a difficult journey so well through a thorny subject area with the relative precision permitted by a wealth of material sources. It is the manner in which these are interpreted and their concordance - and in some cases discordance - with historical narratives that single this work out at as an essential handbook for Roman London and Roman Britain more generally. * Mark Merrony *Though packed with detail, Dominic Perring's book is well written and easy to read. For the scholar or the general reader seeking an up-to-date, forensic examination of Roman London, this comprehensive book is an essential tool. * Derek Birks, Aspects of History *This fascinating book does much more than tell the story which is briefly summarised above. It is packed with analysis of individual buildings and discussion of social history. It does not pre-suppose extensive background knowledge. Anyone who enjoys history, whether or not they are a classicist, will read this work with great interest. * Rupert Jackson, Classics for All *A closely argued, authoritative and convincing account...I suspect this book will set the standard for overviews of Roman London for many years - the point of reference for budding academics and interested punters. * Anthony Webb, Popular History Books *A truly remarkable achievement. * Martin Henig, Journal of the British Archaeological Association *It only remains to record that this book's production is excellent in every way..., the publication is a joy to read and to consult. Author and publisher deserve our profound thanks. * Henig Martin, JBAA *This is an excellent book for teachers, schools and students to be engaging with and will make a fine addition to any school library. * Timothy Adelani, Journal of Classics Teaching *Table of ContentsPART 1: APPROACHES TO ROMAN LONDON 1: Introduction 2: Recovering Roman London 3: Understanding Roman London 4: Before London PART 2: MAKING LONDON 5: The Roman invasion (c. AD 43) 6: A supply base (c. AD 43-52) 7: Shaping the city (c. AD 52-60) 8: The Boudican revolt (c. AD 60-61) 9: Post-war reconstruction (c. AD 61-70) PART 3: MONUMENTS OF ROME 10: Bread and circuses (c. AD 70-80 11: Britain's capital? (c. AD 80-90) 12: Episodes of renewal (c. AD 90-110) 13: The great forum (c. AD 110-125) PART 4: THE WORKING CITY 14: The urban hinterland 15: The region and its resources 16: Economy and supply 17: London at work 18: People and society PART 5: DESTRUCTION AND RECOVERY 19: The Hadrianic fire (c. AD 125-135) 20: The Walbrook skulls 21: Antonine sophistication (c. AD 135-165) PART 6: LONDON DIMINISHED 22: Antonine contraction (c. AD 165-180 23: Severan revival (c. AD 180-225) 24: Britannia Superior (c. AD 225-250) 25: The third-century 'crisis' (c. AD 250-270) PART 7: THE LATE ANTIQUE CITY 26: Restoration (c. AD 270-285) 27: City of emperors (c. AD 285-350) 28: Augusta (c. AD 350-380) 29: Endings (c. AD 380-400) PART 8: BEYOND ROME 30: Fifth-century landscapes 31: Afterword APPENDIX: EXCAVATIONS REFERRED TO IN THE TEXT

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Book SynopsisThe biographer Suetonius is one of the most fascinating writers of ancient Rome, but he is rarely afforded serious critical attention. This volume of new essays focuses on the various aspects of Suetonius'' work, from his lost writing on Roman courtesans to his imperial portraits of the Caesars.Beginning with an introduction that assesses the originality of Suetonius as a writer and situates the essays within the context of debates and controversies over his biographical form, the collection addresses the issues surrounding his style, themes, and early influence on literature in three parts. The first part discusses formal features of Suetonian biography, such as his literary techniques, manners of citation and quotation, and devices of allusion and closure. The middle section is devoted to readings of the individual Lives, treating several topics - from Suetonius'' decision to begin his collection with Julius Caesar, to fictional elements in his death scene of the emperor Caligula, toTrade ReviewTristan Power and Roy Gibson, the editors of this new collection of thirteen lively essays, Suetonius the Biographer, seek to put the author in the spotlight by directing the critical focus squarely back to his craft as a biographer. By meeting Suetonius on his own terms, the contributors aim to clarify how and why he is an innovative writer still worth reading today . . . as this stimulating collection of essays demonstrates, looking below the surface of Suetonius's text into the inner workings of the author's mind is richly rewarding. * Rhiannon Ash, Times Literary Supplement *Excellent collection of essays . . . There are no weak links in the essays, and the choice of material is a thought-provoking pointer to how those Suetonian times have changed . . . The volume as a whole is certainly an important further step in dismantling that caricature, and all readers and browsers will learn a lot. * Christopher Pelling, Classical Review *[T]he most thorough and successful attempt to date to recover Suetonius as an innovative biographer . . . This is an unusually excellent edited volume. While diverse and occasionally divergent, the papers overall make a strong case for the artful biographer. Their thoughtful arrangement, along with Power's introduction, enhances their impact. Established fans of Suetonius will cheer, and new ones should join them. * Josiah Osgood, Sehepunkte *This engaging volume succeeds in advancing our understanding of Suetonius . . . The thirteen essays are well-edited and coherently organized, concluding with a rich bibliography and generous indexes. Scholars and students interested in biography and early imperial history will want to take note of this stimulating publication. * Salvador Bartera, Classical World *Power and Gibson and their contributors have given us what is often a demanding read, but certainly something that for students of Suetonius demands to be read. * David Wardle, Histos *A welcome addition to English-language scholarship on Suetonius, his literary style, his contributions to the genre of biography, and his subsequent reception . . . the editors have done a good job of establishing connections between the chapters and teasing out key themes that should inform and enrich our assessment of Suetonius in future scholarship . . . attentive readers will return to Suetonius more thoughtfully and cautiously in future sittings. * Mark Bradley, Journal of Roman Studies *By offering scholarship on the DVC that employs a wide variety of approaches and includes successful forays beyond the DVC's borders, Suetonius the Biographer expands our awareness of the myriad of possibilites for future work on this under-estimated author. That there can be great care, artistry, and purpose to be explored in works that, to the casual reader, may seem at times to be compilations of mere data (however quirky) is something we are just beginning to appreciate in such authors as Pliny the Elder and Suetonius. Suetonius the Biographer piques one's appetite for the next modest spate of Suetonian monograph(s). * Trevor S. Luke, Classical Journal Online *Table of ContentsList of Contributors Editions and Abbreviations Tristan Power: Introduction: The Originality of Suetonius Part I: Formal Features 1: Donna W. Hurley: Suetonius' Rubric Sandwich 2: Cynthia Damon: Suetonius the Ventriloquist 3: Tristan Power: The Endings of Suetonius' Caesars Part II: Reading the Lives 4: John Henderson: Was Suetonius' Julius a Caesar? 5: Rebecca Langlands: Exemplary Influences and Augustus' Pernicious Moral Legacy 6: Erik Gunderson: E.g. Augustus: exemplum in the Augustus and Tiberius 7: Donna W. Hurley: Rhetorics of Assassination: Ironic Reversal and the Emperor Gaius 8: W. Jeffrey Tatum: Another Look at Suetonius' Titus 9: Jean-Michel Hulls: The Mirror in the Text: Privacy, Performance, and the Power of Suetonius' Domitian Part III: Biographical Thresholds 10: Roy K. Gibson: Suetonius and the uiri illustres of Pliny the Younger 11: Tristan Power: Suetonius' Famous Courtesans 12: T. P. Wiseman: Suetonius and the Origin of Pantomime 13: Jamie Wood: Suetonius and the De uita Caesarum in the Carolingian Empire Bibliography Index Locorum General Index

