Ancient History Books

An excellent source of information - in richly illustrated detail - of the Greek and Roman orders of architecture, including not just the columns, plinth and pediments, but complete building facades, plans and how the porportions of the order relate to these elements as well. In addition, the author includes examples by famous architects or of famous buildings showing how the order was interpreted in the past. The only omission - an intentional one, I am sure - is that orders of other cultures were not included.

Whatever your view as an Architect, Classical Architecture is still around, and being built. With fewer Architects being knowledgeable of the orders of architecture, this book provides the essential information needed to provide an understanding of Classical Architecture. This book is not just a plate by plate description of built or unbuilt classical architecture, but a raw, down to the bone instruction manual of how to construct in minutest detail the five orders. WHEN it is back in print, this book will be an essential purchase for Architects and Offices alike. With very few Architects now having an understanding of Classical Architecture, you could be at an advantage. I would also suggest that when you get a copy, to actually draw the orders...its well worth it.

IFLYA

This book was informative, entertaining and well written. For someone who wants to explore little known details about ancient Egyptian life, or wants a thorough description of Cleopatra's life and times, this book was great. I purchased it for my daughter, but it piqued my interest as well.

I highly recommend Cleopatra The Last Pharaoh by Prudence Jones. If you're looking for a balance interpretation of Cleopatra's life based on the ancient sources and the author's insight into the propaganda that was influential in that day this book is for you. This is not the story of a sexual alluring one dimensional Cleopatra. This Queen is multidimensional and smart. Another plus for the book is the choice of illustrations making this volume particularly attractive. It is an excellent read.

This series is probably the best commentary on Scripture in print, ever! This is not a commentary by some johnny-come-lately, nor a revisionist approach to Christianity. This is the best synthesis of how the early Christians understood not only Scripture, but Christianity itself. Whether one is Catholic or Protestant, all the doctrinal issues of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation are moot. Here, every early Christian who reflected on the Sacred Word has a say. What one discovers (if it weren't already self-evident) is that Scripture itself is a pluralistic undertaking. The idea of using Scripture as a two-edged sword is joyfully not to be found. A plurality of meanings comes alive, all of which are viable, some more meaningful "now" perhaps than "later," but ever open to further insight and understanding. Those who want a book to support their pre-understanding will not enjoy this book or this series. Rather, those who have come to understand that Scripture is a tool of the Church and a gift of the Holy Spirit, ever alive and anew to each and every age, will find nuances and ideas never thought before. It doesn't invalidate one's predisposition; it just opens the Holy Book to the immensity within it and outside of it. Therefore, it is for "spiritual" people, not for "dogmatic" people. Oh, there's plenty of "orthodoxy" in these pages, but the truth is seen symphonically, not as a solo instrument. Any Christian who ever hoped that an ancient commentary and lectio divina could come together, and haven't found it: Look no farther. This is it!

For those who desire to learn what the ancient Church believed, this commentary is for you. Whether a lay person or scholar, it is wonderful in seeing what the early Church believed, what united them, and some of thier disagreements. You can also check the dates of the fathers listed to see when they wrote these things. This is especially helpful when seeing a disagreement about certain passages. You can see what was held earlier and when the departure took place, etc. Highly recommended for all Christian libraries. Just a side note. Those who like higher criticism may not like these commentaries because the early fathers were not higher critics. Higher criticism does not come about until the 19th and 20th centuries based upon evolutionary presuppositions. With this in mind, I think that a higher critic who reads these may not agree with the teachings of the fathers, but should appreciate what they wrote based upon their historical and literal presuppositions that the Bible is the very word of God.

I used this commentary years ago. Without it, much of this book, the delight of which is in detail and nuance, would have remained obscure for me. the primary emphasis is on the Greek text, but there is a real wealth of historical information to be found here as well. The first four books of Herodotus, in particular, display a narrative richness deriving from what we would now call travel literature, anthopology, and legend. Herodotus was speaking to an educated and somewhat cosmopolitan audience whose knowledge and belief background is very difficult for a modern to replicate. The How commentary was critical for getting a real understanding of what Herodotus was talking about and in fact made it very entertaining. In particular, these first four books should be very enjoyable for those what want to get a feel for an intelligent Greek's world view at the time, without getting into the actual history of the Persian War, which really commences in the fifth book.

