Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World
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A Companion to Roman Religion
by Various Authors
Part 78 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
A comprehensive treatment of the significant symbols and institutions of Roman religion, this companion places the various religious symbols, discourses, and practices, including Judaism and Christianity, into a larger framework to reveal the sprawling landscape of the Roman religion.
• An innovative introduction to Roman religion
• Approaches the field with a focus on the human-figures instead of the gods
• Analyzes religious changes from the eighth century BC to the fourth century AD
• Offers the first history of religious motifs on coins and household/everyday utensils
• Presents Roman religion within its cultural, social, and historical contexts
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A Companion to Ancient Macedonia
by Various Authors
Part 84 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
The most comprehensive and up-to-date work available on ancient Macedonian history and material culture, A Companion to Ancient Macedonia is an invaluable reference for students and scholars alike.
• Features new, specially commissioned essays by leading and up-and-coming scholars in the field
• Examines the political, military, social, economic, and cultural history of ancient Macedonia from the Archaic period to the end of Roman period and beyond
• Discusses the importance of art, archaeology and architecture
• All ancient sources are translated in English
• Each chapter includes bibliographical essays for further reading.
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A Companion to the Roman Army
by Various Authors
Part 128 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
This companion provides an extensive account of the Roman army, exploring its role in Roman politics and society as well as the reasons for its effectiveness as a fighting force.
• An extensive account of the Roman army, from its beginnings to its transformation in the later Roman Empire
• Examines the army as a military machine — its recruitment, training, organization, tactics and weaponry
• Explores the relationship of the army to Roman politics, economics and society more broadly
• Considers the geography and climate of the lands in which the Romans fought
• Each chapter is written by a leading expert in a particular subfield and takes account of the latest scholarly and archaeological research in that area
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A Companion to the Latin Language
by Various Authors
Part 132 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to the Latin Language” presents a collection of original essays from international scholars that track the development and use of the Latin language from its origins to its modern day usage.
• Brings together contributions from internationally renowned classicists, linguists and Latin language specialists
• Offers, in a single volume, a detailed account of different literary registers of the Latin language
• Explores the social and political contexts of Latin
• Includes new accounts of the Latin language in light of modern linguistic theory
• Supplemented with illustrations covering the development of the Latin alphabet
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A Companion to the Roman Republic
by Various Authors
Part 135 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
This Companion provides an authoritative and up-to-date overview of Roman Republican history as it is currently practiced.
• Highlights recent developments, including archaeological discoveries, fresh approaches to textual sources, and the opening up of new areas of historical study
• Retains the drama of the Republic's rise and fall
• Emphasizes not just the evidence of texts and physical remains, but also the models and assumptions that scholars bring to these artefacts
• Looks at the role played by the physical geography and environment of Italy
• Offers a compact but detailed narrative of military and political developments from the birth of the Roman Republic through to the death of Julius Caesar
• Discusses current controversies in the field.
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A Companion to Tacitus
by Various Authors
Part 147 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
A Companion to Tacitus brings much needed clarity and accessibility to the notoriously difficult language and yet indispensable historical accounts of Tacitus. The companion provides both a broad introduction and showcases new theoretical approaches that enrich our understanding of this complex author.
• Tacitus is one of the most important Roman historians of his time, as well as a great literary stylist, whose work is characterized by his philosophy of human nature
• Encourages interdisciplinary discussion intended to engage scholars beyond Classics including philosophy, cultural studies, political science, and literature
• Showcases new theoretical approaches that enrich our understanding of this complex author
• Clarifies and explains the notoriously difficult language of Tacitus
• Written and designed to prepare a new generation of scholars to examine for themselves the richness of Tacitean thought
• Includes contributions from a broad range of established international scholars and rising stars in the field
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A Companion to Livy
by Various Authors
Part 155 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Livy” features a collection of essays representing the most up-to-date international scholarship on the life and works of the Roman historian Livy.
• Features contributions from top Livian scholars from around the world
• Presents for the first time a new interpretation of Livy's historical philosophy, which represents a key to an overall interpretation of Livy's body of work
• Includes studies of Livy's work from an Indo-European comparative aspect
• Provides the most modern studies on literary archetypes for Livy's narrative of the history of early Rome
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A Companion to Greeks Across the Ancient World
by Various Authors
Part 158 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
An innovative, up-to-date treatment of ancient Greek mobility and migration from 1000 BCE to 30 BCE
“A Companion to Greeks Across the Ancient World” explores the mobility and migration of Greeks who left their homelands in the ten centuries between the Early Iron Age and the Hellenistic period. While most academic literature centers on the Greeks of the Aegean basin area, this unique volume provides a systematic examination of the history of the other half of the ancient Greek world. Contributions from leading scholars and historians discuss where migrants settled, their new communities, and their connections and interactions with both Aegean Greeks and non-Greeks.