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Book SynopsisFew historical figures have had an impact on the popular imagination like the Roman emperor Caligula. But what can we believe about the incredible stories transmitted to us from ancient sources? This book presents translations of these sources-from ancient writers, coins, and inscriptions-as a guide to navigating inconsistent historical records.Table of ContentsPreface Important Events List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Further Reading Significant Events Introduction 1: Family and Childhood 2: Young Caligula 3: Accession 4: Tensions 5: The Private Caligula 6: The Public Caligula 7: Outside Rome 8: Assassination Glossary

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Book SynopsisThis is the second volume of a three-volume historical and literary commentary of the eight books of Thucydides, the great fifth-century BC historian of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Books IV-V. 24 cover the years 425-421 BC and contain the Pylos-Spakteria narrative, the Delion Campaign, and Brasidas'' operations in the north of Greece. This volume ends with the Peace of Nikias and the alliance between Athens and Sparta. A valuable feature of this volume is the full thematic introduction which discusses such topics as Thucydides and Herodotus, Thucydides'' presentation of Brasidas, Thucydides and kinship, speech - direct and indirect - in IV-V. 24, Thucydides and epigraphy (including personal names), IV-V. 24 as a work of art: innovative or merely incomplete? Thucydides intended his work to be `an everlasting possession'' and the continuing importance of his work is undisputed. Simon Hornblower''s commentary, by translating every passage of Greek commented on, for thTrade ReviewReview from previous edition No one will dispute the brilliance of the author; few, if any, would have contemplated such a task, or done it better ... H.'s commentary is of enormous value, and will very likely last as long as Gomme's commentary, if not longer, as a primary point of reference for any serious endeavour to understand individual Thucydidean passages, as well as in this volume offering a valuable methodological approach that will give continuing impetus to further analysis ... for years to come, we will all turn to H. when we want to understand more about Thucydides, and much else besides. * The Classical Review *The commentary offers many valuable insights and observations ... scholars and students will consult H. with profit * Journal of Hellenistic Studies *Few, if any, can be more knowledgeable or versatile: every page pullulates with original, apposite and enlightening comments and ideas. No teacher of Thucydides or Greek history can afford to be without this book to hand. H's productive capacity and up-to-date mastery of the field is phenomenal ... school teachers have every reason to be indebted to him. * JACT Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; COMMENTARY ; Book IV ; Book V. 1-24

