Ancient History

Filter

34 Items

per page
View as List Grid
  1. The Essential Greek Historians

    Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by Stanley Burstein

    Includes an introduction, maps, and selections from Herodotus' The Histories, Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, Xenophon's The Hellenica, Aristotle's The Constitution of Athens, The Parian Marble, Polybius' The Histories, Memnon's History of Heracleia, Plutarch's Life of Alexander. See the full Table of Contents (PDF) here.

    "Burstein’s The Essential Greek Historians is an excellent collection of texts representing the development of historiography in the ancient Greek world. Each text is presented in an engaging and readable translation, with an insightful introduction exploring the purposes behind its composition, the significance of its contribution to the growth of historiography as a literary genre, and the context in which its author thought and wrote. These texts include not only familiar favorites like Herodotus and Thucydides, but also sources such as The Parian Marble and Memnon's History of Heracleia, which give a broader and richer view of the ways in which Greeks engaged with history. In one economical volume, Burstein has created an indispensable introduction to the historical thought of the ancient Greeks. No student of Greek historiography should be without it." —Erik Jensen, Salem State University

    Learn More
  2. The Essential Thucydides: On Justice, Power, and Human Nature (Second Edition)

    Thucydides
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Paul Woodruff

    Thucydides was the first ancient Greek historian to double as a social scientist. He set out to understand human events entirely in human terms, without recourse to myth. He sought to know why people go to war and how they are affected by its violence. He studied the civil war in Corcyra, which began when radicals burst into the council house and killed leaders who favored democracy. The strengths and weaknesses of democracy are a major theme of his History. Its larger story shows how the Athenians tried to expand their empire too far and came to a crushing defeat. Here are vivid stories of land and sea battles, interspersed with fascinating and disturbing debates about war and policy. All of Thucydides’s History is here, either in summary or translation, in a volume short enough for a wide readership. This Second Edition is expanded to include all the important debates and battle scenes, and the entire translation has been revised in accord with the latest scholarship. The Essential Thucydides is the second edition of Paul Woodruff's On Justice, Power, and Human Nature: Selections from The History of the Peloponnesian War (first published by Hackett 1993, paperback ISBN 978-0-87220-168-2, cloth ISBN 978-0-87220-169-9).

    “At last—a good way to navigate the choppy waters of Thucydides’s account of the Great War! Woodruff has focused on themes of lasting importance—human nature, justice, and war itself. These have guided his skillful selection of passages and his deft explanatory comments, all in a fast-moving, readable style.”
    —W. R. Connor, Andrew Fleming West Professor of Classics, Emeritus, Princeton University

    Learn More
  3. The Greco-Persian Wars

    Erik Jensen

    Series: Passages: Key Moments in History

    "Erik Jensen's The Greco-Persian Wars offers a refreshing introduction to a critical (but often misunderstood) historical event in world history. Rejecting dated models of East-West confrontation, this book usefully frames the Persian invasions of Greece in terms of imperial expansion and frontier development, and also considers the long-term evolution of Greco-Persian relations after 480–479 BC. The source selections draw on both Achaemenid documents as well as Greek narratives to contextualize the conflict." —John Hyland, Christopher Newport University

    "I like Jensen’s book very much. This 'key moment' in world history has traditionally been read almost exclusively through Greek eyes, and having these translations of the Persian sources provides the opportunity and impetus for a fresh interpretation of this classic encounter. . . . The Introduction provides an excellent background to the Persian sources and sheds invaluable light on the people and society that produced them." —Robert GarlandColgate University

    Learn More
  4. Barbarians in the Greek and Roman World

    Erik Jensen

    "A fascinating study of interrelatedness among peoples that does much to undermine the conventional notion of there being an essentialist divide between Greco-Roman and barbarian culture and peoples. Jensen's work is not only a testimony to the truly multicultural dimension of the ancient Mediterranean, but also a reminder of how contemporary prejudices help shape our view of past societies. The world that the author paints is 'a tumult of different ideas, interpretations, and conflicts that had no final resolution.' What better reason could a historian offer for studying antiquity? Both readable and scholarly, Barbarians in the Greek and Roman World has a refreshingly modern ring and delivers an important modern message." —Robert Garland, Colgate University