Divided into three parts, the book first covers ancient and modern approaches and the study of the ancient Greeks outside their homelands, including various intellectual, national, and linguistic traditions. Regional case studies form the core of the text, taking a microhistory approach to examine Greeks in the Near Eastern Empires, Greek-Celtic interactions in Central Europe, Greek-established states in Central Asia, and many others throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. The closing section of the text discusses wider themes such as the relations between the Greek homeland and the edges of Greek civilization. Reflecting contemporary research and fresh perspectives on ancient Greek culture contact, this volume:
• Discusses the development and intersection of mobility, migration, and diaspora studies
• Examines the various forms of ancient Greek mobility and their outcomes
• Highlights contributions to cultural development in the Greek and non-Greek world
• Examines wider themes and the various forms of ancient Greek mobility and their outcomes
• Includes an overview of ancient terminology and concepts, modern translations, numerous maps, and full references
“A Companion to Greeks Across the Ancient World” is a valuable resource for students, instructors, and researchers of Classical antiquity, as well as non-specialists with interest in ancient Greek mobilities, migrations, and diasporas.
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A Companion to Late Antiquity
by Various Authors
Part 163 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
An accessible and authoritative overview capturing the vitality and diversity of scholarship that exists on the transformative time period known as late antiquity.
• Provides an essential overview of current scholarship on late antiquity—from between the accession of Diocletian in AD 284 and the end of Roman rule in the Mediterranean
• Comprises 39 essays from some of the world's foremost scholars of the era
• Presents this once-neglected period as an age of powerful transformation that shaped the modern world
• Emphasizes the central importance of religion and its connection with economic, social, and political life
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A Companion to Women in the Ancient World
by Various Authors
Part 165 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Women in the Ancient World” presents an interdisciplinary, methodologically-based collection of newly-commissioned essays from prominent scholars on the study of women in the ancient world.
• The first interdisciplinary, methodologically-based collection of readings to address the study of women in the ancient world
• Explores a broad range of topics relating to women in antiquity, including: Mother-Goddess Theory; Women in Homer, Pre-Roman Italy, the Near East; Women and the Family, the State, and Religion; Dress and Adornment; Female Patronage; Hellenistic Queens; Imperial Women; Women in Late Antiquity; Early Women Saints; and many more
• Thematically arranged to emphasize the importance of historical themes of continuity, development, and innovation
• Reconsiders much of the well-known evidence and preconceived notions relating to women in antiquity
• Includes contributions from many of the most prominent scholars associated with the study of women in antiquity
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A Companion to Sophocles
by Various Authors
Part 171 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
A Companion to Sophocles presents the first comprehensive collection of essays in decades to address all aspects of the life, works, and critical reception of Sophocles.
• First collection of its kind to provide introductory essays to the fragments of his lost plays and to the remaining fragments of one satyr-play, the Ichneutae, in addition to each of his extant tragedies
• Features new essays on Sophoclean drama that go well beyond the current state of scholarship on Sophocles
• Presents readings that historicize Sophocles in relation to the social, cultural, and intellectual world of fifth century Athens
• Seeks to place later interpretations and adaptations of Sophocles in their historical context
• Includes essays dedicated to issues of gender and sexuality, significant moments in the history of interpreting Sophocles, and reception of Sophocles by both ancient and modern playwrights
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A Companion to Marcus Aurelius
by Various Authors
Part 185 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Marcus Aurelius”. Considered the last of the "Five Good Emperors," Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman Empire from ad 161 until his death in 180—yet his influence on philosophy continues to resonate in the modern age through his Meditations. “A Companion to Marcus Aurelius” presents the first comprehensive collection of essays to explore all essential facets relating to contemporary Marcus Aurelius studies. Featuring contributions from top international scholars in relevant fields, initial readings provide an overview of source material by addressing such topics as manuscript transmission, historical written sources, archaeological evidence, artifacts, and coins. Readings continue with state-of-the-art discussions of various aspects of Marcus Aurelius—his personal biography; political, cultural, and intellectual background; and aspects of his role as emperor, reformer of administration, military leader, and lawgiver. His Meditations are analyzed in detail, including the form of the book, his way of writing, and the various aspects of his philosophy. The final series of readings addresses evolving aspects of his reception. “A Companion to Marcus Aurelius” offers important new insights on a figure of late antiquity whose unique voice has withstood the centuries to influence contemporary life.
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A Companion to Roman Love Elegy
by Various Authors
Part 187 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Roman Love Elegy” is the first comprehensive work dedicated solely to the study of love elegy. The genre is explored through 33 original essays that offer new and innovative approaches to specific elegists and the discipline as a whole.
• Contributors represent a range of established names and younger scholars, all of whom are respected experts in their fields
• Contains original, never before published essays, which are both accessible to a wide audience and offer a new approach to the love elegists and their work
• Includes 33 essays on the Roman elegists Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, Sulpicia, and Ovid, as well as their Greek and Roman predecessors and later writers who were influenced by their work
• Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in Roman elegy from scholars who have used a variety of critical approaches to open up new avenues of understanding
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A Companion to Greek Art
by Various Authors
Part 188 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
A comprehensive, authoritative account of the development Greek Art through the 1st millennium BC.
