Ancient history Books

Book SynopsisThe Invention of Ancient Israel shows how the history of ancient Palestine has been obscured by the search for Israel. Keith W. Whitelam argues that ancient Israel has been invented by scholars in the image of a European nation state. He explores the theological and political assumptions which have shaped research into ancient Israel by Biblical scholars, and contributed to the vast network of scholarship which Said identified as 'Orientalist discourse'.Keith W. Whitelam's groundbreaking study argues that Biblical scholars, through their traditional view of this region, have contributed to dispossession of both a Palestinian land and a Palestinian past. This is important reading for historians, biblical specialists, social anthropologists and all those who are interested in the history of ancient Israel and Palestine.Trade Review'Anyone who feels K's work 'can be safely ignored' will only show himself up as a fool.' - History Geography and Society'An important contribution to the history of scholarship.' - Expository Times'This is a brave, fascinating and important book ... constantly thought provoking and controversial.' - Sunday Times'Keith Whitelam's work serves to remind us what a vital if fraught exercise it still is to engage explicitly with the unique cultural influence of the Old Testament on the contemporary world.' - The Friend'It is a masterly, courageous work, the result of careful reading, focused reflection and the appropriate moral passion, which richly deserves wide exposure and will surely prompt siginificant discussion.' - Heythrop Journal'Whitelam can (and will) be criticized for introducing politics into 'ancient Israel', he is merely exposing it - and the Palestinians are after all the major victims of a zionizing European and American biblical scholarship. This book should be in paperback, and compulsory reading.' - Journal for the Study of the Old TestamentTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Silencing of Palestinian History, 1. Partial Texts and Fractured Histories, 2. Denying Space and Time to Palestinian History, 3. Inventing Ancient Israel, 4. The Creation of an Israelite State, 5. The Continuing Search, Reclaiming Palestinian History, Notes, Bibliography, Index.

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Book SynopsisHadrian''s reign (AD 117-138) was a watershed in the history of the Roman Empire. Hadrian abandoned his predecessor Trajan''s eastern conquests - Mesopotamia and Armenia - trimmed down the lands beyond the lower Danube, and constructed new demarcation lines in Germany, North Africa, and most famously Hadrian''s Wall in Britain, to delimit the empire.The emperor Hadrian, a strange and baffling figure to his contemporaries, had a many-sided personality. Insatiably ambitious, and a passionate Philhellene, he promoted the ''Greek Renaissance'' extravagantly. But his attempt to Hellenize the Jews, including the outlawing of circumcision, had disastrous consequences, and his ''Greek'' love of the beautiful Bithynian boy Antinous ended in tragedy.No comprehensive account of Hadrian''s life and reign has been attempted for over seventy years. In Hadrian: The Restless Emperor, Anthony Birley brings together the new evidence from inscriptions and papyri, and up-to-date and in-deTrade Review'Birley has certainly done [Hadrian] justice in this finely detailed, scholarly and closely argued biography ... This is a superb addition to the excellent Routledge series of imperial biographies.' - Peter Jones, Literary Review'Birley is scrupulous. His grasp of epigraphy and numismatics, his diligence in flowing the vestiges of imperial travel, and his patent sense of fairness in evaluating the scappy ancient literature on Hadrian enable him to construct a narrative of the Emperor's life which renders all previous efforts obsolescent.' - Nigel Spivey, Times Literary Supplement'A learned yet very readable book.' - JACT Review'Birley's book is essential for the Hadrian researcher.' - Gay Times'An excellent, and long overdue, biography ofone of the greatest amd most accomplished of the Roman emperors.' - Kirkus Reviews'Elegantly decked out with coin portraits, photographs, sculptures and maps, this readable bio will appeal to history buffs' - Publishers weekly'Mr Birley is an excellent guide to the facts of Hadrian's career, and of the careers of many of his contemporaries' - Jasper Griffin, The Spectator 1997'This book is well worth the price both to read and as a work of reference. It contains useful photographs, details abour coins, bibliography and index, and also contains excellent maps.' - Gay and Lesbian HumanistBirley ia an excellent companion to the myth of a characteristically complex man' - The Herald (Glasgow)'Birley brings this cipher to life with gusto, Hadrian's childhood and early career, his imperial reign and subsequent travels through every corner of his empire, step by step, stone by stone, until the redaer, too, is exhausted by Hadrian's (and Birley's) seemingly irrepressible energy' - Josephine Balmer, New Statesman and Society"...This is a historical work that must rank amongst the most important biographies of the Roman emperors; it deserves to be read as much for its account of Hadrian's restless travelling through the provinces as for its analysis of policies and matters of state." - British Archaelogy'Birley has now produced a volume rich in detail, imaginative in interpretation, sane and sensible in judgement. ...This is an extremely learned book, often challenging.' - The Classical Outlook/Fall 1998Table of ContentsPreface. List of illustrations. List of maps. Introduction: The Emperor Hadrian. 1. A Childhood in Flavian Rome 2. The Old Dominion 3. The Military Tribune 4. Principatus et Libertas 5. The Young General 6. Archon at Athens 7. The Parthian War 8. The New Ruler 9. Return to Rome 10. To the German Frontier 11. Hadrian's Wall 12. A New Augustus 13. Return to the East 14. A Summer in Asia 15. A Year in Greece 16. Pater Patriae 17. Africa 18. Hadrianus Olympius 19. Death in the Nile 20. Athens and Jerusalem 21. The Bitter End Epilogue: Animula Vagula Blandula Stemma. Abbreviations and Notes. Bibliography. Index: (Persons; Peoples & Places; Subject)

