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Book Review by Ursus In a previous review I outlined Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome by the Adkins husband and wife writing team, as well as their companion volume on Greece. Those two books together constitute a handy and affordable compendium on classical society. However, if you want to get really serious, consider buying the latest edition of the Oxford Classical Dictionary. This a monster of a reference that leaves no stone in antiquity overturned. There are no pictures, no diagrams. Just 1640 pages of articles written by the very best experts from around the world. The reader will find hundreds of entries in alphabetical order. Topics are taken from the major areas of the classical world: Politics and History, Military, Economy and Society, Religion and Mythology, Geography, Science, Law and Government, Philosophy and the Arts. The dictionary obviously focuses on ancient Greece and Rome, but other cultures receive attention as they pertain to Greco-Roman society. There is mention of ancient Egypt and the Near East, as well as the Romanized Celtic world. The third and latest edition takes into account the ever-burgeoning research that has occurred in classical studies since the 1970's. The reader will now find articles covering once forbidden topics, like gender and sexuality. The editors have also attempted to correct the lack of attention paid to Near Eastern and Semitic contributions to classical history. The editors claim that the OCD is unrivaled in any language, and I have seen nothing to counter that claim. This well organized tome of information should impress even a graduate student with its remarkable erudition. The are four downsides. 1) The book is large and heavy. This is not something you can simply curl up with under a tree on a lazy afternoon. 2) No illustrations, photographs or anything else in the way of visual aid. This is simply a vast literary reference. 3) A lot of terms are given in the original Greek or Latin. Those without an elementary exposure to classical languages might find this annoying. 4) Cost. A new copy can ask for more than $100 US Dollars. ...more Book Reviews! The Birth of Classical Europe The Classical Compendium The Hellenistic World I would consider all these points minor except the last one, and not significantly detracting from the obvious worth of such an exhaustive source of information. As for the cost, I suggest looking in the used books sections of your chosen vender. I found a copy on Amazon.com for under $25, the only defect was a black publisher's mark on some of the pages. If you can find this book in good condition for under $50, consider it a steal. Simon Hornblower, FBA (born 1949) is a British classicist and academic. He is Professor of Classics and Ancient History in the University of Oxford and Senior Research Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Historian, broadcaster, lecturer and writer specialising in Greek and Roman antiquity and in rulers’ courts. Books include The Complete Greek Temples, Greece: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (with C. Mee), and Versailles: A Biography of a Palace. Formerly Assistant Director of the British School at Athens, he is now Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at Newcastle University. Tell us your opinion - Submit your Review - Buy the book! Book Review of The Oxford Classical Dictionary - Related Topic: Roman Literature Bibliography Get it now! Oxford Classical Dictionary for the UK ________________________________ Archive

Book Review by Ursus There comes a point when any serious Romanophile has to study Roman religion outside of an elementary school mythology class. The Romans, after all, were a deeply pious people. Religion was not separated from everyday life, it was a constant in everyday life. Every communal activity had a religious aspect and every religious activity was aimed at some level of community. To reduce Roman religion to a mere carbon copy of Greek religion, as is often opined, or to treat Roman mythology as the childish delusions of a primitive people, is to ignore the religious genius of our cultural ancestors. Regardless of whether or not one sympathizes with Roman paganism, one should at least appreciate its place in religious history and its reflection of Roman mentality. Roman religion as an academic subject has been held hostage over the years to a variety of "scholars" with pet theories. Few people treated Roman religion as the Romans themselves knew it, but rather tried to pigeonhole Roman religion into whatever fanciful idea they had concocted in the service of academic notoriety. Against the sordid legacy, Robert Turcan - a professor of Roman History at a prestigious French University - is like a breath of fresh air. In The Gods of Ancient Rome, Turcan presents Roman Religion from the perspective of the people who actually practiced it. The book is largely devoid of external theorizing and instead presents a candid portrait of the subject. The book begins with a brief note on the attitude of Romans to their universe, a concept best expressed as pietas or piety. The book then details the religion of the Roman family and the simple farming community from which the mighty Roman Empire was to emerge. Turcan makes it clear this private worship was actually the focus of Roman religion. It was within the bonds of the family that Romans honored a variety of household and familial entities. Roman religion was almost Confucian in its respect for ancestors and spirits, and this form of worship survived long after the public cult of the Olympians fell to foreign gods. Turcan next describes the religion of the state, the level of religion most people think of in reference to Romans. While new gods were added and old ones forgotten, there is nonetheless a string of piety and traditions that unites all stages of Roman public religion. The next section of the book outlines the exotic