Ancient History News Archive December 2011

Learning from Liu Hui? A Different Way to Do Mathematics By Christopher Cullen Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol.49 (2002) Introduction: Could we have done mathematics differently? At a logical level this question... [continue reading]

We wish you a happy new year and a great 2012! A big thanks to all our contributors, without whose research and writing this website would not be possible. Many thanks to our visitors: students, enthusiasts, and teachers from all over the world. And another thanks to all those educators who refer their students to this humble website. Click on the headline... [continue reading]

New in Ancient History books this week! The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean Cline, Eric H. Oxford Handbooks (January 1, 2012) Summary:The Greek Bronze Age, roughly 3000 to 1000 BC, witnessed the flourishing of the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations... [continue reading]

Foreign soldiers – native girls? Constructing and crossing boundaries in Hellenistic cities with foreign garrison By Angelos Chaniotis Paper given at the 19th International Congress... [continue reading]

Jesus the Healer in the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and Early Christianity Moles, John Histos, 5 (2011) Abstract This paper argues that the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles contain sustained... [continue reading]

The Casting of Julian the Apostate ‘in the Likeness’ of Alexander the Great: a Topos in Antique Historiography and its Modern Echoes Smith, Rowland Histos... [continue reading]

Structuring Roman History: the Roman Year and the Roman Consular Tradition Rich, John Histos, 5 (2011) Abstract This article is concerned with the shaping of the annual narrative in historical writers working... [continue reading]

The year 2011 will be marked by several important archaeological discoveries, and the overthrow of authoritarian regimes in Egypt and Libya, which had profound implications for the preservation of ancient history. Egyptian... [continue reading]

Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered a 1,600 year-old bathhouse apparently used by the owners of a wealthy estate or an inn on an ancient road. Remains of an ancient bathhouse dating to the Byzantine period were exposed during work being conducted... [continue reading]

On the Bravery of Women: The Ancient Amazon and Her Modern Counterparts Whalley, Jo Doctor of Philosophy in Classics, Victoria University of Wellington (2010) Abstract In a favourite mythological motif... [continue reading]

Dux Femina Facti: Gender and Ethnicity in the Aeneid Burke, Rhiannon Christine Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Emory University (2011) Abstract The women of Vergil’s Aeneid are among the poem’s most memorable characters... [continue reading]

Submission Fighting and the Rules of Ancient Greek Wrestling By Christopher Miller Published Online by JudoInfo (2004) Introduction: The Ancient Greek sports are remarkable in human history and instructive to those interested... [continue reading]

Roman Virtue, Liberty, and Imperialism: The Murder-Suicide of Classical Civilization By Geoffrey Allan Plauche Published Online Introduction: It is widely recognized that the Romans made remarkable achievements... [continue reading]

The ‘Solarization’ of the Moon: Manipulated Knowledge at Stonehenge By Lionel Sims Cambridge Archaeological Journal, Vol. 16:2 (2007) Abstract: Bronze Age as a period of separation from... [continue reading]

Motherhood and Childbirth in Pharaonic Egypt S. Ashoush, MRCOG and A. Fahmy, MD Assistant lecturer and Lecturer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology(Ain Shams University) History of Medicine: ASJOG • Volume 3 • February (2006)  Abstract... [continue reading]

Pharmacological practices of ancient Egypt Parkins, Michael D.  (University of Calgary) The Proceedings of the 10th Annual HISTORY OF MEDICINE DAYS, THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE, THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Abstract Some of the most extensive... [continue reading]

Relations between the Late Roman World and Barbarian Europe in the Light of Coin Finds Bursche, Aleksander XIV International Economic History Congress, Helsinki (2006), Session 30 The area considered... [continue reading]

Mining: The Roman Exploitation of Northwest Spain By Lindsay McNeill Seminar Presentation, Western Oregon University, 2009 Introduction: The attitudes associated with Roman infiltration of the upper reaches of northern Spain are best described... [continue reading]

