Description
Book SynopsisThe Religious Aspect of Warfare in the Ancient Near East, Greece and Rome is a volume dedicated to investigating the relationship between religion and war in antiquity in minute detail. The nineteen chapters are divided into three groups: the ancient Near East, Greece, and Rome. They are presented in turn and all possible aspects of warfare and its religious connections are investigated. The contributors focus on the theology of war, the role of priests in warfare, natural phenomena as signs for military activity, cruelty, piety, the divinity of humans in specific martial cases, rituals of war, iconographical representations and symbols of war, and even the archaeology of war. As editor Krzysztof Ulanowski invited both well-known specialists such as Robert Parker, Nicholas Sekunda, and Pietro Mander to contribute, as well as many young, talented scholars with fresh ideas. From this polyphony of voices, perspectives and opinions emerges a diverse, but coherent, representation of the complex relationship between religion and war in antiquity.
Table of ContentsIntroduction List and affiliation of contributors (in alphabetic order) Abbreviations Part 1. The Ancient Near East War in Mesopotamian Culture, Pietro Mander Some Remarks Concerning the Development of the Theology of War in Ancient Mesopotamia, Vladimir Sazonov Battle-descriptions in Mesopotamian Sources I: Presargonic and Sargonic Period, Sebastian Fink A Comparison of the Role of bārû and mantis in Ancient Warfare, Krzysztof Ulanowski Eclipses and the Precipitation of Conflict: Deciphering the Signal to Attack, Micah Ross Part 2. Greece War and Religion in Ancient Greece, Robert Parker The Terrified Face of Alcyoneus: the Religious Character of Greek Warfare, or What about the Vanquished? Bogdan Burliga The Burning of Greek Temples by the Persians and Greek War-Propaganda, Eduard Rung Weather, Luck and the Divine in Thucydides, Rachel Bruzzone Xenophon's piety within the Hipparchikos, Simone Agrimonti The Mounted Torch-Race at the Athenian Bendideia, Nick Sekunda Like Gods among Men. The Use of Religion and Mythical Issues during Alexander’s Campaign, Borja Antela-Bernárdez Defence and Offence in the Egyptian Royal Titles of Alexander the Great, Ivan Ladynin Egyptian Warriors: Machimoi, in Coroplastic Art – Selected Examples, Sławomir Jędraszek Part 3. Rome Clenar larans etnam svalce: Myth, Religion, and Warfare in Etruria, Joshua R. Hall The Ara Pacis Augustae and the Campus Martius: Peace and War, Antinomic or Complementary Realities in the Roman World, Dan-Tudor Ionescu The Religious Legitimation of War in the Reign of Antoninus Pius, André Heller Roman Soldiers in Official Cult Ceremonies: Performance, Participation and Religious Experience, Tomasz Dziurdzik Religious Aspects of the Bar Kokhba Revolt: The Founding of Aelia Capitolina on the Ruins of Jerusalem, Boaz Zissu and Hanan Eshel