• An invaluable resource for scholars dealing with the art, material culture and history of the post-classical world
• Includes voices from such diverse fields as art history, classical studies, and archaeology and offers a diversity of views to the topic
• Features an innovative group of chapters dealing with the reception of Greek art from the Middle Ages to the present
• Includes chapters on Chronology and Topography, as well as Workshops and Technology
• Includes four major sections: Forms, Times and Places; Contacts and Colonies; Images and Meanings; Greek Art: Ancient to Antique
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A Companion to Augustine
by Various Authors
Part 192 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
‘A Companion to Augustine’ presents a fresh collection of scholarship by leading academics with a new approach to contextualizing Augustine and his works within the multi-disciplinary field of Late Antiquity, showing Augustine as both a product of the cultural forces of his times and a cultural force in his own right.
• Discusses the life and works of Augustine within their full historical context, rather than privileging the theological context
• Presents Augustine's life, works and leading ideas in the cultural context of the late Roman world, providing a vibrant and engaging sense of Augustine in action in his own time and place
• Opens up a new phase of study on Augustine, sensitive to the many and varied perspectives of scholarship on late Roman culture
• State-of-the-art essays by leading academics in this field
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A Companion to Archaic Greece
by Various Authors
Part 194 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
A systematic survey of archaic Greek society and culture which introduces the reader to a wide range of new approaches to the period.
• The first comprehensive and accessible survey of developments in the study of archaic Greece
• Places Greek society of c.750-480 BCE in its chronological and geographical context
• Gives equal emphasis to established topics such as tyranny and political reform and newer subjects like gender and ethnicity
• Combines accounts of historical developments with regional surveys of archaeological evidence and in-depth treatments of selected themes
• Explores the impact of Eastern and other non-Greek cultures in the development of Greece
• Uses archaeological and literary evidence to reconstruct broad patterns of social and cultural development
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A Companion to Ancient History
by Various Authors
Part 199 of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
This Companion provides a comprehensive introduction to key topics in the study of ancient history.
• Examines the forms of evidence, problems, approaches, and major themes in the study of ancient history
• Comprises more than 40 essays, written by leading international scholars
• Moves beyond the primary focus on Greece and Rome with coverage of the various cultures within the ancient Mediterranean
• Draws on the latest research in the field
• Provides an essential resource for any student of ancient history.
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A Companion to Greek Lyric
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
Discover the power of Greek lyric with essays from some of the foremost scholars in the field today.
Recent decades have seen a strong resurgence of interest in Greek lyric, resulting in this topic becoming one of the most dynamic areas of Classical scholarship. In “A Companion to Greek Lyric”, renowned Classical scholar Laura Swift delivers a collection of essays by international experts and emerging voices that offers up-to-date approaches on the methodology, contexts, and reception of Greek lyric from the archaic to the Hellenistic period.
This edited volume includes detailed analyses of the poets themselves, as well as a reflection of the current state of play in the study of Greek lyric. It showcases the scope and range of approaches to be found in scholarly work in the field.
Newcomers to the subject will benefit from the range of contextual and technical information included that allows for a more effective engagement with the lyric poets. Readers will also enjoy:
• Guidance on working with texts that are mainly preserved as fragments
• A selection of ways in which lyric poetry has influenced and inspired writers from Rome to the modern era
• Recommendations for further reading that offer a starting point for how to follow up on a particular topic
Perfect for undergraduate and master's students taking courses on Greek lyric or survey courses on classical literature, “A Companion to Greek Lyric” also belongs in the libraries of students of English or Comparative Literature seeking an authoritative resource for Greek lyric.
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A Companion to Greek Mythology
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Greek Mythology” presents a series of essays that explore the phenomenon of Greek myth from its origins in shared Indo-European story patterns and the Greeks' contacts with their Eastern Mediterranean neighbors through its development as a shared language and thought-system for the Greco-Roman world.
• Features essays from a prestigious international team of literary experts
• Includes coverage of Greek myth's intersection with history, philosophy and religion
• Introduces readers to topics in mythology that are often inaccessible to non-specialists
• Addresses the Hellenistic and Roman periods as well as Archaic and Classical Greece
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A Companion to Ancient Education
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Ancient Education” presents a series of essays from leading specialists in the field that represent the most up-to-date scholarship relating to the rise and spread of educational practices and theories in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.
• Reflects the latest research findings and presents new historical syntheses of the rise, spread, and purposes of ancient education in ancient Greece and Rome
• Offers comprehensive coverage of the main periods, crises, and developments of ancient education along with historical sketches of various educational methods and the diffusion of education throughout the ancient world
• Covers both liberal and illiberal (non-elite) education during antiquity
• Addresses the material practice and material realities of education, and the primary thinkers during antiquity through to late antiquity
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A Companion to Ancient Aesthetics
by Pierre Destrée
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
The first of its kind, “A Companion to Ancient Aesthetics” presents a synoptic view of the arts, which crosses traditional boundaries and explores the aesthetic experience of the ancients across a range of media-oral, aural, visual, and literary.