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Book SynopsisGiving access to the latest critical thinking on the subject, Medea is a comprehensive guide to sources that paints a vivid portrait of the Greek sorceress Medea, famed in myth for the murder of her children after she is banished from her own home and replaced by a new wife. Emma Griffiths brings into focus previously unexplored themes of the Medea myth, and provides an incisive introduction to the story and its history.Studying Medea's everywoman' status one that has caused many intricacies of her tale to be overlooked Griffiths places the story in ancient and modern context and reveals fascinating insights into ancient Greece and its ideology, the importance of life, the role of women and the position of the outsider.In clear, user-friendly terms, the book situates the myth within analytical frameworks such as psychoanalysis, and Griffiths highlights Medea's position in current classical study as well as her lasting appeal.&nbspTable of Contents1. Introducing Medea 2. Mythology and Sources 3. Key Themes: Origins, Folktale and Structuralism 4. Key Themes: Witchcraft, Children and Divinity 5. Key Themes: Ethinicity, Gender and Philosophy 6. Euripides' Version of Myth 7. Myth about Myth: From Greece to Rome 8. Medea Afterwards: Medea after Greece and Rome 9. Medea Afterwards: Medea in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries. Guide to Further Reading. Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe only book of its kind to cover both the Achaemenid period and the thousand years following Alexander''s conquest, The Persians explores the period from the seventh century BC, to the seventh century AD, and presents a comprehensive introduction to ancient Persia.Incorporating recent research, and translated sources from a wide range of corpus material, Maria Brosius explores the history of Persia, and brings a new understanding of Persian society and culture and the structures on which these empires were built: the king and his court; religion and culture; art and architecture.From the lands of Egypt to the Indus River, from the Russian Steppes to the Indian Ocean, Brosius has provided an up-to-date account of the three empires of pre-Islamic Iran, and discussing key topics such as women, religion and art and architecture, she presents a clear survey of the history of these empires.Providing additional reading references along wTrade Review'the work is an excellent introduction to these three ancient civilisations which combines a depth of research, and a wide focus with a lively literary style, which makes it an easy and highly enjoyable read... this work is an excellent introduction to the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian civilisations, and takes a refreshing, non-western based, approach to ancient history.' - Gareth C. Sampson, BMCRTable of Contents1. The Archaemenids 1.1 Historical Survey 1.2 King and Court 1.3 Organisation and Administration of the Empire 1.4 Religion 1.5 Art and Architecture (Excursus I: The Creation of 'The Other': The Persians and the Greek-Persian Wars) 2. The Parthians (Arsacids) 2.1 Historical Survey 2.2 King and Court 2.3 Organisation of the Empire 2.4 Religion 2.5 Art and Architecture (Excursus II: The Parthians in the Eyes of the Romans) 3. The Sasanians 3.1 Historical Survey 3.2 King and Court 3.3 Organisation of Empire 3.4 Religion 3.5 Art and Architecture. Appendices. The Achaemenid Dynasty. The Arsacid Dynasty. The Sasanian Dynasty. Selected Bibliography. Index

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Book SynopsisThis book covers Juliaâs life, and charts her travels throughout the Empire from Aswan to York during a period of profound upheaval, and seeks the truth about this woman who inspired such extreme and contrasting views, exposing the instability of our sources about her, and characterizing a sympathetic, courageous, intelligent, and important woman.This book contains a fresh re-assessment of the one of the most significant figures of her time and questions:â Was Julia more powerful than earlier empresses? â Did she really promote despotism? â How seriously is her literary circle to be taken? As part of a dynasty which used force and violence to preserve its rule, she was distrusted by its subjects; as a Syrian, she was the object of prejudice; as a woman with power, she was resented. On the other hand, Domna was the centre of a literary circle considered highly significant by nineteenth-century admirers.Table of ContentsChronology 1. Introduction 2. The Women of Emesa 3. Marriage 4. Domna on Her Travels 5. Empress 6. The Reign of Caracalla 7. Cultural Activities 8. Image and Cult 9. Aftermath Bibliographies. Glossary. Indexes 1. Places, with Modern Equivalents 2. Persons 3. General

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Book SynopsisOne of the glories of the Greco-Roman classics is the opportunity that they give us to consider a great culture in its entirety; but our ability to do that depends on our ability to work comfortably with very varied fields of scholarship. The Handbook for Classical Research offers guidance to students needing to learn more about the different fields and subfields of classical research, and its methods and resources. The book is divided into 7 parts: The Basics, Language, The Traditional Fields, The Physical Remains, The Written Word, The Classics and Related Disciplines, The Classics since Antiquity. Topics covered range from history and literature, lexicography and linguistics, epigraphy and palaeography, to archaeology and numismatics, and the study and reception of the classics. Guidance is given not only to read, for example, an archaeological or papyrological report, but also on how to find such sources when they are relevant to research. Concentrating onTrade Review'Many sections represent the sort of avuncular guidance one might expect from a thesis advisor, with helpful summaries such as "How Laws Were Made in Ancient Rome" and "Reading a Published Papyrus." Libraries will have a hard time deciding whether this handbook belongs in the reference collection, on reserve as a course textbook, or as part of the circulating collection. Institutions supporting programs in classical studies may want copies in all three locations. Summing Up: Essential. Undergraduate classics majors, graduate students, and faculty/researchers.' – Choice"Schaps has written a remarkable book ...there is something in here to benefit anybody, from beginners to seasoned researchers... [it] is truly a guidebook, as his desire is to produce "an orientation" (xiv) that will lay out the basics of a given field and then point people to the right resources for further study… this book thus represents a significant achievement, one that will likely find a regular place on researchers’ shelves and in graduate seminars for years to come." – Mark Thorne, Bryn Mawr Classical Review Table of ContentsPart 1: The Basics 1. The Nature of the Field 2. The Stages of Research 3. Assembling a Bibliography 4. What are your Sources? 5. Book Reviews Part 2: Language 6. Lexicography 7. Grammar 8. Language and Linguistics 9. Using Classical Texts Part 3: The Traditional Fields 10. Reading and Understanding Literature 11. Oratory and Rhetoric 12. Philosophy 13. History Part 4: The Physical Remains 14. Archaeology 15. Mycenaean Studies 16. Numismatics Part 5: The Written Word 17. Epigraphy 18. Papyrology 19. Palaeography 20. Editing Classical Texts Part 5: The Classics and Related Disciplines 21. Art 22. Music and Dance 23. Science and Technology 24. Ancient Religion and Mythology 25. Law 26. Sociology, Anthropology, Economics and Psychology Part 7: The Classics Since Antiquity 27. The Classical Tradition and Classical Reception 28. History of Classical Scholarship Chapter 29. Reconstructing the Ancient World 30. Translation

