Best of
Ancient

2002

The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason


Charles Freeman - 2002
    Adopting those aspects of the religion that suited his purposes, he turned Rome on a course from the relatively open, tolerant and pluralistic civilization of the Hellenistic world, towards a culture that was based on the rule of fixed authority, whether that of the Bible, or the writings of Ptolemy in astronomy and of Galen and Hippocrates in medicine. Only a thousand years later, with the advent of the Renaissance and the emergence of modern science, did Europe begin to free itself from the effects of Constantine's decision, yet the effects of his establishment of Christianity as a state religion remain with us, in many respects, today. Brilliantly wide-ranging and ambitious, this is a major work of history.

Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt


Salima Ikram - 2002
    This book covers all aspects of death including burial in a specially-prepared tomb. The mummification process is explored in detail.

From Eden To Exile


David Rohl - 2002
    His previous books, Test of Time and Legend presented the arguments and counter-arguments. In From Eden to Exile this discursive approach is replaced by historical storytelling, which follows the sequence of events from the rise of Neolithic civilisation in a region now part of Iran which inspired the story of the Garden of Eden, through Noah, Abraham and the sojourn in Egypt, to the fall of Jericho, the dual kingdoms of the Promised Land and lastly, the exile in Babylon, where the stories of the Old Testament were collated into something very like their present form. A fascinating history book that will appeal to anyone with an interest in ancient history, religion and archaeology.

Sword and Sorceress XIX


Marion Zimmer BradleyStephen Crane Davidson - 2002
    They are sword-wielding defenders or magical spell-casters - roles too often considered the exclusive province of men.Handpicked by the late Marion Zimmer Bradley, here are 25 original stories about bold and talented women created by such masterful word-weavers as Diana Paxson, Esther M Friesner, and Dorothy J Heydt. Journey with them now through enchanted realms of the imagination into perils both physical and magical:Where the respect a sorceress pays to a simple farm animal can cure an entire village suffering from a devastating plague...A young woman is able to free a goddess from her husband, the god of war, with one word...With the help of a healer, a group of animal "familiars" unite to vanquish the magician who slew their masters...When the mentor of an apprentice sorceress is killed, the young sorceress-to-be gains her power from the most unlikely source imaginable...Before her death in 1999, Marion Zimmer Bradley had prepared volumes 19 and 20 of the ever-popular Sword & Sorceress anthology series. Known for discovering and nurturing some of today's best-selling talents, Bradley has once again assembled a powerhouse collection of fantasy fiction, filled with women warriors and wizards.Contents:Introduction · Elisabeth WatersThe Curse of Ardal Glen · Laura J. UnderwoodWhen the King Is Weak · Barbara E. TarboxThe Sign of the Boar · Diana PaxsonA Matter of Focus · Penny BuchananInner Sight · Susan WolvenFamiliars · Michael H. PayneOrdeal · Robyn McGrewGrain · Esther FriesnerGifts of the Kami · Carol E. LeeverOne in Ten Thousand · Aimee KrattsLord of the Earth · Dorothy HeydtLady of Light · Jennifer AshleyAll Too Familiar · P. Andrew MillerArtistic License · Deborah BurrosEarth, Wind and Water · Bob DennisFire for the Senjen Tiger · Stephen Crane DavidsonFighting Spirit · Karen MagonPride, Prejudice and Paranoia · Michael SpenceA Simple Spell · Marilyn A. RacetteSword of Queens · Bunnie BesselBetter Seen Than Heard · Emily C. A. SnyderOpenings · Meg HeydtA Little Magic · P. E. CunninghamEloma’s Second Career · Lorie CalkinsSylvia · A. Hall

The Bones: A Handy Where-To-Find-It Pocket Reference Companion to Euclid's Elements


Euclid - 2002
    Provides all the propositions and diagrams without the detailed proofs. Readers can use it to see the scope and structure of Elements, identify exactly what Euclid covers and what he doesn't, and to find the location of remembered propositions.

