Best of
Ancient

1996

Egypt, Greece and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean


Charles Freeman - 1996
    The book draws a fascinating picture of the deep links between the cultures across the Mediterranean and explores the ways in which these civilizations continue to be influential to this day. Beginning with the emergence of the earliest Egyptian civilization around 3500 BC, Charles Freeman follows the history of the Mediterranean over a span of four millennia to AD 600, beyond the fall of the Roman empire in the West to the emergence of the Byzantine empire in the East. The author examines the art, architecture, philosophy, literature, and religious practices of each culture, set against its social, political, and economic background. Especially striking are the readable and stimulating profiles of key individuals throughout the ancient world, covering persons like Homer, Horace, the Pharaoh Akhenaten, and Alexander the Great. The second edition incorporates new chapters on the ancient Mediterranean and the Ancient Near East, as well as extended coverage of Egypt. Egypt, Greece and Rome is a superb introduction for anyone seeking a better understanding of the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean and their legacy to the West.

Stoic Studies


Anthony A. Long - 1996
    A. Long has been at the forefront of research in Hellenistic philosophy. In this book he assembles a dozen articles on Stoicism previously published in journals and conference proceedings. The collection is biased in favour of Professor Long's more recent studies of Stoicism and is focused on three themes: the Stoics' interpretation of their intellectual tradition, their ethics and their psychology. The contents of the book reflect the peculiarly holistic and systematic features of Stoicism. The papers are printed here in their original form for the most part, but the author has made some minor corrections and stylistic or bibliographical changes. He has also added a postscript to three papers whose topics have been the subject of much discussion during the years since they first appeared.

The Crisis of Western Philosophy: Against Positivism


Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov - 1996
    In it, he undertakes a stunning critique of positivism, by which he understands the entire philosophy of Western rationalism, which he sees as setting up a conflict between reason and faith, and reason and nature. In the modern period, he finds abundant evidence for reason's war against nature in Western philosophy from Descartes to Hegel. "Positivism," the leading philosophy in his time, Solovyov also finds repugnant. In its place, he proposes his great theme of total unity--which was to become the dominant theme in Russian philosophy. This is the work that launched Russian religious philosophy and is a must for anyone interested in the subject. From the Esalen-Lindisfarne Library of Russian Philosophy.

Classical Women Poets


Josephine Balmer - 1996
    Today, only a fraction of their work survives. It is lyrical, witty, innovative, and inspiring, offering surprising insights into the closed world of women in antiquity, from childhood friendships, through love affairs and marriage, to motherhood and bereavement. In addition to the ancient poems, Balmer has translated some inscriptions, folk-songs, and even graffiti, into English.

الطب المصري القديم


John F. Nunn - 1996
    John F. Nunn draws on his own experience as an eminent doctor of medicine and an Egyptologist to reassess the evidence. He has translated and reviewed the original Egyptian medical papyri and has reconsidered other sources of information, including skeletons, mummies, statues, tomb paintings and coffins.Illustrations highlight similarities in the conditions of ancient and modern patients. Nunn appraises the criteria by which the ancient Egyptian doctors made their diagnoses in the context of current medical knowledge, showing that many of their findings are still valid today. Nunn also explores ancient Egyptian spells and incantations and the relationship of magic and religion to medical practices.Incorporating the most recent insights of modern medicine and Egyptology, Nunn furnishes the reader with a comprehensive and authoritative book on a fascinating subject.

The Triumph of Odysseus: Homer's Odyssey Books 21 and 22


Homer - 1996
    It is modeled on the already published A World of Heroes (CUP, 1979) and The Intellectual Revolution (CUP, 1980) and provides an unabridged text of Books 21 and 22 of Homer's Odyssey. The Greek text is faced with a running vocabulary and notes, and followed by a learning vocabulary, and the book is illustrated throughout. It can be used by anyone who has completed Reading Greek or is at an intermediate or advanced stage of ancient Greek.

I, Claudia: Women in Ancient Rome


Diana E.E. Kleiner - 1996
    It concentrates on the evidence provided by portraits, reliefs, wall-paintings, architecture and decorative arts. The catalogue entries describe more than 180 works, and seven essays-by Natalie Kampen, Klaus Fitschen, Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, Susan Treggiari and others-discuss gender theory, portraits of empresses and princesses, the portrayal of women as goddesses and women's roles in society, the home, literature and artistic patronage.