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Book SynopsisThis book completely re-evaluates the evidence for, and the interpretation of, the rule of the kings of Late Iron Age Britain: Cunobelin and Verica. Within a few generations of their reigns, after one died and the other had fled, Rome's ceremonial centres had been transformed into the magnificence of Roman towns with monumental public buildings and Britannia examines these kings' long-lasting legacy in the creation of Britannia.Among the topics considered are: the links between Iron Age king of Britain and Rome before the Claudian conquest the creation of the towns of Roman Britain the different natures of ''Roman identity'' the long lasting influence of the kings on the development of the province  the widely different ways that archaeologists have read the evidence. Examining the kings'' legacy in the creation of the Roman province of Britannia, the book examines the interface of two worlds and howTrade Review'This volume confirms John Creighton's prominence in a group of scholars who are changing our perceptions of the era so much that the idea that Roman Britain starts with the Claudian invasion of AD 43 is collapsing. By any standards, this really is writing new history.' - The Times Literary Supplement'A vibrant synthesis of theory and data ... This is a book to be much admired for presenting a wide range of fresh and ambitious interpretations and developing a sophisticated structurationist account of early Roman Britain in a clear and fluent fashion.' – Cambridge Archaeological Journal'The issues [Britannia] addresses are crucial to our understanding of a turbulent period in the early history of Britain.' - BritanniaTable of Contents1. Friendly Kings and Governors 2. The Trappings of Power 3. Force, Violence and the Conquest 4. The Idea of the Town 5. The Creation of the Familiar 6. The Creation of Order 7. The Memory of Kings Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a thorough, area by area companion to the region''s wealth of monuments, excavations and artefacts, from Paris and Boulogne-sur-Mer to Strasbourg and Lyon. Over ninety sites are treated in detail, including major attractions such as the parc archéologique in Lyon and the amphitheatre at Autun, numerous local museums and secluded rural excavations.The guidebook combines a scholarly assessment of the area''s Roman heritage, examining and interpreting the surviving remains, with practical visitor information such as directions to sites and opening hours. Comprehensively illustrated with photographs, maps and plans, it is a unique resource both for academic study and for visitors interested in the region''s archaeological and historical background.Trade Review'enjoyable to read as well as useful to consult' - Martin Thorpe, JACT'Learned, detailed and up-to-date ... It is pithy, ironic and opinionated; sympathetic and sane; a rewarding companion!' - Antiquity: A Quarterly Review of Archaeology'A good overview... a useful starting point.' - Ancient West and EastTable of ContentsList of figures, List of plates, Acknowledgements, INTRODUCTION, HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT: CHANGE AND IDENTITY, CHRONOLOGY, 1. THE SITES OF THE PARIS REGION AND NORTHERN FRANCE, The Romano-celtic sanctuary, 2. THE SITES OF BURGUNDY AND THE FRANCHE-COMTE, Travel and communications in Roman Gaul, 3. THE SITES OF CHAMPAGNE, THE ARDENNES, LORRAINE AND ALSACE, Dress and appearance in Roman Gaul, 4. THE SITES OF THE RHONE AND SAVOY, Glossary, Select bibliography, Index

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Book SynopsisThis lavishly illustrated book brings together, for the first time, all of the different ways in which vase-painting portrays or refers to pederasty, from scenes of courtship, foreplay, and sex, to scenes of Zeus with his boy-love Ganymede, to painted inscriptions praising the beauty of boys. The book shows how painters used the language of vase-painting to cast pederasty in an idealizing light, portraying it as part of a world in which beautiful elite males display praiseworthy attitudes, such as moderation, and engage in approved activities, such as hunting, athletics, and the symposium. The book also incorporates a comprehensive catalogue of relevant vase-paintings, compiled by noted archaeologist Keith DeVries. It is the most comprehensive treatment available of an institution that has few modern parallels.Trade Review'This volume will be a much-used starting point for students and scholars of Greek male sexuality' – Times Higher Education Supplement‘This book meets a real need. The very fact that the authors' analysis is based on study of approximately 1000 vases (111 of which they illustrate) makes Images of Ancient Greek Pederasty a valuable resource, and an appendix including a catalogue of 647 vases compiled by the late Keith DeVries only adds to its value. The book greatly expands the amount of material available to nonspecialists, demonstrating that there are considerably more pederastic scenes in the surviving vases than has generally been believed, and its balanced and articulate readings of the material--the authors carefully describe recurring patterns, make allowance for exceptions, discuss alternative interpretations, and do not press when the evidence only goes so far--make it a significant contribution to our understanding of Greek pederasty.’ – Bryn Mawr Classical Review‘This extremely likable and well-presented book … will present essential reading for anyone working in the field of ancient sexuality and/or classical Greek iconography … This is a well-balanced and superbly written book – and one that is no doubt destined for classic status.’ – American Journal of Archaeology 'This volume will be a much-used starting point for students and scholars of Greek male sexuality.' – Times Higher Education Supplement‘This book meets a real need. The very fact that the authors' analysis is based on study of approximately 1000 vases (111 of which they illustrate) makes Images of Ancient Greek Pederasty a valuable resource, and an appendix including a catalogue of 647 vases compiled by the late Keith DeVries only adds to its value. The book greatly expands the amount of material available to nonspecialists, demonstrating that there are considerably more pederastic scenes in the surviving vases than has generally been believed, and its balanced and articulate readings of the material--the authors carefully describe recurring patterns, make allowance for exceptions, discuss alternative interpretations, and do not press when the evidence only goes so far--make it a significant contribution to our understanding of Greek pederasty.’ – Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction. Textual Evidence. The Iconography of Pederasty. What is Iconography. Elements of Iconography 1. Courtship. Courting-gift Scenes. Other Courtship Iconographies. 2. Ideals/Idealization 3. Consummation 4. Pederasty and the Gods 5. Kalos-inscriptions 6. Vase Dating 7. Fragments. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisCtesias of Cnidus wrote his twenty-three book History of Persia in the fifth century BC. Presented here in English translation for the first time with commentaries and illustrations, Ctesias' History of Persia: Tales of the Orient offers a fascinating insight into Persia in the fifth century BC and into a remarkable figure. Table of ContentsPart 1 Introduction; Chapter 01 Outline of the History of Persia; Part 02 Ctesias’ History of Persia; Chapter 02 Translator’s Preface; Chapter 03 Key to the Conventions used in this Edition; Part 03 Testimonia on the Life and Work of Ctesias; Part 04 Fragments of Ctesias’ History of Persia; Chapter 04 Books 1–3 Assyrian History; Chapter 05 Books 4–6 Median History; Chapter 06 Books 7–11 Persian History; Chapter 07 Books 12–13 Persian History; Chapter 08 Books 16–17 Persian History; Chapter 09 Book 18 Persian History; Chapter 10 Books 19–20 Persian History; Chapter 11 Books 21–23 Persian History; Chapter 12 Miscellaneous Comments on the Persian Empire;