• Investigates the many ways in which the arts were experienced and conceptualized in the ancient world
• Explores the aesthetic experience of the ancients across a range of media, treating literary, oral, aural, and visual arts together in a single volume
• Presents an integrated perspective on the major themes of ancient aesthetics which challenges traditional demarcations
• Raises questions about the similarities and differences between ancient and modern ways of thinking about the place of art in society
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A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
An authoritative and multidisciplinary Companion to Egypt during the Greco—Roman and Late Antique period
With contributions from noted authorities in the field, A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt offers a comprehensive resource that covers almost 1000 years of Egyptian history, starting with the liberation of Egypt from Persian rule by Alexander the Great in 332 BC and ending in AD 642, when Arab rule started in the Nile country.
“The Companion” takes a largely sociological perspective and includes a section on life portraits at the end of each part. The theme of identity in a multicultural environment and a chapter on the quality of life of Egypt's inhabitants clearly illustrate this objective. The authors put the emphasis on the changes that occurred in the Greco-Roman and Late Antique periods, as illustrated by such topics as: Traditional religious life challenged; Governing a country with a past: between tradition and innovation; and Creative minds in theory and praxis. This important resource:
• Discusses how Egypt became part of a globalizing world in Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times
• Explores notable innovations by the Ptolemies and Romans
• Puts the focus on the longue durée development
• Offers a thematic and multidisciplinary approach to the subject, bringing together scholars of different disciplines
• Contains life portraits in which various aspects and themes of people's daily life in Egypt are discussed
Written for academics and students of the Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt period, this Companion offers a guide that is useful for students in the areas of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and New Testament studies.
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A Companion to Euripides
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Euripides” is an up-to-date, centralized assessment of Euripides and his work, drawing from the most recently published texts, commentaries, and scholarship, and offering detailed discussions and provocative interpretations of his extant plays and fragments.
• The most contemporary scholarship on Euripides and his oeuvre, featuring the latest texts and commentaries
• Leading scholars in the field discuss all of Euripides' plays and their afterlife with breadth and depth
• A dedicated section focuses on the reception of Euripidean drama since the Hellenistic
• Original and provocative interpretations of Euripides and his plays forge important paths of in future scholarship
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A Companion to Catullus
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
In this companion, international scholars provide a comprehensive overview that reflects the most recent trends in Catullan studies.
• Explores the work of Catullus, one of the best Roman 'lyric poets'
• Provides discussions about production, genre, style, and reception, as well as interpretive essays on key poems and groups of poems
• Grounds Catullus in the socio-historical world around him
• Chapters challenge received wisdom, present original readings, and suggest new interpretations of biographical evidence
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A Companion to Aristophanes
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
Provides a comprehensive and systematic treatment of the life and work of Aristophanes
A Companion to Aristophanes provides an invaluable set of foundational resources for undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars alike. More than a basic reference text, this innovative volume situates each of Aristophanes' surviving plays within discussion of key themes relevant to the study of the Aristophanic corpus. Throughout the Companion, an international panel of contributors incorporates material culture and performance context, offers methodological and theoretical insights into the study of Aristophanes, demonstrates the relevance of Aristophanes to modern life, and more.
Each chapter focused on a particular play is paired with a theme that is exemplified by that play, such as gender, sexuality, religion, ritual, and satire. With an emphasis on understanding Greek comedy and its ancient Athenian context, the text includes approaches to Aristophanes through criticism, performance, translation, and teaching to encourage and inform future work on Greek comedy.
Illustrating the vitality of contemporary engagement with one of the world's great literary figures, this comprehensive volume:
• Helps new readers and teachers of Aristophanes appreciate the broader importance of each play within the study of antiquity
• Offers sophisticated analyses of the Aristophanic corpus and its place in literary and cultural history
• Includes chapters focused on teaching Aristophanes, including one emphasizing performance
• Provides detailed syllabi and lesson plans for integrating the material into high school and college curricula
A Companion to Aristophanes is an essential resource for advanced students and instructors in Classics, Ancient Literature, Comparative Literature, and Ancient Drama and Theater. It is also a must-have reference for academic scholars, university libraries, non-specialist Classicists and other literary critics researching ancient drama, and sophisticated general readers interested in Aristophanes, Greek drama, classical Athens, or the ancient Mediterranean world.
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A Companion to Cities in the Greco-Roman World
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
A COMPANION TO CITIES IN THE GRECO-ROMAN WORLD
A Companion to Cities in the Greco-Roman World offers in-depth coverage of the most important topics in the study of Greek and Roman urbanism. Bringing together contributions by an international panel of experts, this comprehensive resource addresses traditional topics in the study of ancient cities, including civic society, politics, and the ancient urban landscape, as well as less-frequently explored themes such as ecology, war, and representations of cities in literature, art, and political philosophy.
Detailed chapters present critical discussions of research on Greco-Roman urban societies, city economies, key political events, significant cultural developments, and more. Throughout the Companion, the authors provide insights into major developments, debates, and approaches in the field. An unrivalled reference work on the subject, the volume focusses on both the archaeological (spatial, architectural) as well as the historical (institutions, social structures) aspects of ancient cities, and makes Greco-Roman urbanism accessible to scholars and students of urbanism in other historical periods, up to the present day.