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Book SynopsisAccording to Egyptian mythology, when the god Re cried, his tears turned into bees upon touching the ground. Beyond the realm of myth, the honey bee is a surprisingly common and significant motif in Egyptian history, playing a role in the mythology, medicine, art, and food of the ancient culture. In The Tears of Re: Beekeeping in Ancient Egypt, entomologist Gene Kritsky presents the first full-length discussion of the ways in which bees were a part of life in ancient Egypt, shedding light on one of the many mysteries of the ancient world. Kritsky delves into ancient Egypt''s complex society, revealing that bees had a significant presence in everything from death rituals to trade. In fact, beekeeping was a state-controlled industry, and in certain instances honey could even be used to pay taxes! Honey was used both to sweeten foods and treat cuts, and was sometimes used as a tribute or offering. From the presence of bees in paintings and hieroglyphs in tombs to the use of beeswax in a variety of products, bees had a significant presence in ancient Egyptian culture. Richly illustrated and engagingly written, The Tears of Re will appeal to anyone with a passion for beekeeping, Egypt, or the ancient world.Trade ReviewKritsky achieves a quality integration punctuated with excellent illustration Readers will appreciate Kritskys combination of historical range, beekeeping knowledge, and connection to the present. * Adam Ebert, Agricultural History *This concise account of beekeeping in Ancient Egypt packs a wealth of material into its 133 pages of text ... a pleasure to read, exploring myriad aspects of Ancient Egyptian life from a new perspective and with appeal to a similarly wide audience. * Susan Biddle, Beekeepers Quarterly *Kritsky has provided a comprehensive, well documented, and highly readable overview of Ancient Egyptian beekeeping. His book is full of interesting facts ... a truly astounding book that will appeal to both Egyptophiles and entomologists * O. Zuhdi, KMT *This well-illustrated book works as a guide for the amateur Egyptologist, 'with step-by-step instructions to the evidence of ancient beekeeping at different archaeological sites and in different museums'. It is a great read for those with an interest in Ancient Egypt and the detective work that has revealed its complex, highly ordered and controlled society. The amateur beekeeper will also be fascinated by this book. * Paul Bolam, History Today *Kritsky marshals [the material for this book] with a simple, supple prose ... Readable in a few hours, the book is the sort of unexpected delight one hopes to find in an old hotel, and it deserves to do well. Lets hope the, er, buzz spreads (sorry). * Richard Benson, The Independent *This fascinating study traces the history of beekeeping and honey production through pictorial evidence starting back in the Fifth Dynasty ... well researched and very accessible to the general reader. * Hilary Forrest, Ancient Egypt *an engaging and enjoyable read and would encourage anyone who has an interest in bees, beekeeping or ancient Egypt to read it. * Biologist *Kritsky has created a book that is an enjoyable, engaging read and also contributes meaningfully to our understanding of the cultural significance of the bee and apiculture in Egypt. ... Kritsky's work is an essential starting point for understanding beekeeping and discussions of bees throughout the Mediterranean world, in art, and in history. * Rachel D. Carlson, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Richly illustrated and engagingly written, Kritsky's monograph will appeal to anyone with a passion for beekeeping, Egyptology, or the ancient world in general. It will become a compelling reference work on the subject for many years to come. * European Journal Entomology *The is subject matter will appeal to students, beekeepers interested in history, and professors teaching the development of apiculture... * Kirsten Traynor, American Entomologist *A must for anyone interested in cultural entomology. * Claire Waring, Bee Craft *Table of Contents1. Beekeeping Begins ; 2. The Delight of Re: Beekeeping During the Old Kingdom ; 3. Instability and Reunification: Beekeeping During the Middle Kingdom ; 4. The Age of Empire: Beekeeping During the New Kingdom ; 5. The Saite Period ; 6. The Greco-Roman Period ; 7. The Honey Bee Hieroglyph ; 8. The Administration and Economics of Egyptian Beekeeping ; 9. Bees and Food ; 10. Honey and Healing ; 11. Bees, Gods, and Feasts ; 12. The Magic of Beeswax ; 13. The Afterlife of Ancient Egyptian Beekeeping

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an innovative analytic account of Cicero''s treatment of key political ideas: liberty and equality, government, law, cosmopolitanism and imperialism, republican virtues, and ethical decision-making in politics. Cicero (106-43 BC) is well known as a major player in the turbulent politics of the last three decades of the Roman Republic. But he was a political thinker, too, influential for many centuries in the Western intellectual and cultural tradition. His theoretical writings stand as the first surviving attempt to articulate a philosophical rationale for republicanism. They were not written in isolation either from the stances he took in his political actions and political oratory of the period, or from his discussions of immediate political issues or questions of character or behaviour in his voluminous correspondence with friends and acquaintances. In this book, Malcolm Schofield situates the intimate interrelationships between Cicero''s writings in all these modes within the historical context of a fracturing Roman political order. It exhibits the continuing attractions of Cicero''s scheme of republican values, as well as some of its limitations as a response to the crisis that was engulfing Rome.Trade ReviewCicero: Political Philosophy, with its densely yet subtly inter-connected chapters, excellent bibliography, and phenomenal choice of quotations from the largest body of work of a single author to come down to us from Graeco-Roman antiquity, is no exception in this and exceptional in its field. * Gavin M. Stewart, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice *Malcolm Schofield has now given us the ideal introduction to Cicero's political thought ... The book throughout is marked by very thoughtful attention to the needs of the non-specialist reader.... Schofield has managed to produce a concise and judicious guide to all the main issues and debates. It is far more than just a clear summary, though. It is, in the best sense, a critical introduction, one that engages as well as informs the reader, and it now takes its place as the best modern account of its kind. * Jeremy Mynott, Classics for All *To conclude, I would like to stress the importance of his method. S. uses historical context not only to elucidate Cicero's political philosophy, but also to explain its limits. S. pushes the quest for arguments as far as possible; but he confesses sometimes running into walls. * RENÉ DE NICOLAY, Princeton University, THE CLASSICAL REVIEW *Cicero is detailed, challenging, and fascinating, offering a thorough account of Cicero's political thought that is both situated within his particular and disruptive historical context and in constant dialogue with modern political theory ... This is a masterful and lively study, which will be of value to all those with an interest in ancient political philosophy, and, indeed, Republican politics and history. * Jenny Bryan, Greece & Rome *I would recommend this book immediately as the first stop for anyone looking for a clear and accessible account of Cicero's political philosophy. * Sean McConnell, University of Otago, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Table of Contents1: Introduction: contexts 2: Liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty 3: Government 4: Cosmopolitanism, imperialism, and the idea of law 5: Republican virtues 6: Republican decision-making 7: Epilogue: philosophical debate and normative theory Bibliography Index of passages General index