    "This book is excellent, and even necessary, reading for any survey of the ancient world. Easy to read and unafraid to explain scholarly arguments, Jensen takes his readers on a tour of the so-called Greek and Roman world. While he follows traditional chronological and temporal boundaries, he does not adhere to the old scholarly lens. In fact, by directly challenging it, he opens our eyes to an entirely different ancient world. Rather than speak from the heart of the Roman forum or the Athenian agora, Jensen approaches ancient history from the position of an outsider, as a scholar unwilling to settle on simple narratives of progress from single centers, but rather forcefully admitting difference. Ultimately, Jensen illustrates the benefit of moving beyond the Greeks and the Romans and the importance of doing so. After all, as far as the Romans and Greeks were concerned, we—the English-speaking readers that form Jensen's audience—are as much, if not more, barbarian than Greco-Roman!" —Brian Turner, Portland State University

    Learn More
  5. Daily Life in Ancient Rome

    Edited and Translated, with an Introduction, by Brian K. Harvey

    "There’s a tremendous amount to admire in Brian Harvey’s new Daily Life in Ancient Rome: A Sourcebook. And it stands out as a superior work against all the competing texts. Specifically, much careful thought, attention, and effort has gone into ensuring that the work is ideal for students and interested non-professionals. The texts are all translated into clear, accurate English. They are also thoroughly contextualized, both in categories as well as individually. This insistence on the historicity of the sources sets the book apart from the norm. The book also benefits from Harvey’s extensive, almost encyclopedic, knowledge of inscriptions, which are used as important sources along with the literary excerpts. Finally, the many photos by the author himself augment the texts and are themselves analyzed as unique sources."
         —Steven L. Tuck, Miami University, Ohio

    Learn More
  6. Roman Religion: A Sourcebook

    Valerie M. Warrior

    "Professor Warrior's book is a useful anthology of readings which, diligently chosen and intelligently arranged, display the essential elements of Roman religion in its most interesting period." —Christopher McDonough, Boston College

    "I am currently using Valerie M. Warrior’s Greek Religion: a Sourcebook and her Roman Religion: a Sourcebook for my class on Paganism. They are absolutely outstanding, in terms of the selection, the range of topics, and the level of detail provided. I will keep using these as long as I keep teaching the class (I hope for decades!). I would recommend them to anyone. Perfect to supplement a class based mainly on lectures, and to get students digging into the real sources of our knowledge and engaging with them." —Jack Mitchell, Department of Classics, Dalhousie University

    Learn More
  7. Greek Religion: A Sourcebook

    Valerie M. Warrior

    "Warrior's text fills a long-acknowledged void for teaching Ancient Religion. There is no real alternative. The best recommendation for her book comes from my students, who voted her Greek and Roman Sourcebooks their favorite texts in my Greek and Roman Religion course." —Randall M. Colaizzi, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Boston

    "I am currently using Valerie M. Warrior’s Greek Religion: a Sourcebook and her Roman Religion: a Sourcebook for my class on Paganism. They are absolutely outstanding, in terms of the selection, the range of topics, and the level of detail provided. I will keep using these as long as I keep teaching the class (I hope for decades!). I would recommend them to anyone. Perfect to supplement a class based mainly on lectures, and to get students digging into the real sources of our knowledge and engaging with them." —Jack Mitchell, Department of Classics, Dalhousie University

    Learn More
  8. Roman Sports and Spectacles

    Anne Mahoney

    Roman Sports and Spectacles: A Sourcebook contains numerous translations from the Latin, including famous authors, such as Cicero, Seneca, Tertullian and Augustine, and the not so famous, including graffiti, advertisements and tombstones to paint a world view of what sports Romans played and what they thought of them. The world of Roman sports was similar in many ways to our own, but there were significant differences. For one thing Roman sports centered during religious festivals and the participants were most often slaves. Roman sports were not team sports, but individual competitions. And sports like chariot racing and gladiatorial competitions were very dangerous. Each document includes an introduction to the source material.