Part of the authoritative Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, A Companion to Cities in the Greco-Roman World is an excellent resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and lecturers in Classics, Ancient History, and Classical/Mediterranean Archaeology, as well as historians and archaeologists looking to update their knowledge of Greek or Roman urbanism.
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A Companion to the Translation of Classical Epic
by Richard H. Armstrong
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
The first volume of its kind to integrate trends in Translation Studies with Classical Reception Studies
A Companion to the Translation of Classical Epic provides a comprehensive and wide-ranging account of key debates and case studies centered the translation of Greek and Latin epics. Rather than situating translation studies as a complementary field or an aspect of classical reception, the Companion offers a systematic framework for adapting and incorporating translation studies fully into classical studies. Its many chapters elaborate how translation is a central element in the epic's reception trajectories across the globe and addresses theoretical and methodological concerns arising from this conjunction.
The Companion does not just provide a comprehensive overview of the translation theories it covers, but also offers fresh insights into theoretical and methodological issues currently at the top of the interdisciplinary agenda of scholars studying the global routes of ancient epic. In its sections, leading classicists, translation theorists, classical reception scholars, and cultural historians from Europe and North and South America reconfigure questions this research faces today, highlighting methods for an integrated approach. It explores how this integrated perspective responds to key challenges in the study of the epic's reception, emphasizing topics of temporality, gender, agency, community, target-language politics, and material production. A special section also features detailed dialogues with active translators such as Emily Wilson, Stanley Lombardo, and Susanna Braund, who speak extensively and frankly about their work.
This is a key volume for all students and scholars who want to engage with research reflecting the contemporary agenda in classical reception, translation studies, and the study of epic in its global literary and cultural routes.
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A Companion to Science, Technology, and Medicine in Ancient Greece and Rome
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Science, Technology, and Medicine in Ancient Greece and Rome” brings a fresh perspective to the study of these disciplines in the ancient world, with 60 chapters examining these topics from a variety of critical and technical perspectives.
• Brings a fresh perspective to the study of science, technology, and medicine in the ancient world, with 60 chapters examining these topics from a variety of critical and technical perspectives
• Begins coverage in 600 BCE and includes sections on the later Roman Empire and beyond, featuring discussion of the transmission and reception of these ideas into the Renaissance
• Investigates key disciplines, concepts, and movements in ancient science, technology, and medicine within the historical, cultural, and philosophical contexts of Greek and Roman society
• Organizes its content in two halves: the first focuses on mathematical and natural sciences; the second focuses on cultural applications and interdisciplinary themes
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A Companion to Plautus
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
An important addition to contemporary scholarship on Plautus and Plautine comedy, provides new essays and fresh insights from leading scholars.
“A Companion to Plautus” is a collection of original essays on the celebrated Old Latin period playwright. A brilliant comic poet, Plautus moved beyond writing Latin versions of Greek plays to create a uniquely Roman cultural experience worthy of contemporary scholarship. Contributions by a team of international scholars explore the theatrical background of Roman comedy, the theory and practice of Plautus' dramatic composition, the relation of Plautus' works to Roman social history, and his influence on later dramatists through the centuries.
Responding to renewed modern interest in Plautine studies, the Companion reassesses Plautus' works-plays that are meant to be viewed and experienced-to reveal new meaning and contemporary relevance. Chapters organized thematically offer multiple perspectives on individual plays and enable readers to gain a deeper understanding of Plautus' reflection of, and influence on Roman society. Topics include metatheater and improvisation in Plautus, the textual tradition of Plautus, trends in Plautus Translation, and modern reception in theater and movies. Exploring the place of Plautus and Plautine comedy in the Western comic tradition, the Companion:
• Addresses the most recent trends in the study of Roman comedy
• Features discussions on religion, imperialism, slavery, war, class, gender, and sexuality in Plautus' work
• Highlights recent scholarship on representation of socially vulnerable characters
• Discusses Plautus' work in relation to Roman stages, actors, audience, and culture
• Examines the plot construction, characterization, and comic techniques in Plautus' scripts
Part of the acclaimed “Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World” series, “A Companion to Plautus” is an important resource for scholars, instructors, and students of both ancient and modern drama, comparative literature, classics, and history, particularly Roman history.
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A Companion to Greek Architecture
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Greek Architecture” provides an expansive overview of the topic, including design, engineering, and construction as well as theory, reception, and lasting impact.
• Covers both sacred and secular structures and complexes, with particular attention to architectural decoration, such as sculpture, interior design, floor mosaics, and wall painting
• Makes use of new research from computer-driven technologies, the study of inscriptions and archaeological evidence, and recently excavated buildings
• Brings together original scholarship from an esteemed group of archaeologists and art historians
• Presents the most up-to-date English language coverage of Greek architecture in several decades while also sketching out important areas and structures in need of further research
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A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
A comprehensive treatment of the Classical World in film and television, “A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen” closely examines the films and TV shows centered on Greek and Roman cultures and explores the tension between pagan and Christian worlds.