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Book SynopsisThe Sumerians, the pragmatic and gifted people who preceded the Semites in the land first known as Sumer and later as Babylonia, created what was probably the first high civilization in the history of man, spanning the fifth to the second millenniums B.C. This book is an unparalleled compendium of what is known about them. Professor Kramer communicates his enthusiasm for his subject as he outlines the history of the Sumerian civilization and describes their cities, religion, literature, education, scientific achievements, social structure, and psychology. Finally, he considers the legacy of Sumer to the ancient and modern world. There are few scholars in the world qualified to write such a book, and certainly Kramer is one of them. . . . One of the most valuable features of this book is the quantity of texts and fragments which are published for the first time in a form available to the general reader. For the layman the book provides a readable and up-to-date introduction to a mos

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Book SynopsisAccompanying the major BBC TV series, Richard Miles''s Ancient Worlds tells the epic story of civilization, and the cities that made us who we are. The path of human progress is one of enlightenment and cruelty, achievement and bloodshed, creation and destruction. Here Richard Miles reaches back into our distant past to bring alive its most glorious and terrible people and places: from the first ever city in Mesopotamia to the death cults of Egypt, from the Phoenician seafarers who invented the alphabet to the brutal Assyrian empire, and on to the great city-states of Athens and Rome. By choosing to live together with strangers in vast urban settings, Miles shows, humans harnessed the very best and the worst of ourselves, setting civilization in motion and forging the modern world. ''Epic and compelling''  Daily Mail ''An epic, spanning five millennia and half the globe''  Daily Telegraph<Trade ReviewEpic and compelling * Daily Mail *Engaging ... full of interesting things about the radical social experiment of the city-state, and the new ways of living it permitted * Independent *An epic, spanning five millennia and half the globe * Daily Telegraph *Ancient Worlds really does put flesh on the bones of history and Richard Miles brings long lost cities to life * Observer *

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Book SynopsisA captivating popular history that shines a light on the notorious Julio-Claudian women who forged an empireTrade Review“B. has been successful in writing a narrative history with the emphasis on Julio- Claudian emperors being sought through the female line owing to the failure of the male line and, with reference to its title, these women certainly shaped the early imperial period.”—Trudie E. Fraser, Gnomon“Featuring tales of bravery, wit and cunning, this is a fascinating look at the characters who maintained a dynasty” —History Revealed “de la Bedoyere demonstrates convincingly that women's importance was intrinsic to the power structures created by the principate, not just a peculiarity of the Julio-Claudians. It is a valuable perspective, conveyed with a vivacity that will keep readers riveted to the last.” — Penelope Goodman, History Today“An illuminating and highly readable narrative about the role of women at the centre of imperial Rome – fascinating and important.”—Lesley Adkins, author of Handbook to Life In Ancient Rome“In contrast to most histories of Rome which focus almost entirely on the exploits of its male emperors, Domina examines the women who partnered them in power, from the perfect Roman wives Livia and Octavia to Cleopatra, Agrippina the Younger and the trio of Severan Julias who all stepped far beyond tradition to dominate the Roman world.”—Joann Fletcher, The Story of Egypt“Enjoyable, fluently written and well-balanced in approach. De la Bédoyère leaves no stone unturned by way of evidence, which he carefully evaluates with regard to its context and reliability.”—Pat Southern, author of The Roman Army“A vital contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the lives of imperial women. Domina presents a nuanced assessment of the various forms of power and agency which women could wield and the ways in which Roman historians drew on gender ideologies both to praise and censure them. Fascinating.”—Katherine J. Lewis, author of Kingship and Masculinity in Late Medieval England