This supplement to Herodotus is the most comprehensive work on Herodotus' History. By commenting on the text, archaeology, geography, and virtually every aspect relating to Herodotus, one may become familiar with the first history of the classical era. I strongly reccomend the two volumes for anyone who has read Herodotus before, as he/she will gain a deeper study of the work.

I have used this handy guide for over twenty years. I just had to get another one because I gave my first copy to the teacher who replaced me when I retired. It is keyed to the Lattimore translation of the Iliad, and addresses many scholarly and linguistic issues that can be problems when teaching the epic. The first-time reader of Homer can profit from the book as well, but its primary value seems to be for the teacher or the advanced student.

Though not for the impatient, this companion to Lattimore's translation of the Iliad is quite accessible to the non-specialist. Difficult passages are explained by making reference to archaelogical and linguistic evidence, other ancient texts (including the scholia and the Odyssey), and recent research on the transmission of oral literature.

The reader is thus better able to place this seminal literary work in its proper context. Willcox helps us understand the cultural, political and human forces that shaped the Iliad during the centuries it was an oral poem, and the slight variations it probably underwent once committed to the written word.

Overall, an outstanding work of scholarship.

Really helpful book for classical archaeologists, also very good for those who would like to travel around Greece and see Greek Temples

This book should all you need to know in a easy to read format. The illustration are great, the text provides details with out being dry. All in all worth the money if you need a good level of detail.

It is a useful little book for understanding Indian contributions to mathematics.

This book brings together the work of scholars such as Subhash Kak, Frits Staal, B. van Nooten, David Frawley, T.R. Rao and A. Raman on computing ideas in ancient India. "Not only the sign for zero, but also the binary number system, the ideas of metarules, algebraic transformation, recursion, hashing, mathematical logic, formal grammars, and high level language description first arose in India." In this book one can investigate the original research papers dealing with these topics.

That's what I first thought but luckily was able to find a used copy for less, and well worth whatever price you pay. "Conquest of Syria" came highly recommended by David Damrosch in a footnote in "The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh", and with "a Reader"'s review below, I took the chance. What a discovery! This is a very readable and enjoyable narrative of one of the most romantic and picturesque stories in archeology. Perhaps partly justifying the steep price, the book is physically above average in terms of quality - it is large format, the binding is like a tank, the boards are heavy and solid, the paper is heavy gloss, there are full-color plates, maps and drawings throughout (at least every 3rd page). The writing is in a story-telling narrative covering the lives of about half a dozen gentleman (Layard is the central hero) with adventures and tales equal to anything in India Jones. If it was re-printed in paperback for a mass audience it would probably overshadow books like The Buried Book, but for whatever reason, it remains for a limited audience because of the high price. If you have any interest in learning more about the desert adventures of 19th C archaeologists, this is one book to get lost in, it was hard to put down.

There are some scholarly quibbles. Larsen takes Laylards accounts of his adventures, written for a 19th C popular audience, at face value and in the end tends to have written a hagiography of Laylard. He repeats racists 19th c perspectives about Arabs (stupid, bad workers, etc..). His perspective on the Oriental middle east is likewise outdated calling it "endless, monotonous and flat.. decrepit.. not a nice place to spend the summer or any other time of year." There is no awareness by Larsen of post-colonial views, he seems to favor the 19th c colonial position of superiority. As a story of mystery and adventure it can't be beat, as a scholarly account it repeats old stereotypes that should be retired.

Larsen's "The Conquest of Assyria" is a handsome volume about the re-discovery and archaeology of ancient Assyria and deciphering the cuneiform script against the backdrop of both Ottoman-held Iraq and the high Victorian society.The book centers on the three giants of discovery-the romantic Austen Henry Layard,the melancholy Paul Emile Botta, and scholar-soldier Henry Rawlinson. Seperately Botta and Layard would un-earth huge palaces with giant winged human-headed bulls guarding the entrances, and friezes showing the king at war, hunting lions, and praying to his gods. These fantastic finds would bring back to life a dead civilization shrouded in myth and legend. Larsen weaves biographies, major political dilemmas and the impact the digs had on bible-conscious Europe through an exciting story of important excavations and adventure with warring and plundering bedouin tribes, cholera, and travels to regions yet to be mapped. Perhaps the greatest tale of archaeology. A true classic.