    Learn More
  9. Civil War

    Lucan
    Translated by Brian Walters
    Introduction by W.R. Johnson

    "Brian Walters has given us what too few translators of classical poetry do—an authorial presence. Here is Lucan himself in all his drastic modes—everything from his enraged indignation to his paradoxical aphorisms—recreating the ruptured Neronian world he lived in as he recounts the nefarious civil war that destroyed the Roman Republic."
         —Stanley Lombardo, University of Kansas

    Learn More
  10. The Wars of Justinian

    Prokopios
    Translated by H. B. Dewing; Revised and Modernized, with an Introduction and Notes, by Anthony Kaldellis; Maps and Genealogies by Ian Mladjov

    "At last . . . the translation that we have needed for so long: a fresh, lively, readable, and faithful rendering of Prokopios' Wars, which in a single volume will make this fundamental work of late ancient history-writing accessible to a whole new generation of students."
         —Jonathan Conant, Brown University

    Learn More
  11. Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks (Second Edition)

    Robert Garland

    Significantly expanded and updated in light of the most recent scholarship, the second edition of Garland's engaging introduction to ancient Greek society brings this world vividly to life—and, in doing so, explores the perspectives and morals of typical ancient Greek citizens across a wide range of societal levels. Food and drink, literacy, the plight of the elderly, the treatment of slaves, and many more aspects of daily life in ancient Greece also come into sharp focus. More than sixty illustrations are included, as are maps, a chronology, a glossary of Greek terms, and suggestions for further reading.

    Learn More
  12. Histories

    Herodotus
    Translated by Pamela Mensch
    Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by James Romm

    "This edition reproduces the fluent pace and readability of Herodotus' world-encompassing work. Mensch has produced a close translation of Herodotus' Greek that is also an engrossing read in English. As an old-time Herodotean, I found myself drawn into Herodotus' universe of history and story all over again. Combined with Romm's elegant introduction, which conveys the lure of Herodotus' work, the lucid maps and tables, and the pertinent, uncluttered notes, this is an edition to read for pleasure and for education. I recommend it to future students of Herodotus and their instructors, and to any reader who wants to discover and rediscover Herodotus in a vibrant new translation."
        —Emily Greenwood, Yale University

    Learn More
  13. Ancient Rome

    Edited and Translated, with an Introduction, by Christopher Francese and R. Scott Smith

    "Terrific . . . exactly the sort of collection we have long needed: one offering a wide range of texts, both literary and documentary, and that—with the inclusion of Sulpicia and Perpetua—allows students to hear the voices of actual women from the ancient world. The translations themselves are fluid; the inclusion of long extracts allows students to sink their teeth into material in ways not possible with traditional source books. The anonymous texts, inscriptions, and other non-literary material topically arranged in the 'Documentary' section will enable students to see how the documentary evidence supplements or undermines the views advanced in the literary texts. This is a book that should be of great use to anyone teaching a survey of the history of Ancient Rome or a Roman Civilization course. I look forward to teaching with this book which is, I think, the best source book I have seen for the way we teach these days."
         —David Potter, University of Michigan

    Learn More
  14. Race and Ethnicity in the Classical World

    Selected and Translated by Rebecca F. Kennedy, C. Sydnor Roy, and Max L. Goldman

    "This highly affordable, lively and wide-ranging anthology will be an invaluable study resource for courses on ancient identities and ideas about foreigners. . . . It will also appeal to the general reader interested in exploring what Greeks and Romans thought and wrote about peoples often styled 'barbarian,' not least because knowledge of such material was instrumental in the formation of the modern disciplines of anthropology, ethnography and geography. Both the high quality of the translation and the fact that it presents sizable chunks of text for students to ponder make it an ideal teaching text. Wild flights of fancy, tales of mythical monstrosity and cruel/bizarre stereotypes sit side-by-side. Dicaeopolis's response seems the most apt: 'Wowzers!'" —Journal of Classics Teaching