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Book SynopsisIn this new study, John Sellars offers a fresh examination of Marcus Aureliusâ Meditations as a work of philosophy by placing it against the background of the tradition of Stoic philosophy to which Marcus was committed. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is a perennial bestseller, attracting countless readers drawn to its unique mix of philosophical reflection and practical advice. The emperor is usually placed alongside Seneca and Epictetus as one of three great Roman Stoic authors, but he wears his philosophy lightly, not feeling the need to state explicitly the ideas standing behind the reflections that he was writing for himself. As a consequence, his standing as a philosopher has often been questioned. Challenging claims that Marcus Aurelius was merely an eclectic thinker, that the Meditations do not fit the model of a work of philosophy, that there are no arguments in the work, and that it only contains superficial moral advice, Sellars shows that he was in constant dialogue with his Stoic predecessors, engaging with themes drawn from all three parts of Stoicism: logic, physics, and ethics. The image of Marcus Aurelius that emerges is of a committed Stoic, engaging with a wide range of philosophical topics, motivated by the desire to live a good life. This volume will be of interest to scholars and students of both Classics and Philosophy.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Part I: Marcus and his Meditations; 1. Marcus the Stoic philosopher; 2. The Meditations, a philosophical text; Part II: Logic; 3. Impressions and judgements; Part III: Physics; 4. Nature and change; 5. Fate and providence; 6. Soul and emotion; 7. Time and death; Part IV: Ethics; 8. Virtue and justice; 9. The cosmic city; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis new edition introduces the reader to the philosophy of early Christianity in the second to fourth centuries AD, and contextualizes the philosophical contributions of early Christians in the framework of the ancient philosophical debates.It examines the first attempts of Christian thinkers to engage with issues such as questions of cosmogony and first principles, freedom of choice, concept formation, and the bodyâsoul relation, as well as later questions like the status of the divine persons of the Trinity. It also aims to show that the philosophy of early Christianity is part of ancient philosophy as a distinct school of thought, being in constant dialogue with the ancient philosophical schools, such as Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, and even Epicureanism and Scepticism. This book examines in detail the philosophical views of Christian thinkers such as Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Basil, and Gregory of Nyssa, and sheds light in the distinct ways they conceptualized traditional philosophical issues and made some intriguing contributions. The bookâs core chapters survey the central philosophical concerns of the early Christian thinkers and examines their contributions. These range across natural philosophy, metaphysics, logic and epistemology, psychology, and ethics, and include such questions as how the world came into being, how God relates to the world, the status of matter, how we can gain knowledge, in what sense humans have freedom of choice, what the nature of soul is and how it relates to the body, and how we can attain happiness and salvation. This revised edition takes into account the recent developments in the area of later ancient philosophy, especially in the philosophy of Early Christianity, and integrates them in the relevant chapters, some of which are now heavily expanded. The Philosophy of Early Christianity remains a crucial introduction to the subject for undergraduate and postgraduate students of ancient philosophy and early Christianity, across the disciplines of classics, history, and theology.Trade Review"Karamanolis has breathed new life into the study of the role of philosophy in Early Christianity, and it is to be hoped that this work will strengthen the momentum towards new scholarship, among scholars working on Ancient Philosophy as well, that also revisits the hardest questions." - RhizomataTable of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition; Preface to the First Edition; Abbreviations; Introduction; Chapter 1, The Christian Conception of Philosophy and Christian Philosophical Methodology; Chapter 2, Physics and Metaphysics: First Principles and The Question of Cosmogony; Chapter 3, Logic and Epistemology; Chapter 4, Free Will and Divine Providence; Chapter 5, Psychology: The Soul and Its Relation to The Body; Chapter 6, Ethics and Politics; Conclusion; Appendix, The Protagonists; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis monograph is a study of the artistic production that formed part of the various lists of the Seven Wonders that lasted beyond Antiquity and were recovered during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The study focuses in depth on the way they were evoked in modern artistic culture and the importance they had at European courts, linked to monarchs and princes as an image of power. Table of ContentsCONTENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSPROLOGUE. Renaissance, Apocalypse and Wonders. THE INVENTION OF THE WONDERS. Characteristics of the wonders. The geography of the wonders. The classical and medieval lists. The Renaissance and Baroque taste for lists. The artistic series. The contemporary wonders. THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES. The myth of the Giant and its artistic depictions. A Colossus on the island of Rhodes. Imperial Colossus. Humanist evocations, between narrative and myth. The Baroque and the ephemeral Colossus. The last Baroque Giant, the Ribera Colossus. The artistic continuity of the Colossus. THE LIGHTHOUSE OF ALEXANDRIA. The city of Alexandria. The story and myth of the lighthouse in Antiquity. The lighthouse in medieval times: Islamic and Christian revivals. Artistic evocations in modern culture. Recreations in Enlightenment and French Revolution architecture. Skyscrapers as lighthouses. THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS AT EPHESUS. The legendary foundation of the city. The first temples of Diana. The fire and reconstruction. Ephesus under Rome. Images in Antiquity. Christianity at Ephesus. Renaissance and Baroque reconstructions. The destruction of the temple and its fame. THE MAUSOLEUM OF HALICARNASSUS. Mausoleum and Artemisia II of Caria. Architecture and sculpture. The mausoleum reborn. A new Artemisia: Catherine de Medici. She was his tomb. THE STATUE OF JUPITER AT OLYMPIA. Grandeur and majesty. Phidias. The medieval form of divine majesty. Jupiter and the image of power. Ingres and the Olympian-style Napoleon. THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON. The lament of the banished. Paradises lost. The excavation of Babylon. From Semiramis to Nebuchadnezzar II. The myth of the Tower of Babel in the Renaissance. Baroque evocations of the Hanging Gardens. Saint Germain at Laye, Schönbrunn and Sanssouci. THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT. The birth of Egyptomania. Obelisks in Rome. Horapollo and the Renaissance fascination for hieroglyphics. Symbolic and Kircherian worlds. Pyramids and American archaeology. Pyramid-shaped mausoleums in the Baroque period, the Enlightenment and utopian architecture. Napoleon and the beginning of Egyptology. Vivant Denon at Thebes. Orientalism. EL ESCORIAL. A NEW WONDER IN THE RENAISSANCE. Idea and construction. The myth of the Eighth Wonder. The construction of El Escorial. The fame of the Eighth Wonder. Phillip IV and El Escorial. The destruction of 1671. BIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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Book SynopsisReligious encounters with mystery can be fascinating, but also terrifying. So too when it comes to encounters with the monsters that haunt Jewish and Christian traditions. Religion has a lot to do with horror, and horror has a lot to do with religion. Religion has its monsters, and monsters have their religion. In this unusual and provocative book, Timothy Beal explores how religion, horror, and the monstrous are deeply intertwined. This new edition has been thoughtfully updated, reflecting on developments in the field over the past two decades and highlighting its contributions to emerging conversations. It also features a new chapter, Gods, Monsters, and Machines, which engages cultural fascinations and anxieties about technologies of artificial intelligence and machine learning as they relate to religion and the monstrous at the dawn of the Anthropocene.Religion and Its Monsters is essential reading for students and scholars of religion and popular culture, as well as for any readers with an interest in horror theory or monster theory.Table of ContentsIntroduction to the Second Edition Introduction to the First Edition: Religion and Its Monsters, Monsters and Their Religion Part One: Religion and Its Monsters 1. Chaos Gods: Cosmic Horrors from the Ancient Near East 2. The Bible and Horror: Making and Unmaking the World 3. The Sleep of Wisdom: Job and the Abyss of Suffering 4. From the Whirlwind: Where God Outmonsters Job 5. Dinner and a Show: Watching and Eating Monsters with the Rabbis 6. To the Devil: John’s Great Red Dragon Part Two: Monsters and Their Religion 7. New Monsters in Old Skins: Modern Awe and Order 8. Other Gods: Colonialism and Its Monsters 9. The Blood Is the Life: Ritual Purity and Danger in Dracula 10. Screening Monsters: Movie Time, Sacred Time 11. Ecomonsters: The Return of the Ecologically Repressed 12. Our Monsters, Ourselves: Sacred Horror Culture 13. Gods, Monsters, and Machines: Artificial Intelligence in the Anthropocene Conclusion: Here Be Monsters. Notes Index