Jonathan Harris provides a service to the general reader interested in the history, culture, and mystique of the Byzantine Empire and the Queen of Cities. His premise is that scholars often have difficulty in truly understanding Byzantium because its rulers and contemporary historians portrayed the City & Empire through a mystical lens. This is as true from the time of Constantine the Great at the founding of Constantinople in the fourth century as it was at the death of the last emperor, Constantine XI, in 1453 (and even after), following the final sack by Mehmet the Conquerer. As Harris notes, due to this portrayal, most historians tend to neglect the myths and legends surrounding the City and focus more on concrete matters.

This book, therefore, seeks to rectify this neglect. It "is a book about power and about how those who have wielded it most successfully and enduringly have hidden its realities beneath a veil of grandeur and myth." The myth and spiritual aura of Constantinople was avidly promoted by its rulers and was a legendary beacon throughout the lands of Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. "It is this intriguing interaction between the spiritual and the political, the mythical and the actual that forms the main preoccupation of this book." The author is not attempting to debunk the myths surrounding Constantinople, but rather to explain many of their origins and their reality in context, particularly focusing upon the year 1200 AD (i.e. just before the Fourth Crusade altered the city forever).

There are six central myths which Harris seeks to address: (1) that Constantinople was founded by a saintly emperor, intended as the center of the Christian world; (2) the belief that the city maintained the special protection of God and the Virgin Mary and would remain unconquered until the end of the world; 3. the contention that Byzantine emperors were divinely appointed; 4. that the city was holy and apostolic (via St Andrew) on par with Jerusalem and Rome, its churches filled with countless holy relics; 5. reflecting its divine favor, the wealth of the city surpassed that of any other city in the world; 6. the emperor -- divinely appointed -- ruled as God's vice-gerant over all Christendom.

At 289 pages (205 of text) and divided into ten chapters, Constantinople: Capital of Byzantium is highly readable while being manageable and not overwhelming. Greatly appreciated is the handy final chapter, which looks at Byzantine Constantinople (Istanbul) today and provides an interesting reflection on the present status of many of the monuments discussed earlier in the text. Again, I highly recommend this book.

Unlike numerous books and videos on Rome, very little is available to the general public on Constantinople (the city of Byzantium), the "New Rome". Jonathan Harris attempts to describe the city as it grew and changed through its 1000 year history. This is not only a description of buildings and fortifications, though there is of course plenty of that, but also attempts to provide a some idea of how the city functioned and how it felt to live in the city. At only around 200 pages, it gives a very nice overview, but I could have wished for a book three or four times as long. Those who are interested in the city might also look at the website [...], which seeks to recreate the city as it appeared around the year 1200.

Layton has brought his long teaching experience to bear in this fine introductory grammar, the product of decades of classroom instruction. He has geared it to helping students understand the Sahidic New Testament. This is helpful in at least two ways. First of all, this NT was very familiar to writers of other Coptic literature, so familiarity with it will be a boon to any future study, whether of Shenute or of Gnostic literature. Secondly, the Coptic of the NT is relatively easy--much easier than the stylistically more elegant but also more complex writings of Shenute.

A unique but very helpful feature of the vocabularies of each lesson is that not only do they give English glosses of Coptic words, but also the NT Greek words most commonly translated by the Coptic words. This is a great help to those who are already familiar with the Greek NT (and believe me, your study of Coptic will be much easier if you come to it with at least a basic knowledge of Greek, whether Classical or Koine).

After a series of 20 graded lessons, the first three chapters of the Gospel of Mark are included for reading practice. This is followed by a helpful glossary/index of Coptic forms and a Subject Index.

Layton has helpfully included references throughout the text to his comprehensive "A Coptic Grammar" (2nd ed.). These references are helpful for diligent students at the introductory level. And in any event, if you go beyond the introductory level, the full grammar is an indispensable reference tool.

Coptic is a fascinating language, full of unusual twists. I found that about half of it felt Semitic and the other half reminded me of a wide variety of other languages I have studied. Layton's long-awaited introductory text is the best introduction you can find to this most interesting tongue.

Bently Layton's new Coptic grammar book fills a great need for both students and scholars. It is well-arranged, thorough, concise, and easy to follow. Its format is refreshing, with the needs of serious students in mind.

The exercises and vocabularies are adequate and progressive. With this book, the student really gets a good grasp of Sahidic Coptic, and skill in reading and translating it.

This is an excellent tool for anyone studying the Sahidic Coptic New Testament or Coptic literature in general.