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Book SynopsisThe Roman Empire has always exercised a considerable fascination. Among its numerous colourful personalities, no emperor, with the possible exception of Nero, has attracted more popular attention than Caligula, who has a reputation, whether deserved or not, as the quintessential mad and dangerous ruler.The first edition of this book established itself as the standard study of Caligula. It remains the only full length and detailed scholarly analysis in English of this emperorâs reign, and has been translated into a number of languages. But the study of Classical antiquity is not a static phenomenon, and scholars are engaged in a persistent quest to upgrade our knowledge and thinking about the ancient past. In the thirty years since publication of the original Caligula there have been considerable scholarly advances in what we know about this emperor specifically, and also about the general period in which he functioned, while newly discovered inscriptions and major archaeological projects have necessitated a rethinking of many of our earlier conclusions about early imperial history. This new edition constitutes a major revision and, in places, a major rewriting, of the original text. Maintaining the reader-friendly structure and organisation of its predecessor, it embodies the latest discoveries and the latest thinking, seeking to make more lucid and comprehensible those aspects of the reign that are particularly daunting to the non-specialist. Like the original, this revised Caligula is intended to satisfy the requirements of the scholarly community while appealing to a broad and general readership.Trade Review"Barrett first turned his attention to the emperor Gaius Caligula in 1990, with his Caligula: The Corruption of Power. Now, 25 years later, he has produced a thoroughly revised new edition, with the words 'Corruption of Power'emended to 'Abuse of Power.' The change is significant...This is a fine study, well researched and reliable in its conclusions. Summing Up: Highly recommended. " - J. A. S. Evans, emeritus, University of British Columbia, CHOICE ReviewTable of Contents1.Family Background 2. The Struggle for the Succession 3. Private Pursuits 4. The New Emperor 5. Signs of Strain 6. Conspiracy 7. North Africa 8. Britain and Germany 9. Divine Honours 10. Assassination 11. Aftermath 12. Caligula and the Jews 13. Caligula the Builder 14. Fit to Rule? 15. Reception Appendices: a. Caligula’s Named Victims b. Coins, Inscriptions and Sculpture.

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The original edition of Pompeii: A Sourcebook was a crucial resource for students of the site. Now updated to include material from Herculaneum, the neighbouring town also buried in the eruption of Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook allows readers to form a richer and more diverse picture of urban life on the Bay of Naples.

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Book SynopsisThe Ancient Near East reveals three millennia of history (c. 3500500 bc) in a single work. Liverani draws upon over 25 years' worth of experience and this personal odyssey has enabled him to retrace the history of the peoples of the Ancient Near East. The history of the Sumerians, Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians and more is meticulously detailed by one of the leading scholars of Assyriology. Utilizing research derived from the most recent archaeological finds, the text has been fully revised for this English edition and explores Liverani's current thinking on the history of the Ancient Near East. The rich and varied illustrations for each historical period, augmented by new images for this edition, provide insights into the material and textual sources for the Ancient Near East. Many highlight the ingenuity and technological prowess of the peoples in the Ancient East. Never before available in English, The Ancient Near East represents one of tTrade Review‘In the original Italian edition of this work, Liverani defined and applied, with the touch of a master, the criteria for proper historical writing as it relates to the ancient Near East. This English version will extend the reach of a classic to the much wider audience it deserves.’ - Giorgio Buccellati, Professor Emeritus, University of California, USA‘Mario Liverani’s classic text is as unusual in its ambitious chronological scope as in its clarity of vision: from the Neolithic to the emergence of the Persian Empire, his analysis of the history of the Middle East is firmly focused on the interplay between society, economy and ideology. And yet, the vast learning is lightly worn and the volume offers a hugely enjoyable and eye-opening read for novice and expert alike. A must have for anyone with an interest in world history.’ - Karen Radner, University College London, UK‘The English translation of Mario Liverani’s Antico Oriente: Storia, Società, Economia is a welcomed addition to the publishing world and Routledge has truly done us a great service in making this project possible. Since its appearance in 1988, Antico Oriente has become the introduction to the ancient Near East … The author breezes through an astonishing amount of data and material with ease, and he makes it accessible to the scholarly and general public alike. This is a wonderful book, which will make readers fall in love with the wonders of the ancient Near East, and at the same time provide them with a firm grasp on the methodological problems one faces when dealing with such a complex but fascinating world.’ - Alhena Gadotti, Towson University, USA"Masterfully integrating textual and archaeological sources, the author weaves a fascinating, enlightening historical narrative, focusing throughout on the interplay among politics, society, economy, ideology, and the environment. Accessible not only to scholars but also to students and general readers, this volume will undoubtedly be highly valued both as a work to read cover to cover and as a reference to consult on specific topics. Summing Up: Essential." -W Kotter, Weber State University, USA in CHOICE "Liverani, the translator Soraia Tabatabai, and Routledge have gifted us with an excellent tool for the continued reconstruction and education of the ancient Near East in English…The Ancient Near East provides an exemplary treatment of historiographic erudition.." -C. Jay Crisostomo, University of California, Berkeley, USATable of ContentsIntroduction Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Ancient Bronze Age Part 3: The Middle Bronze Age Part 4: The Late Bronze Age Part 5: The Early Iron Age Part 6: Empires and Unification

