Ancient History News Archive December

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 to read the rest of this message with some interesting info on AHE. [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 items from Pompeii as well as some from the neighboring towns and villages around of Naples, this is a comprehensive and illuminating look at the urban lives of Roman patricians. For more information, please click here to read Jorg von Uthmann's review of the exhibition for Bloomberg.

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. It will stay on-location in Chicago until April 22, 2012.

We also wanted to direct you to this book review written by Dan Hofstadter for the Wall Street Journal. An expert on all things Italian and a contemporary novelist, Hofstadter shares his three favorite books about that most celebrated metropolis: Rome. Please click here to read this article.

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]