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Book SynopsisClaudius became emperor after the assassination of Caligula, and was deified by his successor Nero in AD 54. Opinions of him have varied greatly over succeeding centuries, but he has mostly been caricatured as a reluctant emperor, hampered by a speech impediment, who preferred reading to ruling.Barbara Levick's authoritative study reassesses the reign of Claudius, examining his political objectives and activities within the constitutional, political, social and economic development of Rome. Out of Levick's critical scrutiny of the literary, archaeological and epigraphic sources emerges a different Claudius - an intelligent politician, ruthlessly determined to secure his position as ruler.Now updated to take account of recent scholarship, Claudius remains essential reading for students and historians of the early Roman Empire.Trade Review"Levick’s work on Claudius continues to make a valuable contribution to the field and offers not just a strong foundation of information for those interested in Claudius, but also worthwhile material for anyone studying the Julio-Claudians or the Roman world of the first century CE." - Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsPreface1. Principate and Dynasty 2. Education3. Unfit for a public career?4. Accession 5. Princeps and Imperator 6. Establishment of the Court: Messalina7. The Dominance of Agrippina8. Imperial Policies?9. Senate and Knights: Claudius and the Aristocracy10.The People of Rome and Italy11. Legislation, Justice, and Society12. Finance and the Economy13. Claudius’ Invasion of Britain 14. Warfare on Three Continents 15. Claudius and his Provincial Subjects16. Aftermath: Claudius in Literature and HistoryReferences and NotesConcordance BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers the most comprehensive survey available of the philosophical background to the works of early Christian writers and the development of early Christian doctrine.Trade Review"For a modern intellectual culture that distrusts trust and prefers analysis to exegesis, the very notion of early Christian philosophy is apt to be an uncomfortable stretch. But Mark Edwards and company do not retreat to the safe, if vacuous, conjunction: early Christianity and philosophy, as if one were a prosthesis for the other. This volume’s concise forays into a still surprisingly unfamiliar intellectual landscape bring ancient philosophy into the heart of early Christian exegesis. The introduction by Edwards brilliantly articulates the stakes of following along." - James Wetzel, Villanova University, USA"This well-conceived collection of studies makes a powerful case that ancient Christians took philosophy seriously and historians of ancient philosophy need to take Christians seriously." – George Boys-Stones, University of Toronto, Canada"The Routledge Handbook of Early Christian Philosophy is a much welcome tool for students and researchers alike. Thanks to the excellent work of an international scholarly team of the highest calibre, the volume rightly moves away from the simplistic dualism of 'reason versus faith' that still hinders a sophisticated understanding of Early Christianity’s complex ties to pagan philosophy, and it showcases, in a truly comprehensive fashion, their substantial areas of intersection in the first centuries of our era. The contributors demonstrate that the Christians’ engagement with the tools, tropes, and themes of pagan philosophy was not just considerably more constructive and dynamic than is often recognized, but that this very engagement was also a necessary enterprise for Christians." - Alberto Rigolio, University of Durham, UK"This handbook is an important contribution to scholarship on early Christian thought. But that is only half its contribution. It is in equal measure a formidable argument for situating what is usually called ‘early Christian theology’ within the larger domain of ‘ancient philosophy’, most broadly conceived... Edwards is to be commended for bringing together such a substantial collection (in both size and importance) and for producing an edited handbook that sustains a particular (and much needed) thesis about Christianity and ancient philosophy across the whole of the volume." - The Classical ReviewTable of Contents1. Introduction Section 1: Themes 2. Sources of Divine Knowledge 3. Nature 4. Time and Eternity 5. Creation in Early Christianity 6. Providence and Evil 7. Logic and Religious Language 8. Ethics 9. The Mystical Element Section 2: Doctrines 10. The Trinity 11. The Philosophy of the Incarnation 12. The Philosophy of the Resurrection in Early Christianity 13. Biblical Hermeneutics Section 3. Schools 14. The Presocratics 15. Socrates and Plato 16. Aristotle and his School 17. Stoics and Christians 18. Epicureans 19. Cynics and Christians 20. Sceptics 21. Philo of Alexandria 22. Orpheus, Mithras, Hermes 23. Middle Platonists and Pythagoreans 24. Pagan and Christian Philosophy: Plotinus, Iamblichus and Christian Philosophical Practice 25. The Philosophy of the Later Neoplatonists: An Interaction with Christian Thought Section 4. Individuals 26. Justin and Athenagoras 27. Tatian, Theophilus and Irenaeus of Lyon 28. Clement of Alexandria 29. Tertullian and Cyprian 30. "Hippolytus" and Epiphanius of Salamis 31. Origen and Philosophy 32. The Sethians and the Gnostics of Plotinus 33. Arnobius and Lactantius 34. Philosophy in Eusebius and Marcellus 35. Arius and Athanasius 36. Marius Victorinus 37. Philosophy in Hilary of Poitiers and Ambrose of Milan 38. Eunomius of Cyzicus and Gregory of Nyssa 39. Didymus the Blind and Evagrius of Pontus 40. Synesius of Cyrene: Philosophy and Poetry "Sharing the same Temple" 41. Augustine of Hippo 42. Cyril of Alexandria 42. Theodoret of Cyrrhus 43. Boethius: The First Christian Philosopher in the Latin West? 44. John Philoponus 45. Dionysius the Areopagite 46. Christian Philosophynin Severus of Antioch and Leontius of Byzantium

