Best of
Classical-Studies
2016
Early Greek Philosophy, Volume III: Early Ionian Thinkers, Part 2
Glenn W. Most - 2016
This new systematic conception and presentation of the evidence differs in three ways from Hermann Diels's groundbreaking work, as well as from later editions: it renders explicit the material's thematic organization; it includes a selection from such related bodies of evidence as archaic poetry, classical drama, and the Hippocratic corpus; and it presents an overview of the reception of these thinkers until the end of antiquity.Volume I contains introductory and reference materials essential for using all other parts of the edition. Volumes II-III include chapters on ancient doxography, background, and the Ionians from Pherecydes to Heraclitus. Volumes IV-V present western Greek thinkers from the Pythagoreans to Hippo. Volumes VI-VII comprise later philosophical systems and their aftermath in the fifth and early fourth centuries. Volumes VIII-IX present fifth-century reflections on language, rhetoric, ethics, and politics (the so-called sophists and Socrates) and conclude with an appendix on philosophy and philosophers in Greek drama.
Early Greek Philosophy, Volume II: Beginnings and Early Ionian Thinkers, Part 1
Glenn W. Most - 2016
This new systematic conception and presentation of the evidence differs in three ways from Hermann Diels's groundbreaking work, as well as from later editions: it renders explicit the material's thematic organization; it includes a selection from such related bodies of evidence as archaic poetry, classical drama, and the Hippocratic corpus; and it presents an overview of the reception of these thinkers until the end of antiquity.Volume I contains introductory and reference materials essential for using all other parts of the edition. Volumes II-III include chapters on ancient doxography, background, and the Ionians from Pherecydes to Heraclitus. Volumes IV-V present western Greek thinkers from the Pythagoreans to Hippo. Volumes VI-VII comprise later philosophical systems and their aftermath in the fifth and early fourth centuries. Volumes VIII-IX present fifth-century reflections on language, rhetoric, ethics, and politics (the so-called sophists and Socrates) and conclude with an appendix on philosophy and philosophers in Greek drama.
In the Land of a Thousand Gods: A History of Asia Minor in the Ancient World
Christian Marek - 2016
In this handsome English-language edition of the critically acclaimed German book, Christian Marek masterfully weaves together illuminating citations from the ancient sources with vivid sketches of civic institutions, urban and rural society, agriculture, trade and money, the influential Greek writers of the Second Sophistic, the notoriously bloody exhibitions of the gladiatorial arena, and more.In the Land of a Thousand Gods is truly panoramic in scope. Blending rich narrative history with in-depth analyses of political, social, and economic achievements, it traces Asia Minor's shifting orientation between East and West in the ancient world and examines its roles as both a melting pot of nations and a bridge for cultural transmission. Marek takes readers from the earliest known Stone Age settlements to the appearance and downfall of Bronze and Iron Age empires. He covers the emergence of early Greek poetry and science, the invention of coinage, Persian domination and the prosperity of cities under the Hellenistic kings, and the establishment of Roman provinces. Marek draws on the latest research--in fields ranging from demography and economics to architecture and religion--to describe how Asia Minor became a civilized and wealthy part of the Roman Empire, and shows how the advancement of Hellenization and civic autonomy was the irreversible legacy of the Pax Romana.A breathtaking work of scholarship, In the Land of a Thousand Gods is destined to become the standard reference book on the subject in English.
Early Greek Philosophy, Volume IV: Western Greek Thinkers, Part 1
Glenn W. Most - 2016
This new systematic conception and presentation of the evidence differs in three ways from Hermann Diels s groundbreaking late-nineteenth-century work as well as from later editions: it renders explicit the material s thematic organization; it includes a selection from such related bodies of evidence as archaic poetry, classical drama, and the Hippocratic corpus; and it presents an overview of the reception of these thinkers until the end of antiquity.Volume I presents an introduction, preliminary chapters on ancient doxography, the cosmological and moral background, and the Ionian thinkers from Pherecydes to Heraclitus. Volume II presents western Greek thinkers from the Pythagoreans to Hippo. Volume III presents later philosophical systems and their aftermath in the fifth and early fourth centuries, from Anaxagoras through the Derveni papyrus. Volume IV presents fifth-century reflections on language, rhetoric, ethics, and politics (the so-called sophists and Socrates) and concludes with an appendix on philosophy and philosophers in tragedy and comedy, concordances, and indexes."
Pergamon and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Ancient World
Carlos A. Picon - 2016
to the crowning of Emperor Augustus and the establishment of the Roman Empire. This splendidly illustrated volume examines the rich diversity of art forms—including sculpture in marble, bronze, and terracotta; gold jewelry; engraved gems; and coins—throughout the Hellenistic kingdoms of ancient Greece, and especially in the great city of Pergamon (in present-day Turkey). Featuring more than 250 objects from major museums around the world, including the renowned collection from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, and essays by an international team of specialists, this book describes the historical context in which these sumptuous works of art were created, and provides a new understanding of this period of masterful artistic accomplishment.
Women in Antiquity: Real Women Across the Ancient World
Stephanie Lynn Budin - 2016
The book is divided into ten sections, nine focusing on a particular area, and also includes almost 200 images, maps, and charts. The sections cover Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, Cyprus, the Levant, the Aegean, Italy, and Western Europe, and include many lesser-known cultures such as the Celts, Iberia, Carthage, the Black Sea region, and Scandinavia. Women's experiences are explored, from ordinary daily life to religious ritual and practice, to motherhood, childbirth, sex, and building a career. Forensic evidence is also treated for the actual bodies of ancient women. Women in Antiquity is edited by two experts in the field, and is an invaluable resource to students of the ancient world, gender studies, and women's roles throughout history.
