Kurt A. Raaflaub – författare

The Landmark Julius Caesar is the definitive edition of the five works that chronicle the mil-itary campaigns of Julius Caesar. Together, these five narratives present a comprehensive picture of military and political developments leading to the collapse of the Roman republic and the advent of the Roman Empire. The Gallic War is Caesar's own account of his two invasions of Britain and of conquering most of what is today France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The Civil War describes the conflict in the following year which, after the death of his chief rival, Pompey, and the defeat of Pompey's heirs and supporters, resulted in Caesar's emergence as the sole power in Rome. Accompanying Caesar's own commentaries are three short but essential additional works, known to us as the Alexandrian War, the African War, and the Spanish War. These were written by three unknown authors who were clearly eyewitnesses and probably Roman officers. Caesar's clear and direct prose provides a riveting depiction of ancient warfare and, not incidentally, a persuasive portrait for the Roman people (and for us) of Caesar himself as a brilliant, moderate, and effec-tive leader--an image that was key to his final success. Kurt A. Raaflaub's masterful translation skillfully brings out the clarity and elegance of Caesar's style, and this, together with such Landmark features as maps, detailed annotations, appendices, and illustrations, will provide every reader from lay person to scholar with a rewarding and enjoyable experience. (With 2-color text, maps, and illustrations throughout; web essays available at http: //www.thelandmarkcaesar.com/)

Through a series of original essays by leading international scholars, The Roman Empire in Context: Historical and Comparative Perspectives offers a comparative historical analysis of the Roman empire’s role and achievement and, more broadly, establishes Rome’s significance within comparative studies. Fills a gap in comparative historical analysis of the Roman empire’s role and achievementFeatures contributions from more than a dozen distinguished scholars from around the worldExplores the relevance of important comparativist themes of state, empire, and civilization to ancient Rome

Representing five major areas of Augustan scholarship - historiography, poetry, art, religion, and politics - the nineteen contributors to this volume bring us closer to a balanced, up-to-date account of Augustus and his principate.

This book presents a state-of-the-art debate about the origins of Athenian democracy by five eminent scholars. The result is a stimulating, critical exploration and interpretation of the extant evidence on this intriguing and important topic. The authors address such questions as: Why was democracy first realized in ancient Greece? Was democracy 'invented' or did it evolve over a long period of time? What were the conditions for democracy, the social and political foundations that made this development possible? And what factors turned the possibility of democracy into necessity and reality? The authors first examine the conditions in early Greek society that encouraged equality and 'people's power.' They then scrutinize, in their social and political contexts, three crucial points in the evolution of democracy: the reforms connected with the names of Solon, Cleisthenes, and Ephialtes in the early and late sixth and mid-fifth century. Finally, an ancient historian and a political scientist review the arguments presented in the previous chapters and add their own perspectives, asking what lessons we can draw today from the ancient democratic experience.Designed for a general readership as well as students and scholars, the book intends to provoke discussion by presenting side by side the evidence and arguments that support various explanations of the origins of democracy, thus enabling readers to join in the debate and draw their own conclusions.

A systematic survey of archaic Greek society and culture which introduces the reader to a wide range of new approaches to the period. The first comprehensive and accessible survey of developments in the study of archaic GreecePlaces Greek society of c.750-480 BCE in its chronological and geographical contextGives equal emphasis to established topics such as tyranny and political reform and newer subjects like gender and ethnicityCombines accounts of historical developments with regional surveys of archaeological evidence and in-depth treatments of selected themesExplores the impact of Eastern and other non-Greek cultures in the development of GreeceUses archaeological and literary evidence to reconstruct broad patterns of social and cultural development

Thinking, Recording, and Writing History in the Ancient World presents a cross-cultural comparison of the ways in which ancient civilizations thought about the past and recorded their own histories. Written by an international group of scholars working in many disciplinesTruly cross-cultural, covering historical thinking and writing in ancient or early cultures across in East, South, and West Asia, the Mediterranean, and the AmericasIncludes historiography shaped by religious perspectives, including Judaism, early Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism

A systematic survey of archaic Greek society and culture which introduces the reader to a wide range of new approaches to the period. The first comprehensive and accessible survey of developments in the study of archaic GreecePlaces Greek society of c.750-480 BCE in its chronological and geographical contextGives equal emphasis to established topics such as tyranny and political reform and newer subjects like gender and ethnicityCombines accounts of historical developments with regional surveys of archaeological evidence and in-depth treatments of selected themesExplores the impact of Eastern and other non-Greek cultures in the development of GreeceUses archaeological and literary evidence to reconstruct broad patterns of social and cultural development

This fascinating volume brings together leading specialists, who have analyzed the thoughts and records documenting the worldviews of a wide range of pre-modern societies. Presents evidence from across the ages; from antiquity through to the Age of DiscoveryProvides cross-cultural comparison of ancient societies around the globe, from the Chinese to the Incas and Aztecs, from the Greeks and Romans to the peoples of ancient IndiaExplores newly discovered medieval Islamic materials

Peace in the Ancient World: Concepts and Theories conducts a comparative investigation of why certain ancient societies produced explicit concepts and theories of peace and others did not. Explores the idea that concepts of peace in antiquity occurred only in periods that experienced exceptional rates of warfareUtilizes case studies of civilizations in China, India, Egypt, and GreeceComplements the 2007 volume War and Peace in the Ancient World, drawing on ideas from that work and providing a more comprehensive examination