    Learn More
  15. Lives that Made Greek History

    Plutarch
    Edited, with Introductions and Notes, by James Romm
    Translated by Pamela Mensch

    In this compilation from Plutarch's Greek Lives, James Romm gathers the material of greatest historical significance from fifteen biographies, ranging from Theseus in earliest times to Phocion in the late fourth century BCE. While preserving the outlines of Plutarch's character portraits, Romm focuses on the central stories of classical Greece: the rivalry between Athens, Sparta, and Thebes, the rise of Macedon, and the conflicts between these European states and the Achaemenid Persian empire. Bridging Plutarch’s gaps with concise summaries, Romm creates a coherent narrative of the classical Greek world.

    Learn More
  16. The Roman History

    Velleius Paterculus
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by
    J. C. Yardley and Anthony A. Barrett

    "[A] well-vetted, well-thought-out, and much overdue updated English translation. It will make Velleius accessible to undergraduates, who previously may have only read Livy, Sallust, or Tacitus. Perhaps the greatest merit of the book is its thorough notation throughout the translation. . . . a necessity for nonspecialist readers."
         —Nikolaus Overtoom, Louisiana State University in H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online

    Learn More
  17. The Caesars

    Suetonius
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Donna W. Hurley

    "Donna Hurley has done a sterling job in providing us with both an Introduction to Suetonius and a translation of The Caesars that we can confidently recommend to students. Her Introduction summarizes a complex topic succinctly and is informative without being overwhelming, set at an ideal level for the student and intelligent enthusiast. Her translation is accurate and contemporary. Her primary goal is faithfulness to the original, which she achieves, but at the same time she recognizes the need to make her text clear, entertaining, and comprehensible to the modern reader, and she strikes exactly the right balance." —Anthony Barrett, Emeritus, University of British Columbia

    “Hurley, who has written extensively and with authority on Suetonius, knows her author and his text thoroughly, and her Introduction to them is a model of presentation. Annotation (footnotes, not endnotes) is concise and to the point; essential background is gracefully sketched in a preliminary section on Roman institutions; maps and plans are clear and full. This thoughtful concern for the reader’s needs justifies confidence in the translation itself: for its combination of accuracy, clarity, and readability, it is the best.” —Edward Champlin, Princeton University

    Learn More
  18. The Secret History

    Prokopios
    Edited and Translated, with an Introduction, by Anthony Kaldellis

    "This translation will be especially useful in undergraduate classes because, in the final section, Kaldellis appends translations of related passages from Prokopios's longer History of the Wars, from Justinian's legislation, and from other sixth-century primary sources.  Students can use these passages to judge for themselves how accurately the Secret History portrayed Justinian's career as well as that of this controversial empress.  Summing up: Essential."
         —T. S. Miller, Salisbury University, in CHOICE

    Learn More
  19. Ten Speeches

    Cicero
    Translated by James E. G. Zetzel

    "This volume is a most welcome and much needed resource for the classroom, and a marked improvement over the Penguin editions of Cicero's selected speeches and selected political speeches, which it should supersede.  A very well-chosen selection of speeches, accurately and fluidly translated, and handsomely produced.  I especially appreciate the inclusion of clear maps and the section "Roman institutions and offices" which should prove especially useful for students." —Amanda Wilcox, Williams College

    Learn More
  20. Alexander The Great

    Arrian, Diodorus, Plutarch, and Quintus Curtius
    Edited, with Introduction, by James Romm; Translated by Pamela Mensch and James Romm

    Comprising relevant selections from the four ancient writers whose portraits of Alexander the Great still survive—Arrian, Diodorus, Plutarch, and Quintus Curtius—this volume provides a complete narrative of the important events in Alexander's life. The Introduction sets these works in historical context, stretching from the conclusion of the Peloponnesian War through Alexander's conquest of Asia, and provides an assessment of Alexander's historical importance as well as a survey of the central controversies surrounding his personality, aims and intentions. This edition includes a timeline, maps, a bibliography, a glossary, and an index.