The Celts in Iberia: An Overview By Alberto J. Lorrio and Gonzalo Ruiz Zapater e-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies, Vol. 6 (2005) Abstract: A general overview of the study of the Celts in the Iberian Peninsula is offered from... [continue reading]

Identifying Genetic Traces of Historical Expansions: Phoenician Footprints in the Mediterranean By Pierre A. Zalloua et al. The American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol.83 (2008) Abstract: The... [continue reading]

Fluid Frontiers: Cultural Interaction on the Edge of Empire By Andrew Gardner Stanford Journal of Archaeology, Volume 5 (2007) Abstract: This paper will use the northern frontiers of the Roman empire as a case study... [continue reading]

Epic Appetites: Images of Food in Ancient Greece and Rome By Jenifer Neils Paper given at the Western Reserve Studies Symposium (2000) Introduction: Although there exist many accounts describing food, its production, consumption... [continue reading]

Crassus as Symposiast in Plutarch’s Life of Crassus By James T. Chlup Symposion and Philanthropia in Plutarch, edited by J. R. Ferreira, D. Leão, M. Tröster, and P. Barata (Coimbra, 2009) Abstract: The references to Crassus... [continue reading]

For those of you that find yourselves in La Belle France this holiday season, be sure not to miss "Pompei: Un Art de Vivre," a special exhibition at the Musée Maillol, in Paris, until February 12, 2012. This exhibition features beautiful artifacts from the luxurious homes-- the celebrated "domus pompeiana"--of Pompeii's elite. Furnished with over two hundred... [continue reading]

Private Armies and Personal Power in the Late Roman Empire By Ryan Wilkinson Master’s Thesis, University of Arizona, 2009 Abstract: This thesis’ case studies examine the critical roles... [continue reading]

From Infant Sacrifice to the ABC’s: Ancient Phoenicians and Modern Identities By Brien K. Garnand Stanford Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 1 (2003) Introduction: The Phoenicians showed extraordinary acumen... [continue reading]

Toys, Play and Swaddling Indications of Early Childhood in Ancient Greece By Maria Stilund Sommer Spåren av de små: Arkeologiska perspektiv på barn och barndom, ed. Fredrik Fahlander (Stockholm Studies in Archaeology Vol.54... [continue reading]

An international team of researchers, with the participation of the University of Tübingen, have discovered the earliest evidence for the intentional construction of plant “bedding”. An international... [continue reading]

Reflections on the earliest Phoenician presence in North-West Africa By Eleftheria Pappa TALANTA, Vol.40-41 (2008-2009) Introduction: In the last few decades, and especially in the 1990s, Morocco has enjoyed an extensive... [continue reading]

Carmina: Odes and Carmen Saeculare By Alessandro Barchiesi The Cambridge Companion to Horace, ed. S. Harrison (Cambridge, 2007) Abstract: This is obviously a generalizing piece, not a research paper, but Horace is frequently taught at college level... [continue reading]

Ancient King Gives Dog A Royal Burial By G.A. Reisner The American Kennel Gazette, Vol.55:5 (1938) Introduction: What should be of unusual interest to all dog lovers is the fact that the Harvard-Boston Expedition not so long ago... [continue reading]

As we approach the holiday season, we wanted to take the time to inform our readers and contributors in the United States of an exciting exhibition in Chicago, IL. The Field Museum is the current venue for "Natural Wonders: Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel." Uncovered only in 1996, this Roman floor mosaic is arguably the world's best preserved and largest... [continue reading]

Organisation of the Roman Clothing and Textile Industry: Skill, Occupation, and the Gender-Segmented Workforce By Marjorie Jerrard Monash University Working Paper (2000) Abstract: The... [continue reading]

Marriage and Strife in Euripides’ Andromache By Loukas Papadimitropoulos Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, Vol. 46 (2006) Introduction: Euripides’ Andromache is one of the least appreciated Greek tragedies. The play has baffled... [continue reading]

