History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Essential for self study.
A Worthy Grammar
A quality language text -- Wish there were more like it
outstanding, thorough, and manageable
Indispensable if you are serious about learning the language

Introduction to Attic Greek
Donald J. Mastronarde
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520078446

Book Description

This thorough presentation of Attic Greek assumes that college students learning the language deserve, from the beginning, full exposure to all the grammar and morphology that they will encounter in actual texts. Each of the forty-two chapters is a self-contained instructional unit, with challenging exercises carefully tailored to reflect the vocabulary and grammar learned to date. The units gradually build up the student's knowledge of declensions, tenses, and constructions by alternating emphasis on morphology and syntax. Readings become progressively more complex and, in the second half of the book, are largely based on actual texts and include unadapted passages from Xenophon, Lysias, Plato, Aristophanes, and Thucydides. Logically organized and remarkably lucid, Introduction to Attic Greek provides students with a strong grounding in the essentials of Greek grammar as well as a substantial body of vocabulary, enabling students to read, on completion of the course, a continuous text with commentary and dictionary.
Included are a concise introduction to the history of the Greek language, a composite list of verbs with principal parts, an appendix of all paradigms, Greek-English and English-Greek glossaries, and a detailed index. The book is also a useful reference work for more advanced students who discover that gaps in their knowledge of basic Greek grammar prevent accurate reading of texts.

Customer Reviews:

Essential for self study........2007-07-18

Because I have to study on my own this answer book obviously is a must. Mastronarde's approach in his textbook is just right for me as I am studying on my own with the answer book.

A Worthy Grammar.......2007-05-20

I found Mastronarde's Introduction to Attic Greek most helpful in its approach and explanations of important grammatical matters. It is not the kind of book that overwhelms a student with information nor simplifies too much trying to make things ever the quicker and easier. Overall, I found this a very worthy grammar.

A quality language text -- Wish there were more like it.......2007-05-07

As a linguist with a fair amount of experience in Asian languages (Mandarin and Classical/Literary Chinese), I was interested in approaching a language of a completely different nature: Attic Greek. After reading through a number of other reviews, I settled on this book and have been thrilled with my purchase ever since. Mastronarde gets the basic idea that vocabulary you can't effectively use (i.e. words for which you don't understand the associated grammar) is worthless and takes all the necessary precautions to make sure that by the time you learn a new term you know how it's used. The negative reviews I've seen for this book mainly have to do with it's grammar-centric composition (which is viewed as being slow to develop), but if you're going to learn a language with the aim to enjoy it for the rest of your life, why complain about using a text that'll be a little slower in the first two weeks but ultimately leave you with superior understanding?

This is a marvelous book, but I highly recommend purchasing Introduction to Attic Greek ANSWER BOOK as well. Morice's Stories in Attic Greek is another goodie as it allows you to see the language in action once you've covered the basics of declension and conjugation and provides some of the cultural knowledge necessary to fully engage an original text.

outstanding, thorough, and manageable.......2007-03-27

I am at Unit 27, learning Greek on my own. So far: outstanding, thorough, and manageable. As others have noted, the Answer key is invaluable.

The exercises are designed to reinforce what has been presented. While they do stretch the student, they include no surprises, nor items that have not yet been presented.

I've also been using "Morice's Easy Stories in Attic Greek," when I want a break from the straight grammar text, and just do some reading. One could start (with struggle!) Morice's stories after Mastronarde's Unit 18-20 Verb Principal Part mega-review.

Another note. Mastronarde's book seems largely derived (modernized, improved!) from Herbert Smyth's 1920's era classic Greek Grammar. Those who want another perspective on a thorny issue can find Smyth on Google Books or (sometimes) on Ebay.

Finally, a confession. The only part of Mastronarde's book which has truly baffled me is the "Athematic Aorist." Everything else, I get. I don't mean I have perfect recall of all that has been presented, but that, on reading it, I could understand it. Not so the "Athematic Aorist."

But, all in all, this is a very very good Greek grammar text.

Indispensable if you are serious about learning the language.......2006-11-05

If you have just started learning Greek and you think there is an easy way to master it, you should better stop fantasising. This book will never try to convince you that there is such a way. It would not be honest.

That is why you will find lots of grammar here. You will need it. You will appreciate later how clearly the material is presented, especially the notorious irregular verbs. Even after completing this book you will use it as a reference tool. This is one of the reasons why the book is such a good buy.

Another strong point of this book are exercises. They are very well planned and designed to achieve one single aim: to develop proper language structures in your brain. Important hint however: do not buy "The Introduction..." without the answer book. The exercises are not easy and you will need a confirmation that you are doing them properly.

