Companion to Ancient History

Andrew Erskine is head of Classics at University of Edinburgh. He has held an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship at the University of Munich. His publications include A Companion to the Hellenistic World (Blackwell, 2003), Troy between Greece and Rome: Local Tradition and Imperial Power (2001), and The Hellenistic Stoa: Political Thought and Action (1990).

“Yet, however unsatisfactory the definition of Ancient History may be (seen from the angle of an Assyriologist, an Egyptologist, or an Iranologist), the appearance of this well-edited, wide ranging and most interesting volume is a felicitous event, proving that under the reign of Wikipedia there is still need to replace the dethroned Pauly-Wissowa with general studies of the highest quality. Assyriologists, Egyptologists, and Iranologists will certainly find much useful material here for them as well.”  (Scripta Classica Israelica, 2012)"The quality of the presentation is high; maps, a timeline, and indices are provided and will be of help to new students of the discipline. (Bryn Mawr Classical Review, April 2010)

• List of Figures xiList of Maps xiiNotes on Contributors xiiiPreface xixAbbreviations, Reference Works xxAbbreviations and Glossary, Ancient Authors xxiiiTimeline xxx1 Personal Perspectives 1Josiah Ober, Peter Derow, Andrea Giardina, Neil McLynn, Kathryn WelchPart I: Evidence 112 Historiography 13John Marincola3 Epigraphical Cultures of the Classical Mediterranean: Greek, Latin, and Beyond 23Gregory Rowe4 Papyrology 37Alan K. Bowman5 Numismatics 48A. R. Meadows6 Archaeology and Ancient History 59Stephen L. Dyson7 Oratory 67Catherine Steel8 Ancient History Through Ancient Literature 77Tim WhitmarshPart II: Problems and Approaches 879 Ancient History Today 89J. A. North10 Political History 99Robert Morstein-Marx11 Economic and Social History 112Neville Morley12 Ethnicity and Culture 123Edward Herring13 Population and Demography 134Walter Scheidel14 Writing Women into History 146Amy Richlin15 Interpreting Myth 154Carol Dougherty16 Environmental History 164Robert SallaresPart III: People and Places 17517 The Near East 177Maria Brosius18 Egypt under the Pharaohs 189John Ray19 The Jews 201Gideon Bohak20 The Greeks 213Thomas Harrison21 Asia Minor 222Peter Thonemann22 Rome 236Christer Bruun23 Italy beyond Rome 248Kathryn Lomas24 North Africa 260Josephine Crawley Quinn25 The Iberian Peninsula in the Roman Period 273A. T. Fear26 The “Celts” 284Constanze WittPart IV: Encountering the Divine 29927 Religion 301Mark Humphries28 The Emergence of Christianity 312John CurranPart V: Living and Dying 32729 The Family 329Mary Harlow and Tim Parkin30 Food 342John Wilkins31 Eros: Love and Sexuality 352James Davidson32 Housing 368Lisa C. Nevett33 Entertainment 381David Potter34 Education 392Jason König35 Medicine 403Helen King36 Death 414David NoyPart VI: Economy 42737 The Mediterranean and the History of Antiquity 429R. Bruce Hitchner38 Ancient Economies 436John Davies39 Labor: Free and Unfree 447Peter Fibiger Bang40 The Countryside 462Robert Witcher41 Finance and Resources: Public, Private, and Personal 474Paul Millett42 Ancient Technology 486Tracey RihllPart VII: Politics and Power 49743 Structures 499Hans Beck44 Citizenship 510Andrew Lintott45 Law 520Elizabeth A. Meyer46 Warfare 531Louis RawlingsPart VIII: Repercussions 54347 The Impact of Antiquity 545Rosamond McKitterick48 Ancient History and National Identity 555Andrew Erskine49 Hollywood’s Ancient World 564Lloyd Llewellyn-JonesBibliography 580Index 654