A Greek Anthology


Joint Association of Classical Teachers’ Greek Course - 2002
    It presents twenty extracts from a comprehensive range of Greek authors--Homer to Plutarch--and includes vocabulary and grammatical assistance. The passages have been chosen for their interest and variety and brief introductions set them in context.

Emperor Worship and Roman Religion


Ittai Gradel - 2002
    Was the divinity of emperors a glue that held the Empire together? Were rulers such as Julius Caesar and Caligula simply mad to expect such worship of themselves? Or was it rather a phenomenon which has only been rendered incomprehensible by modern and monotheistic ideas of what religion is--or should be--all about?This book presents the first study of emperor worship among the Romans themselves, both in Rome and in its heartland Italy. It argues that emperor worship was indeed perfectly in keeping with Roman religious tradition, which has been generally misunderstood by a posterity imbued with radically different notions of the relationship between humans and the divine.

Iliad, Book 1


Pamela Ann Draper - 2002
    Reading the poem in its original language provides an experience as challenging as it is rewarding. Most students encountering Homeric Greek for the first time need considerable help, especially with vocabulary and constructions that differ from the more familiar Attic forms. For anyone who has completed studies in elementary Greek, this edition provides the assistance necessary to read, understand, and appreciate the first book of the Iliad in its original language. Structured to maximize reading ease, P. A. Draper's volume stands out among introductions to the Greek Iliad. Readers of this edition will appreciate the positioning of all notes facing the Greek text; the frequent vocabulary entries; the complete glossary; the appendix on basic Homeric forms and grammar; and the copious annotations on vocabulary, grammar, meter, historical and mythological allusions, and literary interpretation. Primarily designed as a textbook, this volume will be an effective classroom tool and a useful acquisition for any library supporting a classics program. The book will find readers among high school and college Greek students, advanced students in Homer or epic poetry classes, graduate students working on reading-list requirements, and anyone interested in maintaining Greek reading skills. P. A. Draper is Humanities Librarian, Cooper Library, Clemson University.

Wycliffe New Testament 1388: An edition in modern spelling, with an introduction, the original prologues and the Epistle to the Laodiceans


Anonymous - 2002
    It was in fact translated by followers of his, and the text of this volume, known as Wycliffe B, appeared in 1388, four years after Wycliffe's death. But John Wycliffe's preaching and writing certainly inspired the translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English, and the impact of the translation was so great that within a decade of publication a law was passed comdemning anyone caught reading it, to death. Despite this, the Wycliffe Bible was read by thousands, and even after the advent of printing, handwritten copies of it were still cherished. What caused it to fall into disuse was not just its high cost compared to the new printed Bibles, but the great changes in the English language from 1400 onwards. This edition of the Wycliffe Bible has been produced in a modern spelling edition, so that readers can enjoy reading this text for themselves.

Espionage In The Ancient World: An Annotated Bibliography Of Books And Articles In Western Languages


Rose Mary Sheldon - 2002
    The entries present books and periodical articles in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, and Dutch - with annotations in English. These works address such subjects as intelligence collection and analysis (political and military), counterintelligence, espionage, cryptology (Greek and Latin), tradecraft, covert action, and similar topics. Sections are devoted to general espionage, intelligence related to road building, communication, and tradecraft, intelligence in Greece, during the reign of Alexander the Great and in the Hellenistic Age, in the Roman republic, the Byzantine empire, the Muslim world, and in Russia, China, India, and Africa.

Mummies Unwrapped


Kimberly Weinberger - 2002
    In four brief chapters, readers learn important facts about the Egyptians' belief on life and death, stories and superstitions surrounding their gods and goddesses, intriguing facts about burial tombs filled with treasures, and the origin of the practice of making mummies. The author's thorough description of the mummy-making process is further illuminated by Portia Sloan's very detailed illustrations. The book ends with a look at the discovery of a tomb that contained the most incredible riches ever -- the tomb of the world- famous mummy, King Tutankhamen.

Aristotle: Political Philosophy


Richard Kraut - 2002
    This book offers a systematic overview of Aristotle's conception of well-being, virtue and justice in the Nicomachean Ethics, and then explores the major themes of Politics: civic-mindedness, slavery, family, property, the common good, class conflict, the limited wisdom of the multitude, and the radically egalitarian institutions of the ideal society.