One tiny little drawback. The editor's work could have been done better. It is generally good practice in editing books to use different sorts of type, like bold-faced one. Another idea, which is also not entirely bad (and one could expect that it should be understood by editors worldwide), is to organise the text into clear paragraphs instead of gathering it into big lumps which are not only difficult to read but also will destroy any attempt to find an information quickly. I hope this will be corrected in future editions.

Hoplites: The Classical Greek Battle Experience

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Eye opening study of the free agrarian hoplite soldier
Skilled Soldiers, Rather than 'eathens
Hoplomachia--The Ancient Greek Art of War
Stupidity As Virtue
Fresh Perspective

Hoplites: The Classical Greek Battle Experience
Victor Hanson
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415098165

Book Description

Incorporating research from ancient literary, iconographic, epigraphic, and archaeological sources, this one-of-a-kind book explores the experiences of the Hoplites, soldiers who conducted battle on the small plains of Ancient Greece.

The nine contributors to Hoplites --both British and American scholars--discuss the pragmatic concerns of Greek infantrymen, covering everything from the mechanics of phalanx advance to the proper procedures for the dedication of spoils. The contributors also examine the techniques of fighting, the use of commands, music in warfare, the use of "dog tags," as well as the role of ritual sacrifice on the battlefield.

Contributors include J. K. Anderson, University of California, Berkeley; Michael Jameson, Stanford University; Peter Krentz, Davidson College; Josiah Ober, Princeton University; Pamela Vaughn, California State University; and Everett Wheeler, Duke University.

Customer Reviews:

Eye opening study of the free agrarian hoplite soldier.......2005-08-29

I think Hanson has more than made the point in his other works that it was the Greek free land owning farmer and not the city dweller who dominated the rise of greek warfare and culture which culminated in the 5th and 6th centuries BCE. Before the Persian invasion but after the "Heroic Age" a unique form of warfare evolved in Greece. The central figure of which was the free farmer of the Greek countryside who donned nearly 80 pounds of armour in the hot summer, lined up with his fellows and charged a muderous row of brass tipped spears to settle border disputes in a single climactic clash.
This book explores not the tactics, the generals, nor the historical perspective of hoplite warfare, but instead focuses on the actual experience of battle. What was it like to wear the brass armour and carry a shield, what was the importance of sacrifice before giving battle? Why would someone willingly enter such a zone of death?
Many reviewers I feel fail to notice that this book does not claim to glorify hoplite battle as an artful waging of war, nor does it attempt to be a complete study of the political dynamics that affected Greek warfare, when clearly Hanson's goal as editor is more to turn our attention to the experience itself in the eyes of the people who stood in the 8 deep ranks of men. Most of the articles focus on our evidence of vases and early histories. From the book we are given an image of battle that will shape how western armies wage war and form the importance of decisive battle. It is to the common Greek hoplite farmer that we owe this legacy, and we owe it to them to understand what this form of battle was like.

Skilled Soldiers, Rather than 'eathens.......2004-05-01

This works delves into Ancient Greek battle and experience of battle, rather than ancient Greek wafare as a whole. Instead of glorifying this kind of war, the authors point out several times the cold bloodedness, fear, and bloodiness of this kind of battle.

The main focus of the work (and I agree with the earlier reviewer that some of the essays are a tad big-winded) is to point out the actions, intensity, purpose, and cultural aspects of hoplite battle, not strategy. All authors use extensive references to actual historical events. I think the books succeeds, and I disagree with the same reviewer I mentioned above that tactics did not matter. The Thebans in particular are noted for the tactics of Epimeinondas, and the Athenians and Syracusans are mentioned as well. Tactics at later stages of hoplite battle are more difficult, but an essay points out that early and middle stage fighting had ample room for both small unit and larger unit tactics.

And I also take issue with another review that quotes Kipling in an effort to relegate hoplites to simple farmers who fight on occasion. The Greek hoplite were excellent soldiers (even if they also farmed), and even professional, as evidenced by their extensive history of mercenary service. They took care of their weapons, followed orders, and in many cases, were bloody hard to punch out of a postion, such as Thermopylae. Again, the book mentions their professionalism at several points, including the patient endurance of Spartans under Persina arrows at Platea 479 B. C.

I do not think the 19th century heathen warriros in the poem could have pulled off the above, or the Anabasis, or conquered everything from Macedonia to India, with the exception of a Zulu army, which, I might add, defeated a rather modern British force at Islandlwana.

