Greek And Roman Historiography

"Over the past thirty years the study of classical historiography has undergone great changes. While not abandoning traditional questions about sources and reliability, newer scholarship, influenced and informed by the current debates in the academy at large about the nature and purpose of all historiography, has sought to understand the ancient historians on their own terms and has more closely engaged with the ways in which the Greeks and Romans constructed their pasts, with the various roles that history played in these societies, with the relationship of history as a literary composition to other genres, and with the importance of the historian himself in giving form and meaning to his history. The essays in the present volume, six of which are translated into English for the first time, address these and other issues. Topics treated include the relationship of history and myth, the importance of oral tradition in the formation of both Greek andRoman historical traditions, the role of memory (both individual and societal) in shaping notions of the past and determining what is thought worthy of record, the influence of other genres such as poetry and oratory on historiography, and ancient notions of falsehood and historical truth. An introduction places the essays in the larger context of earlier and more recent trends in the study of Greek and Roman historiography"--Publisher's description, p. [4] of cover.

This two-volume Companion to Greek and Roman Historiography reflects the new directions and interpretations that have arisen in the field of ancient historiography in the past few decades. Comprises a series of cutting edge articles written by recognised scholars Presents broad, chronological treatments of important issues in the writing of history and antiquity These are complemented by chapters on individual genres and sub-genres from the fifth century B.C.E. to the fourth century C.E. Provides a series of interpretative readings on the individual historians Contains essays on the neighbouring genres of tragedy, biography, and epic, among others, and their relationship to history

It is today widely accepted that we do not get the whole truth from any historian. Greek and Roman Historians considers the work of ancient historians such as Herotudus, Tacitus and Thucydides in the the light of this attitude. In an enlightening new study, Michael Grant argues that misinformation, even deliberate disinformation, is abundant in their writings. Grant, one of the world's greatest writers of ancient history, suggests new ways of reading and interpreting the ancient historians which maximise their usefulness as source material. He demonstrates how the evidence they provide can be augmented by the use of other, literary and non-literary, sources. Greek and Roman Historians shows us how we can use written history to learn about the ancient world, even if our conclusions are not those its historians intended. The author argues that their work remains our most important source of information, once we have learned to question and incorporate their imperfect regard for the truth. Grant's account is an indispensible guide to the sources and their interpretation for all students of ancient history.

This book offers the first comprehensive study of Greek and Latin historiography from Constantine to the age of Justinian, dealing particularly with the relations between pagan and Christian historians, their polemics and also their agreements. Greek and Roman Historiography in Late Antiquity has been selected by Choice as Outstanding Academic Title (2005).

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1983. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived

A significant trend in the study of Greek and Roman historiographers is to accept that their works are to a degree both science and fiction. As scholarly interest broadens, in addition to evaluating ancient historians on the basis of the reliability of the information they record, and verifying the narratives against various elements of the material (inscriptions, excavations, numismatics), new studies are beginning to elaborate on the stylistic and narrative qualities of the texts themselves. The present volume offers a fine collection of essays that on the whole emphasize the literary dimensions of the ancient Greek and Roman historians. Offering narratological, linguistic, and theoretical approaches to historiography, the contributors of the book elaborate on the intersections between historiography and other literary genres, the literary manipulation of military events and the criteria of selectivity, the reception of ancient historical texts in other genres, time and space in historical narrative, and plenty of other relevant topics. The shared belief of the authors is that there is a close interrelation between the literary features and the scientific value of ancient Greek and Roman historiography.

A significant trend in the study of Greek and Roman historiographers is to accept that their works are to a degree both science and fiction. As scholarly interest broadens, in addition to evaluating ancient historians on the basis of the reliability of the information they record, and verifying the narratives against various elements of the material (inscriptions, excavations, numismatics), new studies are beginning to elaborate on the stylistic and narrative qualities of the texts themselves. The present volume offers a fine collection of essays that on the whole emphasize the literary dimensions of the ancient Greek and Roman historians. Offering narratological, linguistic, and theoretical approaches to historiography, the contributors of the book elaborate on the intersections between historiography and other literary genres, the literary manipulation of military events and the criteria of selectivity, the reception of ancient historical texts in other genres, time and space in historical narrative, and plenty of other relevant topics. The shared belief of the authors is that there is a close interrelation between the literary features and the scientific value of ancient Greek and Roman historiography.

Roman Historiography: An Introduction to its Basic Aspects and Development presents a comprehensive introduction to the development of Roman historical writings in both Greek and Latin, from the early annalists to Orosius and Procopius of Byzantium. Provides an accessible survey of every historical writer of significance in the Roman world Traces the growth of Christian historiography under the influence of its pagan adversaries Offers valuable insight into current scholarly trends on Roman historiography Includes a user-friendly bibliography, catalog of authors and editions, and index Selected by Choice as a 2013 Outstanding Academic Title