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Book Synopsisa comprehensive treasury of classic Latin quotations, mottoes, proverbs, and maxims collected from the worlds of philosophy, rhetoric, politics, science, religion, literature, drama, poetics, and war.Trade Review"As the first general collection of Latin quotations published in ten years, this book offers wisdom and humor from classical, medieval, and renaissance periods. Its scope is wide (nearly 8000 quotations are listed)....Overall, this is a delightful and instructive collection. Its selected English-Latin index makes the book useful for beginners or those whose Latin is rusty." -- Library JournalTable of ContentsChapter 1 Latin Proverbs and Maxims; Chapter 2 Latin Mottoes and Phrases; Chapter 3 Familiar Latin Quotations;

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Book SynopsisThis handbook begins with a discussion of the nature of Middle Egyptian and its script, followed by instructions for forming nouns, pronouns, adjectives, numerals, verbs, and other grammatic elements. A list of hieroglyphs, a vocabulary section, and reading exercises complete a book that will aid students or anyone interested in ancient Egypt.

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Book SynopsisFrom Stone Age networks to Digital Age networking, this book explores the ancient origins of our social lives today.Trade Review'An important, provocative essay on human evolution, argued with great eloquence and skill' - Current Archaeology'A triumph of collaboration, as well as a gripping detective story' - New Statesman'A dramatic demolition of the “stones and bones” approach to archaeology' - New Scientist'Retains the Thames & Hudson tradition of thinking clearly, and writing well … You will not read a more important book this year' - Minerva'An important piece of work … anyone with an interest in early human and pre-human society should add to their reading list' - Popular Science Books blog'Compelling' - The Lady'‘An important piece of work … anyone with an interest in early human and pre-human society should add to their reading list' - Popular Science Books blogTable of ContentsPreface • 1. Psychology Meets Archaeology • 2. What It Means to Be Social • 3. Ancient Social Lives • 4. Ancestors With Small Brains • 5. Building the Human Niche: Three Crucial Skills • 6. Ancestors with Large Brains • 7. Living in Big Societies

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Book SynopsisThis revelatory exploration of Book One of theArgonauticarescues Jason from his status as the ineffectual hero of Apollonius' epic poem. James J. Clauss argues that by posing the question, Who is the best of the Argonauts? Apollonius redefines the epic hero and creates, in Jason, a man more realistic and less awesome than his Homeric predecessors, one who is vulnerable, dependent on the help of others, even morally questionable, yet ultimately successful. In bringing Apollonius' curious and demanding poem to life, Clauss illuminates two features of the poet's narrative style: his ubiquitous allusions to the poetry of others, especially Homer, and the carefully balanced structural organization of his episodes. The poet's subtextual interplay is explored, as is his propensity for underscoring the manipulation of the poetry of others through ring composition. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek

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Book SynopsisThe temples and theatres of the ancient Greek world are widely known, but there is less familiarity with the houses in which people lived. In this book, Lisa Nevett provides an accessible introduction to the varied forms of housing found across the Greek world between c. 1000 and 200 BCE. Many houses adopted a courtyard structure which she sets within a broader chronological, geographical and socio-economic context. The book explores how housing shaped - and was shaped by patterns of domestic life, at Athens and in other urban communities. It also points to a rapid change in the scale, elaboration and layout of the largest houses. This is associated with a shift away from expressing solidarity with peers in the local urban community towards advertising personal status and participation in a network of elite households which stretched across the Mediterranean. Instructors, students and general readers will welcome this stimulating volume.Table of Contents1. Introducing ancient Greek housing; 2. Greek domestic architecture ca. 950–500 BCE: re-inventing the house; 3. Classical Athens and Attica: the anatomy of housing in a city and its territory; 4. Housing in mainland Greece during the classical period: towards a shared ideal?; 5. Housing Greek households in the eastern, western and southern Mediterranean and northern Black Sea littoral: the boundaries of an ideal?; 6. Housing, power and wealth in Greek communities during the late classical and early Hellenistic periods: stretching the ideal?; 7. Greek housing into the Hellenistic period: the transformation of an ideal?; Epilogue: the single-entrance, courtyard house and beyond.