With contributions from leading scholars, this is a unique cross-cultural comparison of historical epics across a wide range of cultures and time periods, which presents crucial insights into how history is treated in narrative poetry. The first book to gain new insights into the topic of ‘epic and history’ through in-depth cross-cultural comparisonsCovers epic traditions across the globe and across a wide range of time periodsBrings together leading specialists in the field, and is edited by two internationally regarded scholarsAn important reference for scholars and students interested in history and literature across a broad range of disciplines

The Adventure of the Human Intellect presents the latest scholarship on the beginnings of intellectual history on a broad scope, encompassing ten eminent ancient or early civilizations from both the Old and New Worlds. Borrows themes from The Intellectual Adventure of Ancient Man (1946), updating an old topic with a new approach and up-to-date theoretical underpinning, evidence, and scholarshipProvides a broad scope of studies, including discussion of highly developed ancient or early civilizations in China, India, West Asia, the Mediterranean, and the AmericasExamines the world view of ten ancient or early societies, reconstructed from their own texts, concerning the place of human beings in society and state, in nature and cosmos, in space and time, in life and death, and in relation to those in power and the world of the divineConsiders a diversity of sources representing a wide array of particular responses to differing environments, circumstances, and intellectual challengesReflects a more inclusive and nuanced historiographical attitude with respect to non-elites, gender, and local variationsBrings together leading specialists in the field, and is edited by an internationally renowned scholar

This widely respected study of social conflicts between the patrician elite and the plebeians in the first centuries of the Roman republic has now been enhanced by a new chapter on material culture, updates to individual chapters, an updated bibliography, and a new introduction. Analyzes social conflicts between patricians and plebeians in early republican RomeIncludes chapters by leading scholars from both sides of the Atlantic illuminating social, economic, legal, religious, military, and political aspects as well as the reliability of historical sourcesContributors have written addenda for the new edition, updating their chapters in light of recent scholarship

This widely respected study of social conflicts between the patrician elite and the plebeians in the first centuries of the Roman republic has now been enhanced by a new chapter on material culture, updates to individual chapters, an updated bibliography, and a new introduction. Analyzes social conflicts between patricians and plebeians in early republican RomeIncludes chapters by leading scholars from both sides of the Atlantic illuminating social, economic, legal, religious, military, and political aspects as well as the reliability of historical sourcesContributors have written addenda for the new edition, updating their chapters in light of recent scholarship

This book is the first to focus on war and peace in the ancient world from a global perspective. The first book to focus on war and peace in the ancient world Takes a global perspective, covering a large number of early civilizations, from China, India and West Asia, through the Mediterranean to the Americas Features contributions from nineteen distinguished scholars, all of whom are experts in their fields Offers remarkable insights into the different ways in which ancient societies dealt with a common human challenge Requires no prior historical knowledge, making it suitable for non-specialists

This book is the first to focus on war and peace in the ancient world from a global perspective. The first book to focus on war and peace in the ancient world Takes a global perspective, covering a large number of early civilizations, from China, India and West Asia, through the Mediterranean to the Americas Features contributions from nineteen distinguished scholars, all of whom are experts in their fields Offers remarkable insights into the different ways in which ancient societies dealt with a common human challenge Requires no prior historical knowledge, making it suitable for non-specialists

This fascinating volume brings together leading specialists, who have analyzed the thoughts and records documenting the worldviews of a wide range of pre-modern societies. Presents evidence from across the ages; from antiquity through to the Age of DiscoveryProvides cross-cultural comparison of ancient societies around the globe, from the Chinese to the Incas and Aztecs, from the Greeks and Romans to the peoples of ancient IndiaExplores newly discovered medieval Islamic materials

With contributions from leading scholars, this is a unique cross-cultural comparison of historical epics across a wide range of cultures and time periods, which presents crucial insights into how history is treated in narrative poetry. The first book to gain new insights into the topic of ‘epic and history’ through in-depth cross-cultural comparisonsCovers epic traditions across the globe and across a wide range of time periodsBrings together leading specialists in the field, and is edited by two internationally regarded scholarsAn important reference for scholars and students interested in history and literature across a broad range of disciplines

The Greek Polis and the Invention of Democracy presents a series of essays that trace the Greeks’ path to democracy and examine the connection between the Greek polis as a citizen state and democracy as well as the interaction between democracy and various forms of cultural expression from a comparative historical perspective and with special attention to the place of Greek democracy in political thought and debates about democracy throughout the centuries. Presents an original combination of a close synchronic and long diachronic examination of the Greek polis - city-states that gave rise to the first democratic system of governmentOffers a detailed study of the close interactionbetween democracy, society, and the arts in ancient GreecePlaces the invention of democracy in fifth-century bce Athens both in its broad social and cultural context and in the context of the re-emergence of democracy in the modern worldReveals the role Greek democracy played in the political and intellectual traditions that shaped modern democracy, and in the debates about democracy in modern social, political, and philosophical thoughtWritten collaboratively by an international team of leading scholars in classics, ancient history, sociology, and political science