Aspects of Greek History 750-323bc: A Source-Based Approach


Terry Buckley - 1996
    Chapter by chapter, the relevant historical periods from the age of colonization to Alexander the Great are reconstructed. Emphasis is laid on the interpretation of the available sources, and the book sets out to give a clear treatment of all the major problems within a chronological framework.The book covers:the main literary sources: Aristotle, Diodorus, Herodotus, Plutarch, Thucydides and Xenophon Greek political and military history from the eighth century to Alexander's conquest of Persia.To ease understanding, the book also includes maps, a glossary of Greek terms and a full bibliography.

The Middle Platonists: 80 B.C. to A.D. 220


John M. Dillon - 1996
    . . . From the opening pages on Plato's oral teaching and the work of his immediate successors Speusippus and Xenocrates, the book is very clear, judicious, and surprisingly enjoyable. The book will do much to open this neglected and fascinating period to contemporary scholars and students at all levels."―Choice

The Age of Justinian: The Circumstances of Imperial Power


James Allan Evans - 1996
    The origins of the irrevocable split between East and West, between the Byzantine and the Persian Empire are chronicled, which continue up to the present day. The book looks at the social structure of sixth century Byzantium, and the neighbours that surrounded the empire. It also deals with Justinian's wars, which restored Italy, Africa and a part of Spain to the empire.

The First Punic War


John Lazenby - 1996
    This is the first comprehensive study of the longest continuous war (264 to 241 b.c.) in ancient history, and, in terms of the numbers of ships and men involved, probably the greatest naval war ever fought.

A Commentary on Thucydides: Volume II: Books IV-V. 24


Simon Hornblower - 1996
    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 new feature of this volume is the full thematic introduction which discusses such topics as Thucydides and Herodotus, Thucydide's 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 the first time, allows readers with little or no Greek to appreciate the detail of Thucydides' thought and subject-matter. A full index at the end of the volume.

Ancient Rome: History of a Civilization That Ruled the World


Anna Maria Liberati - 1996
    The legacy of its architecture, politics, culture, and art has survived throughout the centuries and even in today's technological world continues to exert an irresistible appeal. Ancient Rome is a magnificent volume that traces the dramatic history of the Roman Empire, paying particular attention to the rise and fall and its lasting social, cultural, military, and political influence. From great feats and everyday customs, to works of art and household objects, this comprehensive account offers a fascinating insight into the highly complex and sophisticated society that once ruled the world.Authoritative text by Anna Maria Liberati and Fabio Bourbon analyzes the development of the Roman Empire by examining all aspects of the Eternal City including the economic, legal, and military system of the conquered regions; the organization of the most powerful army in the ancient world; the town-planning problems and successes; the construction systems used to erect the great Roman public monuments; and even the smallest curiosities of everyday life. The impressive pictorial documentation of Ancient Rome includes hundreds of full-color images, many of them never before published. Detailed maps, cross-sections, plans, and large reconstruction plates provide fascinating documentary support and present an engaging approach to discovering the world of Ancient Rome and to understanding the origins of Western society as we know it.

Temples of Ancient Egypt


Byron E. Shafer - 1996
    Shafer here summarize the state of current knowledge about ancient Egyptian temples and the rituals associated with their use. The first volume in English to survey the major types of Egyptian temples from the Old Kingdom to the Roman period, it offers a unique perspective on ritual and its cultural significance. The authors perceive temples as loci for the creative interplay of sacred space and sacred time. They regard as unacceptable the traditional division of the temples into the categories of "mortuary" and "divine," believing that their functions and symbolic representations were, at once, too varied and too intertwined."

Hindu Scriptures


Dominic Goodall - 1996
    C. Zaehner's anthology has long been considered invaluable for its breadth and diversity. Now Dominic Goodall expands Zaehner's work with three fresh translations, including one work that appears for the first time in English. Spanning more than two thousand years, the range of selections in this book include arcane hymns of the ancient Aryans, prescriptions governing every aspect of the daily life of the orthodox, and sensual poetry.

Ancient China


Judith Simpson - 1996
    Integrated, highly visual approach sure to engage "video-age" kids. Authoritative, up-to-date information plus games, quizzes, puzzles, and activities.