Written by a team of experts in their fields, this work considers productions that discuss social settings as reflections of their times and as indicative of the technical advances in production and the economics of film and television. Productions included are a mix of Hollywood and European spanning from the silent film era though modern-day television series, and topics discussed include Hollywood politics in film, soundtrack and sound design, high art and low art, European art cinemas, and the ancient world as comedy.
Written for students of film and television as well as those interested in studies of ancient Rome and Greece, “A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen” provides comprehensive, current thinking on how the depiction of Ancient Greece and Rome on screen has developed over the past century. It reviews how films of the ancient world mirrored shifting attitudes towards Christianity, the impact of changing techniques in film production, and fascinating explorations of science fiction and technical fantasy in the ancient world on popular TV shows like “Star Trek”, “Babylon 5”, “Battlestar Galactica”, and “Dr. Who”.
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A Companion to Late Antique Literature
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
Noted scholars in the field explore the rich variety of late antique literature.
With contributions from leading scholars in the field, “A Companion to Late Antique Literature” presents a broad review of late antique literature. The late antique period encompasses a significant transitional era in literary history from the mid-third century to the early seventh century. “The Companion” covers notable Greek and Latin texts of the period and provides a varied overview of literature written in six other late antique languages. Comprehensive in scope, this important volume presents new research, methodologies, and significant debates in the field.
The Companion explores the histories, forms, features, audiences, and uses of the literature of the period. This authoritative text:
• Provides an inclusive overview of late antique literature
• Offers the widest survey to date of the literary traditions and forms of the period, including those in several languages other than Greek and Latin
• Presents the most current research and new methodologies in the field
• Contains contributions from an international group of contributors
Written for students and scholars of late antiquity, this comprehensive volume provides an authoritative review of the literature from the era.
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A Companion to the City of Rome
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to the City of Rome” presents a series of original essays from top experts that offer an authoritative and up-to-date overview of current research on the development of the city of Rome from its origins until circa AD 600.
• Offers a unique interdisciplinary, closely focused thematic approach and wide chronological scope making it an indispensible reference work on ancient Rome
• Includes several new developments on areas of research that are available in English for the first time
• Newly commissioned essays written by experts in a variety of related fields
• Original and up-to-date readings pertaining to the city of Rome on a wide variety of topics including Rome's urban landscape, population, economy, civic life, and key events
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A Companion to the Political Culture of the Roman Republic
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
An insightful and original exploration of Roman Republic politics
In A Companion to the Political Culture of the Roman Republic, editors Valentina Arena and Jonathan Prag deliver an incisive and original collection of forty contributions from leading academics representing various intellectual and academic traditions. The collected works represent some of the best scholarship in recent decades and adopt a variety of approaches, each of which confronts major problems in the field and contributes to ongoing research.
The book represents a new, updated, and comprehensive view of the political world of Republican Rome and some of the included essays are available in English for the first time.
Divided into six parts, the discussions consider the institutionalized loci, political actors, and values, rituals, and discourse that characterized Republican Rome. The Companion also offers several case studies and sections on the history of the interpretation of political life in the Roman Republic. Key features include:
• A thorough introduction to the Roman political world as seen through the wider lenses of Roman political culture
• Comprehensive explorations of the fundamental components of Roman political culture, including ideas and values, civic and religious rituals, myths, and communicative strategies
• Practical discussions of Roman Republic institutions, both with reference to their formal rules and prescriptions, and as patterns of social organization
• In depth examinations of the 'afterlife' of the Roman Republic, both in ancient authors and in early modern and modern times
Perfect for students of all levels of the ancient world, A Companion to the Political Culture of the Roman Republic will also earn a place in the libraries of scholars and students of politics, political history, and the history of ideas.
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A Companion to Aeschylus
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
In “A Companion to Aeschylus”, a team of eminent Aeschyleans and brilliant younger scholars delivers an insightful and original multi-authored examination-the first comprehensive one in English-of the works of the earliest surviving Greek tragedian. This book explores Aeschylean drama, and its theatrical, historical, philosophical, religious, and socio-political contexts, as well as the receptions and influence of Aeschylus from antiquity to the present day.
This companion offers readers thorough examinations of Aeschylus as a product of his time, including his place in the early years of the Athenian democracy and his immediate and ongoing impact on tragedy. It also provides comprehensive explorations of all the surviving plays, including Prometheus Bound, which many scholars have concluded is not by Aeschylus.
“A Companion to Aeschylus” is an ideal resource for students encountering the work of Aeschylus for the first time as well as more advanced scholars seeking incisive treatment of his individual works, their cultural context and their enduring significance. Written in an accessible format, with the Greek translated into English and technical terminology avoided as much as possible, the book belongs in the library of anyone looking for a fresh and authoritative account of works of continuing interest and importance to readers and theatre-goers alike.
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A Companion to the Ancient Novel
by Edmund P. Cueva
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
This companion addresses a topic of continuing contemporary relevance, both cultural and literary.