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Book SynopsisWhy did the spectacles of violence and bloodshed in the amphitheatre prove so appealing to the Romans? To answer this, Professor Fagan examines the ancient evidence in detail and draws on insights from modern studies of social psychology, and especially the behaviour of crowds.Trade Review'A vivid phenomenological account of the games … [a] well-informed book.' The Times Literary Supplement'For industry, meticulous documentation of primary and secondary sources, cosmic view, and a good dose of common sense throughout, this is now unquestionably the best book on this repulsive but unavoidable subject. To adapt a famous though possibly apocryphal gladiatorial chant, Ave, Fagan, Imperator! Lecturi Te Salutant!' The SpokesmanTable of ContentsPreface; Introduction; 1. Seeking explanations; 2. A catalogue of cruelty; 3. Groups, crowds, and seats; 4. Crowd dynamics at arena spectacles; 5. Arenas of prejudice; 6. Gladiators and sports spectatorship; 7. The attractions of violent spectacle; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book is an in-depth treatment of the antecedents and first florescence of early state and urban societies in the alluvial lowlands of Mesopotamia over nearly three millennia, from approximately 5000 to 2100 BC. Susan Pollock's approach is explicitly anthropological, and draws on contemporary theoretical perspectives to enrich our understanding of the ancient Mesopotamian past. It explores the ways people of different genders and classes contributed and responded to changes in political, economic, and ideological realms. The interpretations are based on studies of regional settlement patterns, faunal remains, artifact distributions and activity patterning, iconography, texts and burials.Trade Review' … a very useful addition to the growing body of secondary archaeological literature on Mesopotamia … It is also well written, carefully referenced, indexed, suitably illustrated and includes an annoted bibliography. As such, it should certainly appeal to its audience.' AntiquityTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Geographic setting and environment; 3. Settlement patterns; 4. Making a living: tributary economics of the fifth and fourth millennia; 5. A changing way of life: the oikos-based economy of the third millennium; 6. The growth of bureaucracy; 7. Ideology and images of power; 8. Death and the ideology of community.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1978, Reading Greek has become a best-selling one-year introductory course in ancient Greek for students and adults. It combines the best of modern and traditional language-learning techniques and is used widely in schools, summer schools and universities across the world. It has also been translated into several foreign languages. This volume contains a narrative adapted entirely from ancient authors, including Herodotus, Euripides, Aristophanes and Demosthenes, in order to encourage students rapidly to develop their reading skills. Generous support is provided with vocabulary. At the same time, through the texts and numerous illustrations, students will receive a good introduction to Greek culture, and especially that of Classical Athens. The accompanying Grammar and Exercises volume provides full grammatical support together with numerous exercises at different levels, Greek-English and English-Greek vocabularies, a substantial reference grammar and language survTrade Review'… a comprehensive guide to learning ancient Greek … Moreover, the book is accessible to independent learners and those on distance-learning courses.' The Journal of Classics TeachingTable of ContentsPart I. Athens at Sea: Section 1. A-J. The insurance scam; Section 2. A-D. The glorious past; Section 3. A-E. Athens and Sparta; Part II. Moral Decay?: Section 4. A-D. Lawlessness in Athenian life; Section 5. A-D; Section 6. A-D. 'Socrates corrupts the young'; Section 7. A-H. Socrates and intellectual inquiry; Part III. Athens through the Comic Poet's Eyes: Section 8. A-C. Aristophanes' Birds and visions of Utopia; Section 9. A-J. Aristophanes' Wasps; Section 10. A-E. Aristophanes' Lysistrata; Section 11. A-C. Aristophanes' Akharnians; Part IV. Women in Athenian Society: Sections 12–14. The Prosecution of Neaira: Section 12. A-I. Neaira as slave; Section 13. A-I. Neaira as married woman; Section 14. A-F. Guarding a woman's purity; Section 15. A-C. Alkestis in Euripides' play; Part V. Athenian Views of Justice: Sections 16–17. Official and Private Justice: Section 16. A-H. Official justice, ships, state and individuals; Section 17. A-E. Private justice: trouble down at the farm; Section 18. A-E. How Zeus gave justice to men; Part VI. Gods, Fate and Man: Section 19. A-F. The story of Adrastos; Part VII. Homeric Hero and Heroine: Section 20. A-G. Odysseus and Nausikaa; A total Greek-English vocabulary of all words to be learnt.

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Book SynopsisCicero was one of classical antiquity's most prolific, varied and self-revealing authors. His letters, speeches, treatises and poetry chart a political career marked by personal struggle and failure and the collapse of the republican system of government to which he was intellectually and emotionally committed. They were read, studied and imitated throughout antiquity and subsequently became seminal texts in political theory and in the reception and study of the Classics. This Companion discusses the whole range of Cicero's writings, with particular emphasis on their links with the literary culture of the late Republic, their significance to Cicero's public career and their reception in later periods.Trade Review'A brisk and business-like guide.' The Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsIntroduction Catherine Steel; Part I. The Greco-Roman Intellectual: 1. Cicero and the intellectual milieu of the late Republic Anthony Corbeill; 2. Cicero's rhetorical theory John Dugan; 3. Cicero's style J. G. F. Powell; 4. Writing philosophy Malcolm Schofield; 5. Cicero's poetry Emma Gee; 6. The law in Cicero's writings Jill Harries; 7. Cicero and Roman identity Emma Dench; Part II. The Roman Politician: 8. The political impact of Cicero's speeches Ann Vasaly; 9. Cicero, oratory, and public life Catherine Steel; 10. Cicero, tradition, and performance Andrew Bell; 11. Political philosophy James E. G. Zetzel; 12. Writer and addressee in Cicero's letters Ruth Morello; 13. Saviour of the Republic and Father of the Fatherland: Cicero and political crisis Jon Hall; Part III. Receptions of Cicero: 14. Tully's boat: responses to Cicero in the imperial period Alain M. Gowing; 15. Cicero in late antiquity Sabine MacCormack; 16. Cicero in the Renaissance David Marsh; 17. Cicero during the Enlightenment Matthew Fox; 18. Nineteenth-century Ciceros Nicholas P. Cole; 19. Twentieth/twenty-first-century Cicero(s) Lynn S. Fotheringham.

