World Famous Comics: The Oxford History of the Classical World: Greece and the Hellenistic World (The Oxford History of the Classical World)
The Oxford History of the Classical World: Greece and the Hellenistic World (The Oxford History of the Classical World)
From: Oxford University Press, USA Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Oxford University Press, USA Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 456 Publication Date: November 10, 1988
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Editorial Comments
Product Description: From the epic poems of Homer to the glittering art and architecture of Greece's Golden Age to the influential Roman systems of law and leadership, the classical world has established the foundations of our culture, as well as many of its enduring achievements. Astonishingly in-depth in its coverage of the entire 1000-year history of the classical world and richly illustrated, The Oxford History of the Classical World offers the general reader the definitive companion to the Graeco-Roman world, its history, and its achievements. The first volume, Classical Greece and the Hellenistic World, covers the period from the eighth to first centuries B.C., a period unparalleled in history for its brilliance in literature, philosophy, and the visual arts. It also treats the Hellenization of the Middle East by the monarchies established in the area conquered by Alexander the Great. The second volume, Classical Rome, covers early Rome and Italy, the expansion of the Roman republic, the foundation of the Roman Empire by Augustus, its consolidation in the first two centuries A.D., and the later Empire and its influence on Western civilization. The editors--three eminent classicists, John Boardman, Jasper Griffin, and Oswyn Murray--intersperse chapters on political and social history with chapters on literature, philosophy, and the arts, and reinforce the historical framework with maps and chronological charts. The two volumes also contain bibliographies and a full index, as well as color plates, black and white illustrations, and maps integrated into the text. The contributors--thirty of the world's leading scholars--present the latest in modern scholarship through masterpieces of wit, brevity, and style. While concentrating on the aspects essential to understanding each period, they also focus on those elements of the classical world that remain of lasting importance and interest to readers today. Together, these volumes provide both a provocative and entertaining window into our past.
Amazon.com Review: This overview of ancient European history is divided into three roughly equal parts on Greece, Greece and Rome, and Rome, an organizational scheme that underscores the historical progression by which the Greek city-states forged empires that the Romans would later inherit. Within this broad outline, authors Oswyn Murray, John Boardman, and Jasper Griffin, all distinguished Oxford University scholars, outline patterns of trade and colonization, look at the rise of philosophical schools and religions, and examine key works of literature. Oxford History of the Classical World, heavily illustrated with photographs and maps, is a fine reference, complete with compact chronologies.
Expanding Classics This work, contrary to the comments of other readers, is an invaluable introduction to and comment on ancient history. As an Oxford student I have first-hand knowledge of many of the contributors and I can tell you that they represent some of the architects of modern classical study.
A criticism of this book is that it doesn't contain much information on the 'famous' incidents, and spends too much time on 'obscure' areas and peoples in Italy. This is like the opinion of a 1950s classicist who spends too much time reading Caesar and is ignorant of the fact the Classics and Ancient History are disciplines that extend beyond Catiline and the Gracchi. There are books about the fact that we don't know who Draco is (see below), but what we do know is on page 31 (and anyway he doesn't belong to the Classical world, rather the pre-Archaic Dark Ages).
This book is an enormously helpful and balanced work, beneficial to the beginner and the advanced student (both of which I have been while in the this book's company).
Mediocre at best As a classics major in college, I have been regularly referred to the Roman section of this work to gain increased general knowledge over later classical antiquity. After thoroughly reading and rereading many sections, I can scarcely say I've gleaned anything close to that.
The "chapters" read more like non-peer reviewed articles that are virtually impossible to understand for the casual reader, and very difficult for classics students. They constantly diverge from their central theses, lack chronological sequence both within themselves and in relation to other chapters, use highly colloquial terms and accentuate seemingly arbitrary themes throughout history while ignoring others.
Cases in point: Marius' name is mentioned about 3 times, and never in regards to his own exploits. Cinna is missing entirely as far as I can tell. The Catilinarian conspiracy receives about half a paragraph (even though Sallust devoted a book to it and Cicero couldn't shut up about his own involvement), as do the Gracchi brothers, and Cato the Elder, but we receive heaps of names about obscure groups in the Italian peninsula during Rome's expansion, whose importance as individual tribes is obfuscated by varying levels of information which seem to lead nowhere, while their individual legacies are absent. The exact identities of "Roman", "Etruscan", "Latin", and "Italian" are anyone's guess. When the political division between the "populares" and "optimati" are introduced, the latter term is left undefined. Very, very shoddy.
I have not read the Greek section yet and refrain from commenting upon it.
The Roman section of this text, I think, is a disgrace to the Oxford University Press. If you want to learn about classical history, I suggest you read an array of entries from the Oxford Classical Dictionary, a thick but condensed reference work that cuts through much of the subjective interpretation of events to the meat of the matter, giving you the "who's who" and "what's what" in concise entries.
A Superior Overview of Greek History The best aspect of this book on Greek history is its comprehensive treatment of all aspects of Greek life. Literature, politics, religion, etc. are all covered in this book. My favorite sections dealt with how the Greeks socialized through organizations such as the Gymnasion and the Prytany. It really showed how the Greeks were devoted to the polis and how they were required to be very social creatures from cradle to grave. A serious problem of the book is tendencies by some of the authors to write in a style that is not user friendly. Also, a background in Greek history is required to recognize names and places. Without that you will be lost. Don't buy it unless you are really interested in Greek culture.
this is the best? While the appeal of the 'oxford' name and the attractive price/page ratio make this book seem like a good deal, I found it extremely difficult to get any useful information out of this book. The authors give their opinions on subjects, before (or in many cases, in place of) giving any coherent summary of it. Just for example, try to figure out who Draco was. If you don't already know, this book is not going to tell you. The writing style is not especially clear, either. If this is one of the best texts available, I can see why nobody learns classical history anymore.
The Best Single Volume Classical History Available A fine book considered by many scholars to be the best single volume history of the classical world. The first twelve chapters provide a comprehensive overview of ancient Greece -- its history, literature, philosophy, religion, and art. The next nine chapters describe the Hellenistic Period and the emergence of the Roman Republic. The final eleven chapters concern the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Each chapter concludes with a detailed list of suggested books for further reading. An essential book for anyone interested in classical history and culture.
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