If you have a basic understanding of ancient Greek battle, I suggest this book as a next step. It will greatly deepen both understanding and appreciation of the topic.

Hoplomachia--The Ancient Greek Art of War.......2002-08-21

In ancient Greece, men dressed themselves in armor, armed themselves with pikes, stood shoulder to shoulder eight ranks deep facing another group of similarly armed and arrayed soldiers, and then charged into each other with homicidal intent. The resulting carnage was horrific. There was no maneuver, no strategy, and little room for skill at arms. Only strength, stamina, and courage mattered.

As bloody and unpleasant as the hoplite battle was, it was really a system designed to limit non-combatant casualties. Only the soldiers on the chosen field of battle exposed themselves to injury while the city-states themselves suffered little behind their stout walls. Hoplite warfare was sort of like settling international disputes by means of a very bloody football game.

The essays in this volume explore all aspects of the very bloody sport that was classical Greek combat. Arms, armament, drill, ritual, and all other appurtenances of Greek warfare are examined exhaustively. There is even a whole chapter devoted to the "salpinx," the Greeks' version of the bugle.

The writing is somewhat uneven (some of the contributors seek to display their extensive vocabulary rather than enlighten the reader) and the work suffers greatly from a dearth of illustrations. Several chapters refer extensively to paintings on pottery, but the pottery isn't depicted in the book. Despite these shortcomings, I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in ancient military history.

If you'd like an overview that doesn't delve quite as deeply into the details of hoplite battle, you might prefer two other works: F.E. Adcock's "The Greek and Macedonian Art of War," and Victor Hansen's "The Western Way of War," both available from Amazon.com.

Stupidity As Virtue.......2000-05-04

Mr. Hanson seems to feel there's some particular moral virtue in a style of war where the height of strategy is to put your head down and run at the enemy like a bull at a gate. And that nothing is necessary but righteous enthusiasm.

As the son, grandson and great-grandson of professional soldiers -- mostly in the service of the British Empire -- words cannot express my disdain. My ancestors spent their professional lives butchering just such patriotic agrarian amateurs like sheep.

As the poet put it:

"The 'eathen in 'is blindness Bows down to wood and stone; 'E won't obey no orders Unless they is 'is own -- 'E keeps 'is side-arms sloppy 'E leaves 'em all about. Then up comes the Regiment; An' we punch the 'eathen out!"

Fresh Perspective.......2000-03-28

This book is a collection of nine scholarly essays specifically about the Hoplite soldier: describing their weapons and offensive arms, identification and retrieval of casualties, phalanx battle style (from within), sacrifices and battle rituals, etc. While academic in nature, it was a good read and differed from other books on the subject in that it didn't paradigmatically examine Greek battle in terms of strategy, tactics, politics, or similar macro-issues. Instead, this truly observed the Hoplite soldier from the perspective of a Hoplite soldier as we now understand them. The book wasn't INCREDIBLE, but I feel satisfied that I got my money's worth.

The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization

Average customer rating:

The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization
A necessary resource for the student of early christianity
"Condensed" version still weighy volume
A good starting place
Quite helpful----with at least one serious exception.

The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0198601654

Book Description

CIVILIZATION IN ALL ITS ASPECTS For more than 2000 years the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome have captivated our collective imagination and provided fresh inspiration for every age. Now, for the first time, The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization distils the fruits of recent scholarship to provide the most up-to-date and authoritative survey of the Greek and Roman worlds in all their aspects. Drawing on the latest edition of the highly praised Oxford Classical Dictionary, this new illustrated Oxford Companion offers unrivalled access to the latest knowledge of classical civilization, making it the perfect guide for general readers interested in learning more about the very bedrock of Western culture. HISTORY AND POLITICS the events, achievements, and personalities of 2500 years of history of Greece and Rome and their immediate neighbours, as well as the underlying issues from democracy to propaganda, famine and finance, Hellenization and mercenaries, population, and slavery ETHICS AND MORALS, LAW AND PUNISHMENT individual philosophers and their schools, and ethical issues, such as corruption; prison; torture; abortion; attitudes to animals, to wealth, or to warfare; suicide; freedom; and intellectual or religious intolerance SOCIAL AND FAMILY LIFE food and drink, cookery, houses, and dress; childbirth; sexual behaviour, including rape and incest; and broader social topics such as status, kinship and the family, ritualized friendship, tourism, and urbanization LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, ART AND SCHOLARSHIP writers and poets, orators and playwrights, literacy and books, archives and education, literary genres, painting and sculpture, and the writing of history RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY Greek, Roman, and Egyptian beliefs, cults, and rituals, from oracles and curses, to sacred prostitution, together with their attendant deities and mythological creatures, mingle with Judaism and early Christianity TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE, AND MEDICINE the birth of the scientific method in experiment, and all manner of discovery , exploration, treatment, and theorizing on disease, geography, climate, astronomy, mineralogy, navigation, sanitation, vivisection MAJOR ESSAYS and BRILLIANT ILLUSTRATION Specially designed articles on the individuals and themes of central importance provide a useful overview for the modern reader from Alexander to Xenophon, Cicero and Hannibal; and from the histories of Greece and Rome, to Christianity, and architecture. Imaginatvely chosen and striking illustrations underline further the sophistication and complextity of classical civilization, making the ancient world dramatically present.