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Book SynopsisPyrrhonian Buddhism reconstructs the path to enlightenment shared both by early Buddhists and the ancient Greek sceptics inspired by Pyrrho of Elis, who may have had extended contacts with Buddhists when he accompanied Alexander the Great to India in the third century BCE.This volume explores striking parallels between early Buddhism and Pyrrhonian scepticism, suggesting their virtual identity. Both movements saw beliefsâfictions mistaken for truthsâas the principal source of human suffering. Both practiced suspension of judgment about beliefs to obtain release from suffering, and to achieve enlightenment, which the Buddhists called bodhi and the Pyrrhonists called ataraxia. And both came to understand the structure of human experience without belief, which the Buddhists called dependent origination and the Pyrrhonists described as phenomenalistic atomism.This book is intended for the general reader, as well as historians, classicists, Buddhist scholars, philoTable of ContentsPreface; 1. West Meets East; 2. Diogenes Laertius; 3. Sextus Empiricus; 4. Timon and Aulus Gellius; 5. Pragmata and Dependent Origination; 6. Emptiness and the Suspension of Belief; 7. Ataraxia and Bodhi; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisThis volume considers representations of space and movement in sources ranging from Roman comedy to late antique verse, exploring how poetry in the Roman world is fundamentally shaped by its relationship to travel within the geography of Rome's far-reaching empire.The volume surveys Roman poetics of travel and geography in sources ranging from Plautus to Augustan poetry, from the Flavians to Ausonius. The chapters offer a range of approaches to: the complex relationship between Latin poetry, Roman identity, imperialism, and travel and geospatial narratives; and the diachronic and generic evolutions of poetic descriptions of space and mobility. In addition, two chapters, including the concluding one, contextualize and respond to the volume's discussion of poetry by looking at ways in which Romans not only write and read poems about travel and geography, but also make writing and reading part of the experience of traveling, as demonstrated in their epigraphic practices. The colTrade Review"...The vol>ume overall offers an impressive combination of topics and approaches in current research and is a collection of papers that will undoubtedly take readers on an enthralling and inspir>ing literary journey." - The Classical ReviewTable of ContentsList of figures; List of contributors; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction: Traversing Empire, Micah Young Myers and Erika Zimmermann Damer; 2 The Stage at The Fair: Trade and Human Trafficking in the Palliata, Amy Richlin; 3 Expanding Geographies and Unbounded Subjects in Catullus, Sara H. Lindheim; 4 Arcadia and the Roman Imagination, Eleanor W. Leach; 5 Women’s Travels in Latin Elegy, Alison Keith; 6 On the Road with Tibullus: Aporia or Castration as the Way of Love, Paul Allen Miller; 7 Competing Itineraries, Travel, and Urban Subjectivity in Ovid’s Ars Amatoria, Erika Zimmermann Damer; 8 Statius’ Propemptikon and the Geopoetics of Silvae 3.2, Carole E. Newlands; 9 Martial, Spain, and the Girls from Gades: Travel and Identity in Flavian Epigram, Sarah H. Blake; 10 Memory Spaces of Ausonius and Rutilius Namatianus, Grant Parker; 11 Travelers and Texts: Reading, Writing, and Communication on the Roads of the Roman West, Alexander Meyer; Index

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Book SynopsisCave and Worship in Ancient Greece brings together a series of stimulating chapters contributing to the archaeology and our modern understanding of the character and importance of cave sanctuaries in the fi rst millennium BCE Mediterranean.Written by emerging and established archaeologists and researchers, the book employs a fascinating and wide range of approaches and methodologies to investigate, and interpret material assemblages from cave shrines, many of which are introduced here for the fi rst time. An introductory section explores the emergence and growth of caves as centres of cult and religion. The chapters then probe some of the meanings attached to cave spaces and votive materials such as terracotta fi gurines, and ceramics, and those who created and used them. The authors use sensory and gender approaches, discuss the identity of the worshippers, and the contribution of statistical analysis to the role of votive materials. At the heart of the volume is the Trade ReviewThe volume serves as a sturdy base for future cave explorations across the Mediterranean that will encourage fresh avenues of interpretation, but readers should be prepared for varying terms across chapters (“sacred caves,” “ritual caves,” etc.) that may or may not indicate the same ancient reality. While the study of Greek caves is not new, this book proposes the ongoing need for systematic cave studies, proves the continuing influence of survey and landscape archaeology, and reminds us that caves, their finds, and their diachronic human use, are a fundamental part of both the archaeological and religious heritage.Tyler Jo Smith, University of Virginia, Religious Studies ReviewThe volume offers substantive contribution to the study of cultic cave sites and provides interesting avenues for future scholarship on the topic of Greek cave sites as places of cult practice.Alexandra Creola, ARYS: Antiquity, Religions and Societies Table of Contents1. Introduction: On Reading Caves and Ancient Greek Cult; 2.The Dawn of Ancient Greek Cave Cult: Prehistoric Cave Sanctuaries; 3. Caves as Sites of Sensory and Cognitive Enhancement: The Idaean Cave on Crete; 4. Caves and Consumption: The Case of Polis Bay, Ithaca; 5. Communities, Consumption, and a Cave: The Profile of Cult at Drakaina Cave on Kephallonia; 6. A River Ran Through It: Circulating Images of Ritual and Engaging Communities in a Cave in Aitoloakarnania; 7.The Cave of Pan at Marathon, Attica: New Evidence for the Performance of Cult in the Historic Era; 8. The Face of Cave Rituals: Terracotta Figurines in Greek Sacred Caves; 9. Cult and Ritual in Cycladic Caves; 10. Grottoes and the Construction of Cult in Southern Italy