foreign cults that prospered throughout the Empire. Some of these cults would eventually eclipse the Olympian gods in popularity and prestige, and helped pave the way for Christianity. Turcan's book concludes with the obligatory chapter on the rise and triumph of Christianity. In less than two hundred pages, Turcan provides a comprehensive outline on Roman religion. It includes plentiful quotes from primary sources, archaeological records, and there are photographs as well. Through it all readers come to know the Romans as a people who were at once uplifted and daunted by the plurality of divinities they felt inhabited the universe. The ritualistic obligations they felt towards these powers consumed much of their time and energy. We moderns, rather than dismissing them as the wasted efforts of a naive people, should see Roman religion for what it really was. That is, the ultimate expression of the central Roman trait - duty. The same sense of duty a Roman felt to his gods and ancestors he also felt towards his country, and in so doing created the culture we all revere and praise. ...more Book Reviews! A Roman Myth by T. Wiseman Roman Religion by V. Warrior Cult of Mithras by M. Clauss Note: those wanting a more organized study of Roman religion should consult An Introduction of Roman Religion by John Scheid. Scheid gives the subject a much more thematic treatment, and this may be more accessible to those who think in more systematic terms. Schied, however, looks at Roman religion through his eyes rather than the Romans, and some of his conclusions are questionable. For the most objective look at the subject, Turcan is the safer bet. Robert Turcan is Professor of Roman History at the Sorbonne. He has published widely on Roman antiquity, mainly on aspects of religion. His books include Cults of the Roman Empire (1996) and Mithras et le Mithriacisme (1991). Tell us your opinion - Submit your Review - Buy the book! Book Review of The Gods of Ancient Rome by Robert Turcan - Related Topic: Roman Religion Bibliography Get it now! Gods of Ancient Rome for the UK ________________________________ Archive

Book Review by Ursus The two Adkins (husband and wife team of Roy and Lesley) have produced a wonderful compendium on the totality of life in Ancient Rome. This delightful tome serves an excellent introduction to Rome for beginners, or as a handy quick reference for more experienced students. The Book is divided into nine major areas: Government, Military, Geography, Municipal affairs, Travel and Trade, Language and Writing, Religion, Economics, and Everyday life. Each of these broad categories is furthered reduced into logical sub-categories. The articles are concise but by no means lacking. There are plenty of photographs, illustrations and maps to provide visual aids. Every library should have a copy; it would be a wonderful resource for students researching subjects on Ancient Rome. Obviously the book is meant to be a brief reference, not an encyclopedia of minute details. Those wishing more in-depth study on any section will have to consult more scholarly reading. Extensive bibliographies at the end of each section suggest resources to do just that! This book, which already serves as a great introduction, handily provides references to more advanced study. This is honestly the first book I would recommend to a blossoming Romanophile. After reading more than the four hundred pages cover to cover, an individual will garner enough sense to know whether or not they wish to continue their studies. They will already have in their possession a bibliography to continue those studies if they so chose. To those of us already well versed in the subject, it is still sometimes necessary to have an accessible aid on general topics. ...more Book Reviews! Why We Romans by C. Richard Roman Life by John R. Clarke Experiencing Rome by Huskinson The Adkins Lesley and Roy produced a similar book on Ancient Greece (Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece), and I highly recommend that as well. Every good Romanophile should be conversant with Hellenic culture, after all. Buying the two books (Handbook to Life Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece) together will be a brilliant introduction to classical society. This handy reference provides full access to the 1,200 years of Roman rule from the 8th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D., including information that is hard to find and even harder to decipher. Clear, authoritative, and highly organized, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome provides a unique look at a civilization whose art, literature, law, and engineering influenced the whole of Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and beyond. The myriad topics covered include rulers; the legal and governmental system; architectural feats such as the famous Roman roads and aqueducts; the many Roman religions and festivals; the Roman system of personal names; contemporary poets and historians; even typical Roman leisure pursuits. Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography, as well as more than 125 site-specific photographs and line drawings. Maps chart the expansion and contraction of the territory from the foundation city of Rome itself to the Byzantine Empire and the ultimate decline of the West. Roy and Lesley Adkins are writers and archaeologists. They are Members of the Institute for Archaeologists and Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London. They have both written several books. They both worked as field archaeologists for the Museum of London and later became freelance archaeological consultants, authors, and editors. After 2000 they moved to Devon and began to write full-time. Tell us your opinion - Submit your Review - Buy the book! Book Review of Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome - Related Topic: Roman History Bibliography Get it now! Handbook to Life for the UK ________________________________ Archive