Customer Reviews:

The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization.......2003-06-19

A stunning revelation to the classical world . this book is more of a classical hero than herakles was

A necessary resource for the student of early christianity.......2001-04-09

This book is indispendable for a person like myself who got a degree in world religions in general, and early christianity in particular, and who, therefore, lacks an in-depth background in the secular history of Greece and Rome. I hesitated a while before writing a review because I had not read a sufficient number of articles. However, the time has come for comment. I find the shorter articles informative, but at times leaving me waanting more. The longer ones are more satisfying. I was tempted to buy the longer version of The Companion (The Oxford Classical Dictionary), but decided against it after reading the reviews. I am happy with my decision. If I want more information on a topic, I can find it elsewhere. I find that The Companion covers more topics than I need, but I enjoy randomingly paging through the book, selecting what strikes my fancy before going to sleep at night. This is a treasured resource that enhances my understanding of the milieu of early christianity.

"Condensed" version still weighy volume.......2000-09-01

The publication of The Oxford Classical Dictionary, weighing in at 1,640 pages and $99.95 price tag may have told many people more about the Ancient Greek and Roman worlds more than they wanted to know. To them, this companion will be of prime interest.

To pare down the selections, the same editors who updated the dictionary relied on an all or nothing rule: either an entry would be reproduced in its entirety, or it would be dropped. Of the 40 Claudius in the original dictionary, only the Roman emperor popularized in "I, Claudius" made the cut. In addition, the editors kicked the type size up a point or two and recast the longer essays into a one-column layout with the background lightly shaded. Even at half the price, it still offers nearly 800 pages and contains a selection of maps and color photographs not found in its larger brethern. For those who were reluctant to shell out a C-note, this is an appealing alternative.

A good starting place.......2000-02-27

As a standard introductory reference text, I found the Oxford Companion invaluable as a good beginning point to pursue any line of inquiry regarding the classical age. Weighing in at nearly 800 pages, this book is a weighty tome, not something to carry around lightly. Navigation within the book is easy with appropriate cross referencing, such as pointing you at GAIUS when you look up Caligula and warning you of other articles relating to the same subject. Also classical sources are clearly cited and I have followed a number of these up in standard translations to check their opinion. Spread throughout the book are numerous colour and black & white photographs of archaeological evidence and other artefacts. Also throughout the volume and are a number of special reference entries of extended length discussing in more detail important people, places or themes. Such as sections on: Homer, painting and slavery. As in any extended encyclopaedia project, the number of contributors is huge. Inevitably, given the small amount of space available for each section, each item is unlikely to offer a full range of scholarly thought, opinion and research. As with any reference text, it should be used as a starting point for research, not as a substitute.

You cannot please everybody all the time. On balance I think you have to accept that a work of this nature is going to throw up anomalies or controversial entries which not all readers will agree with. It is the nature of academic pursuit of knowledge to encounter disagreements or views which do not match your own. I very much doubt if hardly any of the contributors listed, would completely agree with each other on the articles which they have written. This is the nature of encyclopedias.

Particularly the arena of classical history, is prone to heated debate over the most simplest of issues, due to the lack of evidence or the interpretation of what exists, such as it is. In short there are no `facts' only interpretation.

Quite helpful----with at least one serious exception........1999-07-13

With one serious exception (see below) I have thus far found The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization to be quite helpful.

Having purchased this book as a supplemental reference for my study of biblical literature, I was shocked, angered and disappointmented upon coming across the article on "Christianity," by Philip Rousseau.

The fact that Rousseau describes Christianity in unflattering terms is not nearly so significant as the fact that his "facts" appear poorly researched and loosely strung together in an obvious attempt to vilify Christianity. Summarizing the life and ministry of Jesus in terms of "the wonder-working holy man," for example, does gross injustice to both Jesus' teachings and miracle claims.