    Learn More
  21. The History of Rome, Books 1-5

    Livy
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Valerie M. Warrior

    "Dr. Warrior . . .  wisely chose to be more literal than free, and she happily refrained from importing 'new and false metaphors'. . . . Her translation, accurate at every turn, is complemented with useful footnotes, especially in those parts of the work (e.g., the Preface) that need special elucidation.  The scholarship that went into these footnotes, as well as into the appendix articles and Dr. Warrior's own Introduction, is current and of a very high quality.  (I do not think I have ever read a better introduction to Livy.)  A useful bibliography and several maps contribute to the excellence of a book, which, like Livy's own work, is not likely ever to be surpassed." —Blaise Nagy, College of the Holy Cross

    Learn More
  22. Daily Life of the Ancient Romans

    David Matz

    "The book's use of primary sources to illustrate daily experiences makes it valuable both for the historical and cultural background it presents and for the wide array of Roman voices it includes.  Its chapter arrangement and direct, informative style make it an excellent supplementary text for courses on classical literature.  The chronology and brief biographies of Roman authors are valuable and uncomplicated resources"
         —Okey Goode, Lewis-Clark State College

    Learn More
  23. Legal Speeches of Democratic Athens

    Edited and Translated by Andrew Wolpert & Konstantinos Kapparis

    “An excellent, wide-ranging collection of Athenian speeches illuminating central topics of political, social, and legal history, including male and female sexuality, the ancient economy, Greek law, and major episodes of civic strife. Both accurate and faithful to the orators’ prose style, Wolpert and Kapparis’ new translations come accompanied by informative introductions and notes, a glossary of legal terms, and a helpful bibliography. Highly recommended for courses in the history of classical Athens, ancient rhetoric, and Greek law.” —Robert W. Wallace, Northwestern University

    Learn More
  24. Agricola, Germany, and Dialogue on Orators

    Tacitus
    Translated, with Introduction, by Herbert W. Benario

    This volume provides three short works of Tacitus: Agricola—the fullest ancient account of Rome's conquest of Britain and of the public career of a senator in the service of a Roman emperor—Germany, a valuable source on the ancient land and its people, and Dialogue on Orators, an examination in the tradition of Cicero's rhetorical essays of the decline of oratory in Rome's early empire. Together, these works illuminate an important phase in Tacitus' development as Rome's foremost historian.

    Learn More
  25. On the War for Greek Freedom

    Herodotus
    Translated by Samuel Shirley
    Edited, with Introduction and Annotation, by James Romm

    Designed for students with little or no background in ancient Greek language, history, and culture, this new abridgment presents those selections that comprise Herodotus’ historical narrative. These are meticulously annotated, and supplemented with a chronology of the Archaic Age, Historical Epilogue, glossary of main characters and places, index of proper names, and maps.

    Learn More
  26. Annals

    Tacitus
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by A. J. Woodman

    "An elegant addition to Tacitean scholarship. . . . The appendices are comprehensive and extremely useful for students, covering political and military terms that are cross-referenced to the text, the deployment of the army which can be confusing in the Annals, Rome, geographical and tribal names, and maps as well as a good index of names. . . . This translation has many eminently practical features, including clear layout, the use of footnotes, and numbering of the text. . . . The Introduction is very accessible and, coupled with the text, will be very useful for students." 
        —Alisdair Gibson, Journal of Classics Teaching

    Learn More
  27. Readings in Classical Political Thought

    Edited by Peter J. Steinberger

    “A distinctive and superior collection of texts suitable for both graduate and undergraduate courses. There is nothing like it elsewhere. Steinberger’s commentary is succint, accurate, and very useful.”
         —Dr. Melvin Kulbicki, York College of Pennsylvania

    Learn More
  28. The Law of Athens, 2 Volume Set

    A. R. W. Harrison

    Volume I, completed in 1968, gives a systematic account of classical Athenian law concerning family and property. Volume II, on the law of obligations and of procedure, was unfinished at the time of the author’s death in 1969. The part which concerns procedure was virtually complete and, edited by D. M. MacDowell, appeared in 1971. MacDowell has provided a new Foreword for this edition as well as a select bibliography (from 1967 to the present), which appears in both volumes. Together these distinguished works form the most detailed study of Athenian law in the last half-century.