• Offers both a wide-ranging exploration of the classical novel of antiquity and a wealth of close literary analysis
• Brings together the most up-to-date international scholarship on the ancient novel, including fresh new academic voices
• Includes focused chapters on individual classical authors, such as Petronius, Xenophon and Apuleius, as well as a wide-ranging thematic analysis
• Addresses perplexing questions concerning authorial expression and readership of the ancient novel form
• Provides an accomplished introduction to a genre with a rising profile
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A Companion to the Flavian Age of Imperial Rome
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to the Flavian Age of Imperial Rome” provides a systematic and comprehensive examination of the political, economic, social, and cultural nuances of the Flavian Age (69—96 CE).
• Includes contributions from over two dozen Classical Studies scholars organized into six thematic sections
• Illustrates how economic, social, and cultural forces interacted to create a variety of social worlds within a composite Roman empire
• Concludes with a series of appendices that provide detailed chronological and demographic information and an extensive glossary of terms
• Examines the Flavian Age more broadly and inclusively than ever before incorporating coverage of often neglected groups, such as women and non-Romans within the Empire
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A Companion to Ancient Agriculture
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
The first book-length overview of agricultural development in the ancient world
“A Companion to Ancient Agriculture” is an authoritative overview of the history and development of agriculture in the ancient world. Focusing primarily on the Near East and Mediterranean regions, this unique text explores the cultivation of the soil and rearing of animals through centuries of human civilization-from the Neolithic beginnings of agriculture to Late Antiquity. Chapters written by the leading scholars in their fields present a multidisciplinary examination of the agricultural methods and influences that have enabled humans to survive and prosper.
Consisting of thirty-one chapters, the Companion presents essays on a range of topics that include economic-political, anthropological, zooarchaeological, ethnobotanical, and archaeobotanical investigation of ancient agriculture. Chronologically-organized chapters offer in-depth discussions of agriculture in Bronze Age Egypt and Mesopotamia, Hellenistic Greece and Imperial Rome, Iran and Central Asia, and other regions. Sections on comparative agricultural history discuss agriculture in the Indian subcontinent and prehistoric China while an insightful concluding section helps readers understand ancient agriculture from a modern perspective.
• Fills the need for a full-length biophysical and social overview of ancient agriculture
• Provides clear accounts of the current state of research written by experts in their respective areas
• Places ancient Mediterranean agriculture in conversation with contemporary practice in Eastern and Southern Asia
• Includes coverage of analysis of stable isotopes in ancient agricultural cultivation
• Offers plentiful illustrations, references, case studies, and further reading suggestions
“A Companion to Ancient Agriculture” is a much-needed resource for advanced students, instructors, scholars, and researchers in fields such as agricultural history, ancient economics, and in broader disciplines including classics, archaeology, and ancient history.
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A Companion to Greek Democracy and the Roman Republic
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Greek Democracy and the Roman Republic” offers a comparative approach to examining ancient Greek and Roman participatory communities.
• Explores various aspects of participatory communities through pairs of chapters-one Greek, one Roman-to highlight comparisons between cultures
• Examines the types of relationships that sustained participatory communities, the challenges they faced, and how they responded
• Sheds new light on participatory contexts using diverse methodological approaches
• Brings an international array of scholars into dialogue with each other
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A Companion to the Neronian Age
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
An authoritative overview and helpful resource for students and scholars of Roman history and Latin literature during the reign of Nero.
• The first book of its kind to treat this era, which has gained in popularity in recent years
• Makes much important research available in English for the first time
• Features a balance of new research with established critical lines
• Offers an unusual breadth and range of material, including substantial treatments of politics, administration, the imperial court, art, archaeology, literature and reception studies
• Includes a mix of established scholars and groundbreaking new voices
• Includes detailed maps and illustrations
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A Companion to Greek and Roman Historiography
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
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.
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A Companion to Ancient Epigram
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
A delightful look at the epic literary history of the short, poetic genre of the epigram.
From Nestor's inscribed cup to tombstones, bathroom walls, and Twitter tweets, the ability to express oneself concisely and elegantly, continues to be an important part of literary history unlike any other. This book examines the entire history of the epigram, from its beginnings as a purely epigraphic phenomenon in the Greek world, where it moved from being just a note attached to physical objects to an actual literary form of expression, to its zenith in late 1st century Rome, and further through a period of stagnation up to its last blooming, just before the beginning of the Dark Ages.
“A Companion to Ancient Epigram” offers the first ever full-scale treatment of the genre from a broad international perspective. The book is divided into six parts, the first of which covers certain typical characteristics of the genre, examines aspects that are central to our understanding of epigram, and discusses its relation to other literary genres. The subsequent four parts present a diachronic history of epigram, from archaic Greece, Hellenistic Greece, and Latin and Greek epigrams at Rome, all the way up to late antiquity, with a concluding section looking at the heritage of ancient epigram from the Middle Ages up to modern times.
• Provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the epigram
• The first single-volume book to examine the entire history of the genre
• Scholarly interest in Greek and Roman epigram has steadily increased over the past fifty years
• Looks at not only the origins of the epigram but at the later literary tradition
“A Companion to Ancient Epigram” will be of great interest to scholars and students of literature, world literature, and ancient and general history. It will also be an excellent addition to the shelf of any public and university library.