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Book SynopsisExamines the way homicide was prosecuted and punished in the Bible and shows how justice reflects the religion and culture of the Bible. The book compares the law of the Bible to the law of the ancient Near East.Trade Review'Pamela Barmash's new book is compulsory reading for biblical scholars in general, scholars of biblical law in particular, and scholars of ancient Near Eastern law and culture. It is not far-reaching to claim that this book is essential for every scholar of ancient cultural and legal systems … Barmash's study of homicide in the biblical world is a shining example of comparative research.' Review of Biblical Literature' … this is a valuable book, with a rich bibliography …' ThemeliosTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. A first case, the story of Cain and Abel; 2. Blood feud and state control; 3. The development of the cities of refuge in the Bible; 4. Pollution and homicide; 5. Typologies of homicide; 6. Lex Talionis; 7. International law in the Ancient Near East; 8. Conclusion; 9. Excursus aeven: cuneiform sources on homicide.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisLittle is known about Arabia in the sixth century, yet from this distant time and place emerged a faith and an empire that stretched from the Iberian peninsula to India. Today, Muslims account for nearly a quarter of the global population. A renowned classicist, G. W. Bowersock seeks to illuminate this obscure and dynamic period in the history of Islamexploring why arid Arabia proved to be such fertile ground for Muhammad's prophetic message, and why that message spread so quickly to the wider world. The Crucible of Islam offers a compelling explanation of how one of the world's great religions took shape. A remarkable work of scholarship.Wall Street JournalA little book of explosive originality and penetrating judgment The joy of reading this account of the background and emergence of early Islam is the knowledge that Bowersock has built it from solid stones A masterpiece of the historian's craft.Peter Brown, New York Review of BooksTrade ReviewThe Crucible of Islam is a remarkable work of scholarship. -- Christopher Carroll * Wall Street Journal *Erudite and lucid…Bowersock’s fluency with specialist literature and his ability to transform scattered research into a coherent narrative are admirable. -- Chase Robinson * Times Literary Supplement *To write about the Arabian background of the Prophet Muhammad, about the origin of Islam in Mecca and Medina, and about the first conquests that led to the formation of the Arab empire (roughly between 560 and 690 AD) is to attempt to describe the first moments of a supernova—the flash of a stupendous detonation that marks the death of a massive star and the release of enormous amounts of energy. G.W. Bowersock has met this challenge in a little book of explosive originality and penetrating judgment…With The Crucible of Islam we reach the very center of this roiling world. We look into the depths of the crucible itself, to seize, in a true historical perspective, the ‘molten ingredients’ that came to form Islam. His book is an exercise in the art of historical truth. Bowersock is a classical scholar. He derives his skills from a tradition that reaches back to the Renaissance, to Erasmus and to Lorenzo Valla, whose demolition of the legendary Donation of Constantine he has himself translated with gusto. His book derives its strength from the method advocated by the great classical scholar Richard Bentley (1662–1742): ratio et res ipsa—reason confronting the thing itself…Part of the joy of reading this account of the background and emergence of early Islam is the knowledge that Bowersock has built it from solid stones, the weight of every one of which he has tested with his own critical mind. Secure that we are in the hands of a master, let us think about the implications of the substantial gains to scholarship that Bowersock has brought us in this compressed masterpiece…We must be grateful to Bowersock for giving us, at this time, a masterpiece of the historian’s craft. -- Peter Brown * New York Review of Books *An impressive undertaking…A tour de force of late antiquity, deftly interrogating the interconnections and relations between major and minor Middle Eastern powers to ‘provide a glimpse into the chaotic environment that made Islam possible.’ -- Alfons Teipen * Religious Studies Review *[An] inspiring and broad-sighted approach that Bowersock brings with this book to the lively field of Islamic origins. -- Suleyman Dost * Speculum *This work is highly recommended for those interested in the religious and political attitudes that gave rise to Islam. -- Muhammed Hassanali * Booklist *This is an invaluable examination of the origins of a great religion. -- G. M. Smith * Choice *Bowersock paints a concise portrait of Islam’s early formation and consolidation, focusing on the political, social, economic, and religious conditions of 6th- and 7th-century Arabia…Bowersock clearly and succinctly describes the stage upon which Islam emerged, and also dispels certain rumors, myths, and half-histories that have come to dominate popular notions of the period (and even persist in scholarship)…Given the historical and current relationships and tensions among various groups of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, this brief and easily digestible introduction will interest and please a wide variety of readers. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisAëtius’ Placita (ca. AD 100) is a reconstructed compendium summarizing the principal doctrines and opinions of the Greek philosophers, which served as a multi-purpose manual both for study and for personal enlightenment and which remains a valuable source for our knowledge of Presocratic and Hellenistic philosophy.

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Book SynopsisJames Fraser is Curator: Ancient Levant and Anatolia, Department of the Middle East, British Museum and Curator of the exhibition Power and prestige: Cyrus to Alexander at the British Museum in 2023.Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is Professor in Ancient History at Cardiff University and Director of the Ancient Iran Program for the British Institute of Persian Studies. He is the author of numerous books, most recently Persians: The Age of the Great Kings (2022).Henry Bishop-Wright is Project Curator of the exhibition Power and prestige: Cyrus to Alexander at the British Museum in 2023.Table of ContentsForewordsIntroduction1. Feasting like kings: luxury in Achaemenid Persia — Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones2. Guilty pleasures: luxury in classical Athens - James Fraser3. Power and prestige in Alexander’s empire and its successor kingdoms - Henry Bishop-WrightNotes and bibliographyAcknowledgements, picture credits and index

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Book SynopsisPraise for the exhibition ***** The Telegraph ***** The Times ***** Daily Telegraph **** The Evening Standard âœPlunge into the infinity pool of ancient Egyptian history with this dizzying array of artworksâ - Waldemar Januszczack, Sunday Times Culture magazine Today the history of ancient Egypt is known around the world, recognisable in precious museum collections and countless retellings from popular culture. Yet for hundreds of years, from the late Roman Empire to the 19th century, the wonders of this ancient civilisation were frozen in time, locked in artefacts that could not be understood due to the loss of the ancient Egyptian language. In 1799 the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, a slab inscribed in three scripts, hieroglyphs, demotic and Greek, changed the course of history, unlocking thousands of years of ancient culture and eventually becoming one of the worldâs most famous museum artefacts. The British Museumâs exhibition Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt and thisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. The truth in translation: the journey to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs 2. The race to decipherment 3. Legacy and impact 4. The future of Egyptology Notes and select bibliography List of contributors Acknowledgements and credits Index

