If you are interested in the Ancient World, not as a scholar, but as a dedicated amateur and reader (like me) --- this might be one of those books that you have been looking for for ages. Goldhill examines many hidden values of our present (global) society en traces their roots back to Greek and Roman Antiquity: how we think about our human body, what we believe in, how politics work, what we enjoy as entertainment. We are apparently all children of that distant past, argues Goldhill, but there are also very significant differences between how the Ancient Greeks thought about virtues and fulfillment and how modern man does. E.g. American democracy might have its original roots in Ancient Greece, but it has moved away considerably from Ancient ideals. Goldhill's book is not history of events, but history of 'longue durée': how mankind moved on and developed (or 'underdeveloped') over the centuries. Having that said, I should add that Goldhill's book is not a prime example of balanced writing. His first chapter, about the human body, is easily the strongest and most coherent part of the book. The second, about the origins of Christianity, is maybe equally strong in its analysis, but Goldhill talks on way too long about the same points. From that point on Goldhill moves forward with more sketchy chapters, not living up to the high standard of the first ones. It seems like he had great inspiration writing about "body" and "religion", but then had to come up with a few more topics to add it up to a 335-page hardcover. The final chapter, about myths and stories, says more about present society than about the Ancient World. Also Goldhill lacks proper footnotes: so it is impossible to check how sound his assumptions and conclusions really are. But the entire book remains a very good read!
"The Oxford Classical Dictionary" (3rd edition, 2003) 1640pp, Edited by Simon Hornblower & Antony Spawforth.
Reviewer: Christopher Bates
The Oxford Classical Dictionary could just have easily been called an encyclopedia, so comprehensive is its coverage of the Graeco-Roman world. The book itself includes over 6200 entries, A-Z; advisors to this work include such established Alexander scholars as Ernst Badian, with contributions on relevant entries from scholars such as Bosworth, Borza, Hammond, to name but a few. This is where a potential problem lies; so many different perspectives and viewpoints are accomodated, fortunately each entry has the relevant contributor's initials attached to it- so potential bias can be taken into account. The extensive entry on Alexander the Great is the work of A.B Bosworth, one suspects that Hammond may have had a different interpretation of events!? As you may expect given the extensive nature of this work it is not cheap, the new revised third edition (2003) will probably set you back in excess of $100/£60, however it is simply a must have for anyone serious about studying the Graeco-Roman world. P.S- the entry on Homosexuality in the ancient world is both extensive, and excellent!
Nature and Culture in the Illiad, James Redfield, University of Chicago Press, 1975.
Reviewer: Forum Contributor
“We must know the culture in order to interpret the story, just as we must know the language to translate the text”. Though this book is not directly about Alexander or his times, it is a good companion text for those interested in the world that had a hand in shaping Alexander’s times. Dionysus: Myth and Cult, Walter Otto, Indiana University Press, 1965 Excellent book for those wishing to understand the relationship between gods and men that may have pervaded Alexander’s world. In a time when many writers are attempting to align Alexander with conversion to “a true faith”, it is important to understand how the ancient world perceived nature, the gods and goddesses, and the nature of man. This book is a first step in that direction.
Alexander and the Hellenistic World, C. Bradfford Welles, A.M. Hakkert Ltd, 1970
Review needed...
The Reign of the Phallus: Sexual Politics in Ancient Athens, Eva C. Keuls, University of California Press
Review needed...
The Greeks and The Irrational, E.R. Dodds; University of California Press
Review needed...
Before Sexuality: The Construction of Erotic Experience in the Ancient World; Halperin, Winkler, & Zeitlin (editors), Princeton Paperbacks
Review needed...
Greek Thought: A Guide To Classical Knowledge, edited by Jacques Brunschwig and Geoffrey Lloyd (trans under the direction of Catherine Porter), Belknap Press (of Harvard University Press), 2000 (1024 pages)
Reviewer: Forum Contributor
In order to better understand a person, a people or a culture, we have to understand how they think, how they perceive themselves and the world around them. This text breaks into five major sections: Philosophy, Politics, The Pursuit of Knowledge, Major Figures, and Currents of Thought, making the volume of information easily digestible. Readers who are interested solely in Alexander will find only a few sections worth reading to better understand the men who taught or interpreted Alexander (Aristotle, Plutarch) but the text value comes in it’s ability to examine the Greek perceptions that shaped the world before and after Alexander, since many of these same values and beleifs were part of Alexander’s world and culture. Some care must be taken, however. For example, they state that Aristotle’s tutorship of Alexander lasted from 13 until the death of Philip; once can either assume they are referring to a general “turorship of influence”, or assume the writers got it wrong, not noting that the formal training with Aristotle ended with Alexander’s recall to Pella. The focus of the book is not Alexander, but Greek thought- and this should be borne inmind when reading the book. However, it can and does give insights into the nature of the classical Greek world.
Who’s Who in the Classical World, Edited by Simon Hornblower and Tony Spawforth, Oxford University Press, 2000
Reviewer: Forum Contributor
An easy reference guide for anyone interested in the classical world and the age of Alexander. With 100 contributors, the book concentrates on the period from 800 B.C. to 300 A.D. (running further out on bot ends of the spectrum) and is meant to be a companion volume to the Oxford Classical Dictionary. The only thing to be aware of is that, in selecting specific writers for specific persons ( ie Bosworth for Alexander and Hephaistion), the reader sometimes receives a very limited- and sometimes questionable- perception. This book is a start, not an ending.
Oxford History ofthe Classical World, Edited by J. Boardman, J. Griffin and O. Murray, Oxford University Press, 1986
Reviewer: Forum Contributor
This is a classical book for the library, though you should buy an updated and revised version periodically. And while it is often viewed as a book only for “scholars”, it is in fact a perfect book for anyone who wants a well-done overview of the classical world of Greece and Rome.
Wings Over Hellas: Ancient Greece from The Air, Raymond Schoder, Oxford University Press, New York, 1974
Reviewer: Forum Contributor
For its time, a very well-done book portraying over 70 ancient sites as seen from the air. The photos are very clear, offering an overview of the site as well as, in some, cases, a view of where the site is located. This was a nice book for getting a feel for the lay of the land before overgrowth took over.