Paganism and its influence on the development of Christianity: an honors thesis By Steven P. Koehneke Undergraduate thesis, Ball State University, 1996 Abstract: This honors thesis is intended to explore... [continue reading]

Piracy in the Ancient World: from Minos to Mohammed By Philip Charles de Souza PhD Dissertation, University College London, 1992 Abstract: This thesis is an historical analysis of the phenomenon of piracy in the ancient... [continue reading]

UNESCO and Italy have agreed to collaborate on the restoration of the Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1997. International attention turned to the World Heritage... [continue reading]

Women in Roman Life and Letters By F. E. Adcock Greece and Rome, Vol. 14, No. 40 (1945) Introduction: The infant community of Rome grew up with neighbours who conceded a fairly high place to women. Etruscan sepulchral art suggests as much; the tomb paintings... [continue reading]

To Survive, Decentralize! The Barbarian Threat and State Decentralization By Jakub Grygiel Orbis: A Journal of World Affairs, Volume 55, Number 4 (2011) Abstract: What happens when states or empires face multiple... [continue reading]

Hannibal: The Man, The Myth, The Mystery First aired in 2008 on BBC and National Geographic Channel In a series of epic battles, Hannibal brought Rome to the brink of destruction, but in the end it was Hannibal’s army that was obliterated. Where did... [continue reading]

Roman Policy towards the Jews: Expulsions from the City of Rome during the First Century C.E. By Leonard Victor Rutgers Classical Antiquity, Vol. 13, No. 1 (1994) Introduction: In this article I... [continue reading]

Dating Christmas By Andrew McGowan Originally published as “How December 25th Became Christmas,” Bible Review Vol.18:6 (2002) Introduction: Where did Christmas come from? Many have heard the explanation that Christians appropriated a pagan festival, date and customs... [continue reading]

Athenian Terms of Civic Praise in the 330s: Aeschines vs. Demosthenes By Brad L. Cook Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, Vol.49:1 (2009) Introduction: In 336 B.C., when Ctesiphon moved to crown Demosthenes, he included... [continue reading]

Sol Invictus, the Winter Solstice, and the Origins of Christmas By Steven Hijmans Mouseion, Number 47 (2003) Introduction: It is well known that we do not know the exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ. In most churches December... [continue reading]

The separateness of Christians in their interaction with the public life of Imperial Romans, AD 50-313 By Diana Valerie Clark PhD Dissertation, University of Johannesburg, 2008 Abstract... [continue reading]

The Twilight of Judah: In the Egyptian-Babylonian Maelstrom By A. Malamat Vetus Testamentum, Vol.28 (1975) Introduction:The late seventh century B.C., noted for its reshufflings in the international political sphere, saw the collapse... [continue reading]

The Athenian Plague By Markus Asper Published Online, 2008 Introduction: During the years 430-426/5 BCE, a plague afflicted the city of Athens. At that time, Athens had just entered upon a three-decade war with her arch-enemy, Sparta, and her allies. Because of Spartan... [continue reading]

Ethics in Ancient India By John Bussanich Grundlagen der Antiken Ethik / Foundations of Ancient Ethics, ed. J. Hardy and G. Rudebusch, Vandenhoek & Ruprecht (V & R Unipress Gmbh, 2010) Introduction: Ancient India is rich with reflection on perennial ethical... [continue reading]

Science, Egypt, and Escapism in Lucan By Jonathan Edward Tracy PhD Dissertation, University of Toronto, 2009 Abstract: This dissertation seeks to demonstrate Lucan’s profound engagement and conflict with two ancient intellectual and literary traditions... [continue reading]

Researchers at Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology say they have found further proof that the wolf ancestors of today’s domesticated dogs can be traced to southern East Asia — findings that run counter to theories placing the cradle... [continue reading]