From Most Ancient Sources

Slight revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--University, Fribourg, 1995.

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If a scholar wishes to create a picture of a topical society in all its aspects, there is little of what he needs to know that he cannot know, although there may still be much that he cannot understand. For the history of Greece and Rome, there is a great deal that is simply unknowable. From the end of the archaic age of Greece, there is an unbroken sequence of works by Greek and, later, Roman historians down to the end of antiquity. Their vision and range of interest were often limited and much of what they produced has been lost. Some help may be derived from the documentary material supplied in antiquity, material that was the product of officials organising public activities, or heads of families organising their affairs, or individuals leaving their mark on the world. Beyond this, the evidence of archaeology and numismatics may also be helpful. The four essays in this book set out to characterise the nature of the ancient literary tradition, the inscriptional material, the archaeological and numismatic evidence and to explain how and for what purposes they may be used.

Primary Sources for Ancient History Volume II: The Roman World By: Gary Forsythe The Roman Empire lasted for more than a millennia. From a small city it grew to encompass almost 1.7 million miles. It’s innovations in warfare, politics, and the arts continue to influence the Western world. Primary Sources for Ancient History: Volume II: The Roman World is a comprehensive selection of ancient writings to supplement a narrative history. Arranged both chronologically and thematically, this work shows how the Empire was shaped by the thoughts, religions, and systems of the people it conquered. These documents show how a variety of Romans examined the rights of the individual against the government, economic disparity, political scandals, multiculturalism - issues we continue to face today. Beginning with Plutarch’s retelling of the mythological founding of the Roman Kingdom to the Republic expansion, to the consolidation of later emperors, and the final dissolution from Germanic invasions, this is a comprehensive overview of the history and culture of the Roman Empire. While emphasis is placed on the writings of classic historians such as Livy, Josephus, Marcellinus, and more, the collection is enriched with a variety of contemporary documents. Cicero’s gossipy letters, political graffiti, and funeral eulogies allow life in the Empire to come across in a fresh and contemporary way. The Roman World is a valuable resource that shows not only how we have come to understand the Roman Empire, but how the Roman Empire viewed and defined itself.

A sourcebook in translation covering the history of Greece from archaic times through to the rise of Philip of Macedon. Sources translated are mainly the Greek historians themselves.

"This is the third edition of a near standard survey of the intellectual life of the age of faith. Artz on the arts, as on philosophy, politics and other aspects of culture, makes lively and informative reading."—The Washington Post

The circulation of books was the motor of classical civilization. However, books were both expensive and rare, and so libraries - private and public, royal and civic - played key roles in articulating intellectual life. This collection, written by an international team of scholars, presents a fundamental reassessment of how ancient libraries came into being, how they were organized and how they were used. Drawing on papyrology and archaeology, and on accounts written by those who read and wrote in them, it presents new research on reading cultures, on book collecting and on the origins of monumental library buildings. Many of the traditional stories told about ancient libraries are challenged. Few were really enormous, none were designed as research centres, and occasional conflagrations do not explain the loss of most ancient texts. But the central place of libraries in Greco-Roman culture emerges more clearly than ever.

This Sourcebook contains a comprehensive collection of sources on the topic of the social history of the Roman world during the late Republic and the first two centuries AD. Designed to form the basis for courses in Roman social history, this excellent resource covers original translations from sources such as inscriptions, papyri, and legal texts. Topics include: social inequality and class games, gladiators and attitudes to violence the role of slaves in Roman society economy and taxation the Roman legal system the Roman family and gender roles. Including extensive explanatory notes, maps and bibliographies, this Sourcebook is the ideal resource for all students and teachers embarking on a course in Roman social history.