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Book SynopsisThis book offers, in one volume, a modern English translation of all 17 books of Silius Italicus’ Punica.Trade Review"Even a cursory reading of this new translation of Silius Italicus’ Punica by Antony Augoustakis and Neil Bernstein, two of the major scholars of Flavian epic, reveals that it aims for readability, comprehensibility, accessibility, and relevance while it endeavors to provide for a version in English that is as faithful as possible to the meaning of the original Latin text... This new translation of Augoustakis and Bernstein constitutes a perceptive commentary and preliminary interpretation of Silius Italicus’ Punica. The sensitivity of these scholar-translators to both the linguistic diversity of the Latin text and its contemporary themes inform their accurate translation at every stage." - Bryn Mawr Classical Review"The publication marks a major milestone in the study of Flavian epic and should help to bring the Punica to a far broader audience of both students and scholars in Classics as well as in related fields." - The Classical ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction; Punica 1; Punica 2; Punica 3; Punica 4; Punica 5; Punica 6; Punica 7; Punica 8; Punica 9; Punica 10; Punica 11; Puncia 12; Punica 13; Punica 14; Punica 15; Punica 16; Punica 17; Glossary

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Book SynopsisThis volume is the first monograph in English dedicated to the study of the Greek mythical hero Pelops. While popular in antiquity, Pelopsâ popularity has since faded; this book presents a comprehensive treatment of his character and legacy.Ancient tradition held that Pelops was the son of Tantalus and the ancestor of the Atreids, Agamemnon and Menelaos, who appear in the Homeric poems as leaders of the Greek forces against Troy. After arriving in Greece from the east, Pelops was eventually worshipped in Olympia, became the eponym of the Peloponnese, and was celebrated as one of the founders of the Olympic Games. However, his character is morally problematic, his family were heavily condemned, and few tales about Pelops exist. Patay-HorvÃth takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of this obscure figure, presenting and analyzing written sources and depictions of Pelops, the etymology of his name, the history of his mythical family, and the afterlife of his myths. Draw

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Book SynopsisCollected Studies CS1066The articles in this collection cover the region extending from Italy to the Black Sea and to Egypt, over a period of seven centuries, with an emphasis on the considerable economic and social interaction between the West and the regions of the Eastern Mediterranean. They represent key works in the oeuvre of David Jacoby, the doyen of scholars in the field over many decades.Table of Contents1. Venetian Commercial Expansion in the Eastern Mediterranean, 8th-11th centuries 2. The Venetians in Byzantine and Lusignan Cyprus: Trade, Settlement, and Politics 3. Commercio e navigazione degli Amalfitani nel Mediterraneo orientale: sviluppo e decline 4. The Economic Function of the Crusader States of the Levant: a New Approach 5. Acre-Alexandria: A Major Commercial Axis of the Thirteenth Century 6. Marco Polo, His Close Relatives, and His Travel Account: Some New Insights 7. Byzantium, the Italian Maritime Powers, and the Black Sea before 1204 8. Mediterranean Food and Wine for Constantinople: The Long-Distance Trade, Eleventh to Mid-Fifteenth Century 9. Rural Exploitation and Market Economy in the Late Medieval Peloponnese 10. Jews and Christians in Venetian Crete: Segregation, Interaction, and Conflict

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Book SynopsisOur knowledge of Greek history rests largely on literary texts - not merely historians (especially Herodotus, Thucylides and Xenephon), but also tragedies, comedies, speeches, biographies and philosophical works. These texts are themselves among the most skilled and highly wrought productions of a brilliant rhetorical culture. How is the historian to use them? This book addresses this problem by taking a series of extended test-cases, and discussing how we should and should not try to exploit the texts. In some instances we can investigate ''what really happened'', and the ways in which the texts manipulate, remould, or colour it according to their own rhetorical strategies; in others the most illuminating aspect may be those strategies themselves, and what they tell us about the culture - how it figured questions of sex and gender, politics, citizenship and the city, the law and the courts and how wars happen. Literary Texts and the Greek Historian concentrates on Athens in the secondTable of ContentsChapter 1 A culture of rhetoric; Chapter 2 Rhetoric and history (415 BC); Chapter 3 How far would they go? Plutarch on Nicias and Alcibiades; Chapter 4 Rhetoric and history II; Chapter 5 Explaining the war; Chapter 6 Thucydides’ speeches; Chapter 7 ‘You cannot be serious’; Chapter 8 Aristophanes’ Acharnians (425 BC); Chapter 9 Tragedy and ideology; Chapter 10 Lysistrata and others; Chapter 11 Conclusions;

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