Treasure in Heaven: The Holy Poor in Early Christianity
Peter R.L. Brown - 2016
Differing from the "real" poor, these clergymen, teachers, and ascetics have historically been viewed by their fellow Christians as persons who should receive material support in exchange for offering immeasurable immaterial benefits teaching, preaching, and prayer. Supporting them quite as much as supporting the real poor has been a way to accumulate eventual treasure in heaven. Yet from the rise of Christian monasticism in Egypt and Syria to present day, Christians have argued fiercely about whether monks should work to support themselves.In Treasure in Heaven, renowned historian Peter Brown shifts attention from Western to Eastern Christianity, introducing us to this smoldering debate that took place across the entire Middle East from the Euphrates to the Nile. Seen against the backdrop of Asia, Christianity might have opted for a Buddhist model by which holy monks lived by begging alone. Instead, the monks of Egypt upheld an alternative model that linked the monk to humanity and the monastery to society through acceptance of the common, human bond of work. This model of Third World Christianity a Christianity that we all too easily associate with the West eventually became the basis for the monasticism of western Europe, as well as for modern Western attitudes to charity and labor. In Treasure in Heaven, Brown shows how and why we are still living at times uncomfortably with that choice."
Oedipus the King and Other Tragedies: Oedipus the King, Aias, Philoctetes, Oedipus at Colonus
Sophocles - 2016
In these four tragedies he portrays the extremes of human suffering and emotion, turning the heroic myths into supreme works of poetry and dramatic action. Oedipus the King follows Oedipus, the 'man of sorrow', who has unwittingly chosen to enact his prophesied course by murdering his father and marrying his mother. In Aias, the great warrior confronts the harrowing humiliation inflicted upon him, while Philoctetes sees a once-noble hero nursing his resentment after ten years of marooned isolation. In Oedipus at Colonus the blind Oedipus, who has wandered far and wide as a beggar, finally meets his mysterious death.These original and distinctive verse translations convey the vitality of Sophocles' poetry and the vigour of the plays in performance. Each play is accompanied by an introduction and substantial notes on topographical and mythical references and interpretation.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Early Greek Philosophy, Volume I: Introductory and Reference Materials
Glenn W. Most - 2016
This new systematic conception and presentation of the evidence differs in three ways from Hermann Diels s groundbreaking late-nineteenth-century work as well as from later editions: it renders explicit the material s thematic organization; it includes a selection from such related bodies of evidence as archaic poetry, classical drama, and the Hippocratic corpus; and it presents an overview of the reception of these thinkers until the end of antiquity.Volume I presents an introduction, preliminary chapters on ancient doxography, the cosmological and moral background, and the Ionian thinkers from Pherecydes to Heraclitus. Volume II presents western Greek thinkers from the Pythagoreans to Hippo. Volume III presents later philosophical systems and their aftermath in the fifth and early fourth centuries, from Anaxagoras through the Derveni papyrus. Volume IV presents fifth-century reflections on language, rhetoric, ethics, and politics (the so-called sophists and Socrates) and concludes with an appendix on philosophy and philosophers in tragedy and comedy, concordances, and indexes."
Crosses of Pompeii: Jesus-Devotion in a Vesuvian Town
Bruce W. Longenecker - 2016
Since the town's excavations in the eighteenth century, archaeologists have disputed the evidence that might attest the presence of Christians in Pompeii before the eruption.Now, Bruce W. Longenecker reviews that evidence, in comparison with other possible evidence of first-century Christian presence elsewhere, and reaches the conclusion that there were indeed Christians living in the doomed town. Illustrated with maps, charts, photographs, and line drawings depicting artifacts from the town, The Crosses of Pompeii presents an elegant case for their presence. Longenecker's arguments require dramatic changes to our understanding of the early history of Christianity.
Archaic and Classical Greek Sicily: A Social and Economic History
Franco De Angelis - 2016
Explanations for these similarities and differences have been hotly debated. On the one hand, some scholars have viewed the ancient Greeks as one in a long line of migrants who were shaped by Sicily and its inhabitants. On the other hand, other scholars have argued that the Greeks acted as the main source of innovation and achievement in the culture of ancient Sicily, a culture that was still removed from that of mainland Greece. Neither of these positions is completely satisfactory. What is lacking in this debate is a basic framework for understanding ancient Sicily's social and economic history. Archaic and Classical Greek Sicily represents the first ever systematic and comprehensive attempt to synthesize the historical and archaeological evidence, and to deploy it to test the various historical models proposed over the past two centuries. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach that combines classical and prehistoric studies, texts and material culture, and a variety of methods and theories to put the history of Greek Sicily on a completely new footing. While Sicily and Greece had conjoined histories from the start, their relationship was not one of periphery and center or of colony and state in any sense, but of an interdependent and mutually enriching diaspora. At the same time, local conditions and peoples, including Phoenician migrants, also shaped the evolution of Sicilian Greek societies and economies. This book reveals and explains the similarities and differences between developments in Greek Sicily and the mainland, and brings greater clarity to the parts played by locals and immigrants in ancient Sicily's impressive achievements.