The Wooden Horse: The Liberation of the Western Mind from Odysseus to Socrates


Keld Zeruneith - 2002
     By examining Homers great epic poems, The Illiad and The Odysseythe Wests most comprehensive picture of the heroic age, which documents the fact that the Trojan War stalemate was resolved through strategic thinking (via Odysseuss invention of the wooden horse) rather than brute physical superiorityKeld Zeruneith explores this fundamental paradigm shift, which constituted nothing less than the liberation of the modern mind. With close analyses encompassing the poetry, drama, philosophy, and history of the ancient world, Keld Zeruneith casts a new light on our cultural ballast and provides startlingly original insight into the psychological forces behind the genesis of European culture.

Flavian Rome: Culture, Image, Text


A.J. Boyle - 2002
    In this volume of new, specially commissioned studies, twenty-five scholars from five countries have combined to produce a critical survey of the period, which underscores and re-evaluates its foundational importance. Most of the authors are established international figures, but a feature of the volume is the presence of young, emerging scholars at the cutting edge of the discipline. The studies attend to a diversity of topics, including: the new political settlement, the role of the army, change and continuity in Rome s social structures, cultural festivals, architecture, sculpture, religion, coinage, imperial discourse, epistemology and political control, rhetoric, philosophy, Greek intellectual life, drama, poetry, patronage, Flavian historians, amphitheatrical Rome. All Greek and Latin text is translated."

The Cults of the Greek States: Volume 1


Lewis Richard Farnell - 2002
    This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1896 edition by the Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Brill's Companion to Cicero: Oratory and Rhetoric


James M. May - 2002
    The book is arranged along roughly chronological lines and covers most aspects of Cicero's oratory and rhetoric. The particular strength of this companion resides in the individual, often very original approach to sundry topics by an array of impressive contributors, all of whom have spent large portions of their careers concentrating upon the oratorical and rhetorical oeuvre of Cicero. A bibliography of relevant items from the past 25 years, keyed to specific Ciceronian works, completes the volume. Brill's Companion to Cicero will become the standard reference work on Cicero for many years.

Late Roman Warlords


Penny MacGeorge - 2002
    Ranging from the Balkans and Italy to northern France, this study uses a wide range of historical evidence, folklore, letters, poems, sermons, archaeology, and coins. Recent historical theories are discussed and new interpretations offered, including how these warlords may throw light on post-Roman Britain.

Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century A.D.


Noel Lenski - 2002
    364-78). Valens will always be remembered for his spectacular defeat and death at the hands of the Goths in the Battle of Adrianople. This singular misfortune won him a front-row seat among history's great losers. By the time he was killed, his empire had been coming unglued for several years: the Goths had overrun the Balkans; Persians, Isaurians, and Saracens were threatening the east; the economy was in disarray; and pagans and Christians alike had been exiled, tortured, and executed in his religious persecutions. Valens had not, however, entirely failed in his job as emperor. He was an admirable administrator, a committed defender of the frontiers, and a ruler who showed remarkable sympathy for the needs of his subjects.In lively style and rich detail, Lenski incorporates a broad range of new material, from archaeology to Gothic and Armenian sources, in a study that illuminates the social, cultural, religious, economic, administrative, and military complexities of Valens's realm. Failure of Empire offers a nuanced reconsideration of Valens the man and shows both how he applied his strengths to meet the expectations of his world and how he ultimately failed in his efforts to match limited capacities to limitless demands.

Plutarch and History: Eighteen Studies


Christopher Pelling - 2002
    The historical methods and qualities of this vital source were for long subjected to little systematic analysis. However, over the last two decades an authoritative and profoundly influential set of studies has appeared in the field, the work of Christopher Pelling. Dispersed until now in a wide range of international journals and symposia, these fifteen studies are here published in a single volume, revised by the author with up-to-date annotations and bibliography. Together with three new studies, they form an essential reference-work for serious students of classical Greece and Rome.