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A Companion to Ancient Thrace
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Ancient Thrace” presents a series of essays that reveal the newly recognized complexity of the social and cultural phenomena of the peoples inhabiting the Balkan periphery of the Classical world.
• Features a rich and detailed overview of Thracian history from the Early Iron Age to Late Antiquity
• Includes contributions from leading scholars in the archaeology, art history, and general history of Thrace
• Balances consideration of material evidence relating to Ancient Thrace with more traditional literary sources
• Integrates a study of Thrace within a broad context that includes the cultures of the eastern Mediterranean, southwest Asia, and southeast Europe/Eurasia
• Reflects the impact of new theoretical approaches to economy, ethnicity, and cross-cultural interaction and hybridity in Ancient Thrace
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A Companion to Plutarch
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Plutarch” offers a broad survey of the famous historian and biographer; a coherent, comprehensive, and elegant presentation of Plutarch's thought and influence.
• Constitutes the first survey of its kind, a unified and accessible guide that offers a comprehensive discussion of all major aspects of Plutarch's oeuvre
• Provides essential background information on Plutarch's world, including his own circle of influential friends (Greek and Roman), his travels, his political activity, and his relations with Trajan and other emperors
• Offers contextualizing background, the literary and cultural details that shed light on some of the fundamental aspects of Plutarch's thought
• Surveys the ideologically crucial reception of the Greek Classical Period in Plutarch's writings
• Follows the currents of recent serious scholarship, discussing perennial interests, and delving into topics and works not formerly given serious attention
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A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
Justice, virtue, and citizenship were at the center of political life in ancient Greece and Rome and were frequently discussed by classical poets, historians, and philosophers. This Companion illuminates Greek and Roman political thought in all its range, diversity, and depth. Thirty-four essays from leading scholars in history, classics, philosophy, and political science provide stimulating discussions of classical political thought, ranging from the Archaic Greek epics to the final days of the Roman Empire and beyond. These essays strike a judicious yet thought-provoking balance between theoretical and historical perspectives.
“A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought” is an authoritative guide to the ancient Greek and Roman political questions that continue to shape and challenge the modern world.
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A Companion to Julius Caesar
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Julius Caesar” comprises 30 essays from leading scholars examining the life and after life of this great polarizing figure.
• Explores Caesar from a variety of perspectives: military genius, ruthless tyrant, brilliant politician, first class orator, sophisticated man of letters, and more
• Utilizes Caesar's own extant writings
• Examines the viewpoints of Caesar's contemporaries and explores Caesar's portrayals by artists and writers through the ages
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A Companion to Ethnicity in the Ancient Mediterranean
by Jeremy McInerney
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
“A Companion to Ethnicity in the Ancient Mediterranean” presents a comprehensive collection of essays contributed by Classical Studies scholars that explore questions relating to ethnicity in the ancient Mediterranean world.
• Covers topics of ethnicity in civilizations ranging from ancient Egypt and Israel, to Greece and Rome, and into Late Antiquity
• Features cutting-edge research on ethnicity relating to Philistine, Etruscan, and Phoenician identities
• Reveals the explicit relationships between ancient and modern ethnicities
• Introduces an interpretation of ethnicity as an active component of social identity
• Represents a fundamental questioning of formally accepted and fixed categories in the field
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A Companion to Late Ancient Jews and Judaism
3rd Century BCE - 7th Century CE
by Various Authors
Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series
An innovative approach to the study of ten centuries of Jewish culture and history
“A Companion to Late Ancient Jews and Judaism” explores the Jewish people, their communities, and various manifestations of their religious and cultural expressions from the third century BCE to the seventh century CE. Presenting a collection of 30 original essays written by noted scholars in the field, this companion provides an expansive examination of ancient Jewish life, identity, gender, sacred and domestic spaces, literature, language, and theological questions throughout late ancient Jewish history and historiography.
Editors Gwynn Kessler and Naomi Koltun-Fromm situate the volume within Late Antiquity, enabling readers to rethink traditional chronological, geographic, and political boundaries. “The Companion” incorporates a broad methodology, drawing from social history, material history and culture, and literary studies to consider the diverse forms and facets of Jews and Judaism within multiple contexts of place, culture, and history. Divided into five parts, thematically-organized essays discuss topics including the spaces where Jews lived, worked, and worshiped, Jewish languages and literatures, ethnicities and identities, and questions about gender and the body central to Jewish culture and Judaism. Offering original scholarship and fresh insights on late ancient Jewish history and culture, this unique volume:
• Offers a one-volume exploration of "second temple," "Greco-Roman," and "rabbinic" periods and sources
• Explores Jewish life across most of the geographic places where Jews or Judaeans were known to have lived
• Features original maps of areas cited in every essay, including maps of Jewish settlement throughout Late Antiquity
• Includes an outline of major historical events, further readings, and full references
“A Companion to Late Ancient Jews and Judaism: 3rd Century BCE-7th Century CE” is a valuable resource for students, instructors, and scholars of Jewish studies, religion, literature, and ethnic identity, as well as general readers with interest in Jewish history, world religions, Classics, and Late Antiquity.