    Learn More
  29. The Law of Athens, Volume 2 of 2

    A. R. W. Harrison

    Volume two of a two-volume set. It may be purchased separately or in conjunction with volume one. Both volumes are available in a cloth edition when purchased together as a set. Volume I, completed in 1968, gives a systematic account of classical Athenian law concerning family and property. Volume II, on the law of obligations and of procedure, was unfinished at the time of the author’s death in 1969. The part which concerns procedure was virtually complete and, edited by D. M. MacDowell, appeared in 1971. MacDowell has provided a new Foreword for this edition as well as a select bibliography (from 1967 to the present), which appears in both volumes. Together these distinguished works form the most detailed study of Athenian law in the last half-century.

    Learn More
  30. The Law of Athens, Volume 1 of 2

    A. R. W. Harrison

    Volume one of a two-volume set. It may be purchased separately or in conjunction with volume two. Volume I, completed in 1968, gives a systematic account of classical Athenian law concerning family and property. Volume II, on the law of obligations and of procedure, was unfinished at the time of the author’s death in 1969. The part which concerns procedure was virtually complete and, edited by D. M. MacDowell, appeared in 1971. MacDowell has provided a new Foreword for this edition as well as a select bibliography (from 1967 to the present), which appears in both volumes. Together these distinguished works form the most detailed study of Athenian law in the last half-century.

    Learn More
  31. The New Politicians of Fifth-Century Athens

    W. Robert Connor

    In this powerful contribution to our understanding of politics in fifth-century Athens, Connor constructs models of Athenian political groupings to explain the rise of the “new politicians,” young men who launched a new kind of democracy by appealing to the citizenry at large. With Pericles as prototype and Cleon as exemplar of the new politician, this engaging work provides an important insight into the politics of Athens at the height of its power.

    Learn More
  32. Greek Popular Morality in the Time of Plato and Aristotle

    K. J. Dover

    “A classic. It provides an invaluable aid to anyone seeking to understand Plato and Aristotle in their historical context. Dover uses a variety of literary sources to set out, with clarity and deep sensitivity, popular views on moral, political, and religious matters in fourth-century Greece.”
         —Michael Morgan, Indiana University

    Learn More
  33. The Murder of Herodes

    Translated, with Introduction, by Kathleen Freeman

    These remarkable documents of Greek social and cultural history include masterpieces of lively narrative and subtle argument prepared by such orators as Lysias, Antiphon, and Demosthenes. The fifteen cases presented represent the first recorded instances of the working of a democratic jury system under a definite code of law aimed at inexpensive and equal justice for all citizens. Issues examined include murder, assault, property damage, embezzlement, contested legacies, illegal marriage, slander, and civil rights. Also provided are comprehensive background chapters on the professions of law and rhetoric in ancient Athens and explanatory notes clarifying the course of each trial.

    Learn More
  34. The Peloponnesian War

    Thucydides
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Steven Lattimore

    The first unabridged translation into American English, and the first to take into account the wealth of Thucydidean scholarship of the last half of the twentieth century, Steven Lattimore’s translation sets a new standard for accuracy and reliability. Notes provide information necessary for a fuller understanding of problematic passages, explore their implications as well as the problems they may pose, and shed light on Thucydides as a distinctive literary artist as well as a source for historians and political theorists.

    "[Lattimore] gets closer to the Greek than either of his two available rivals, Richard Crawley and Rex Warner. . . . Lattimore’s uncompromising version now leads the field." —Peter Green, The Los Angeles Times Book Review

    Learn More
Filter

34 Items

per page
View as List Grid