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Book SynopsisFrom the Children of Lir to Diarmuid and Gráinne to the Salmon of Knowledge and Oisín in Tir na nÓg, Padraic O''Farrell reintroduces the classic stories of the Celtic past.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisAugusto Fraschetti describes the legends surrounding the origins, foundation and early history of Rome, the significance the Romans attached to the legends of their origins, and the uses to which they put them.Between 1000 BC and 650 BC a cluster of small, isolated groups of thatched huts on the Roman hills became an extensive and complex city, its monumental buildings and large public spaces evidence of power and wealth. Two competing foundation legends accounted for this shift, one featuring the Trojan fugitive Aeneas and the other the wolf-reared Romulus and Remus. Both played a significant role in Roman thought and identity, preoccupying generations of Roman historians and providing an important theme in Roman poetry.In the last two centuries the foundation era of Rome has been the subject of extensive investigations by archaeologists. These have revealed much that was previously a mystery and have allowed the piecing together of a coherent account of the early history of the city. Professor FrTable of ContentsContents; Translators' note; Abbreviations; Preface; 1. The twins; 1. The Vestal and the she-wolf; 2. Grandparents and ancestors; 3. An adolescence in the bosom of 'nature': the world of the luperci; 4. At the conquest of Alba; 2. The foundation; 1. On the site of Rome: taking the auspices, and the death of Remus; 2. 'Roma Quadrata' and the pomerium; 3. The civic body and its organs; 4. The abduction of the women and the war against the Sabines; 5. From the domestic fires of the curiae to the hearth of Vesta; 6. Archaeology and the 'rights' of criticism; 7. Settlements and festive rituals: from Romulus to Tullus Hostilius; 3. Romulus' government and his wars; 1. Romulus 'the lawgiver'; 2. The calendar; 3. The joint reign of Romulus and Titus Tatius; 4. Romulus' wars; 4. The disappearance of the founder: Romulus 'cut into pieces' or his apotheosis; 1. The founder's disappearance: two traditions; 2. The ascent into heaven: the highly ambiguous characteristics of a tradition; 3. Romulus and the god Quirinus; 4. The dismemberment of the body: comparativist perspectives; 5. Romulus in the South Seas; 6. A Roman view: the disappearance of Romulus and the foundation of the comitia; 7. The body of Romulus and the origins of the patriciate; 8. The death of Romulus and the destiny of Caesar; Epilogue: The twins: a view from the Bosphorus; Appendix I. The ambiguous status of Tarpeia; Appendix II. A wall at the foot of the Palatine Hill; Notes; Bibliography Index of names and ancient places Index of characters and modern authors.

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Book SynopsisAttempts to find the person (if any) behind the legend of King Arthur have been going on for a long time. The search has revealed many interesting facts and it has also led to sharp disagreements. By the 1980s, the search was more or less abandoned, having reached a dead-end. The Discovery of King Arthur presents an investigation that broke the deadlock. Arthur emerged from it with a firmer status in history. He was also more interesting - more like his legend - than once appeared likely. It became possible to see better why he became the kind of figure he did. The delay in running him to earth was due to the nature of the problem he posed. Medieval authors who gave him his literary grandeur fitted him into what they claimed was Britain''s history several centuries later. Not much of that history can stand up in the light of present day knowledge - it is mostly legend. So historians who looked for Arthur swept the medieval matter aside and searched for him in the scanty older records.

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Book SynopsisSome maintain that ley lines are the result of some ''earth force'', others that they are the earliest routes marked out across the land. In his new book Anthony Poulton-Smith examines the origins and meanings of these ancient trackways, tracing them on foot and taking in markers that have been in existence for millennia to travel in a straight line from Shropshire and Gloucestershire in the west to Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire in the east. Whether they are tracked by dowsing or by a simple line on a map, Ley Lines across the Midlands is a fascinating read for walkers, historians, visitors and locals alike, and provides a very different view of the ancient history of the Midlands.

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Book SynopsisAs the People's champion against a corrupt and murderous oligarchy, he began transformation of the Roman republic into a quasi-monarchy and a military and fiscal system that for four centuries provided western Europe, north Africa and the Middle East with security, prosperity and relative peace.

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Book SynopsisA controversial book offering evidence that Arthuir mac Aedain was the real King Arthur and locates his final burial place

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Book SynopsisThe brochs are among the best-known ancient monuments in Scotland. However, despite a long and colourful history of research, it is only in the last 20 years that the results of field survey, excavation and radiocarbon dating have begun to flesh out a picture of their evolution and development from around 600 BC to AD 100. This well-illustrated book describes the current state of our knowledge, probes the long-running controversies over their origins and function, and provides an annotated list of the most accessible and best-preserved broch sites. Individual chapters cover: Beginnings; Anatomy of a broch tower; Broch landscapes, broch people; Lords of the north; Lords of the south; Beyond the brochs.

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Book SynopsisDesignated a World Heritage Site, the landscape around Avebury in north Wiltshire contains a remarkable wealth of archaeological remains, including some of the most spectacular prehistoric monuments in Europe. Incorporating extensive research and fieldwork from the last ten years, this is the only book to explore the landscape context of Avebury over six millennia. There is of course a full description and interpretation of the impressive Neolithic monuments within the immediate area (including the Avebury henge itself), but the authors range far wider in both space and time. Extending from early prehistory, through the Roman occupation, to the Anglo-Saxon and later medieval periods, their comprehensive study works through a series of interrelated themes such as histories of occupation, the modification of the landscape and the changing perceptions of past populations. Both authors have worked for ten years on large-scale field projects in the Avebury region.

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