Rousseau presents Christianity as little more than an arrogant thief and counterfeiter, stealing ideas and images first from the Jews and then from secular philosophers. In so doing, Rousseau completely disregards the concept of God's progressive revelation and the fact that no one has a patent on the truth. The New Testament books, the last of which was written prior to the close of the first century A.D., are unanimous in their presentation of the gospel as God's secret plan now unveiled for all peoples in all places. Whether for good or ill, Christian apologists later sought to convey infinite Christian truths using common finite imagery. Indeed, some did try to "blend" Christian thought and secular philosophy, although even in such cases enlightenment and not deceit was their primary motivation.

By no means an historian, I am nonetheless familiar enough with "Christian history" to know that Rousseau's arguments are full of holes. Not only is his article biased in the extreme, it is also just plain wrong at several critical points. I purchased The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization for its presentation---and, unavoidably, its interpretation---of the facts. I did not know, however, that I would also be treated to a radical reinterpretation of history. Rousseau's taking extreme liberty with the facts reveals his personal ideology and makes him guilty of the very thing of which he accuses Christianity: " . . . what had happened was that the controlling element in a whole society had changed its mind about the meaning of history and experience" (pg. 158).

Average customer rating:

Not a synthesis of contemporary thought, but the author's setting out of his own research

A History of the Greek Language: From Its Origins to the Present
Francisco Rodriguez Adrados
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9004128352

Product Description

Greek is one of the few languages still known to us after three thousand years that are still spoken today. In this English translation of Francisco Rodríguez Adradoss Historia de lengua griega, an overview is presented of the development of the Greek language at its different stages. Professor Adrados touches on a rich variety of topics, making A History of the Greek Language into a colourful collection of linguistic ideas.

Customer Reviews:

Not a synthesis of contemporary thought, but the author's setting out of his own research.......2007-06-22

A HISTORY OF THE GREEK LANGUAGE is a translation of Francisco Rodriguez Adrados' HISTORIA DE LA LINGUA GRIEGA, originally published by Editorial Gredos in Madrid in 1999. Rodriguez delights in the nearly unbroken continuity of the Greek language from its beginnings three thousand years ago, and his book seeks to cover the history of Greek from Indo-European to the modern language.

From the work's title, one might expect a gentle introduction to the evolution of Greek for those who, while they might have some knowledge of either the classical or modern language, are nevertheless new to the field. Well, that's not the case. From the very first chapter, discussing the Indo-European basis of Greek, it's clear that the author expects the reader to have much prior training in all the matters he will discuss. Terms central to Indo-European linguistics("laryngeals", "heteroclitic", "monothematic") are used without definition, and prominent figures at the sides of various debates are mentioned without introduction. Instead, a major purpose of A HISTORY OF THE GREEK LANGUAGE seems to be the setting forth of the author's own views on the subject against possibly competing arguments by his colleagues. For example, Rodriguez holds that Hittite split of from IE long before a number of important features like gender evolved, setting him apart from Beekes (yet putting him together with Cowgill, mention of whom is, for some strange reason, missing here).

Once past the Indo-European stage, the book reveals itself as something of an outline, presentation of material being as bare as lecture notes. Discussion of the history of Classical Greek is heavily skewed towards literary styles, the chief research concern of the author. Coverage of the phonology of Greek is nowhere as substantial as in W. Sidney Allen's VOX GRAECA, but this is somewhat compensated by an intriguing interest in the Greek lexicon and its gradual expansion through borrowings or derivations.

There are some features of the history of Greek that are inexplicably missing. For example, there is no discussion of the Balkan sprachbund, which binds Greek in an important fashion to surrounding languages. Many works one should think central to the field are missing from book's bibliography, perhaps due to the poor holdings of Madrid university libraries (half of my undergraduate studies in Classics with an IE bent were done there, I was miserable with such paltry collections).

Bottom line, if you are looking for a history of Greek that synthesizes the work of the entire scholarly community, look elsewhere. Rodriguez's book is only for those with prior training in the field who want to see the views of a single scholar.

A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome

Average customer rating:

A classic for those interested in Roman history
Topographical Dictionary is a must!
Good text, weak on illustrations and maps
Excellent
Absolutely critical to understanding ancient Rome (the city)

A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome
L., jr Richardson
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0801843006

Book Description

The first such dictionary since that of Platner and Ashby in 1929, A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome defines and describes the known buildings and monuments, as well as the geographical and topographical features, of ancient Rome. It provides a concise history of each, with measurements, dates, and citations of significant ancient and modern sources.

Customer Reviews:

A classic for those interested in Roman history.......2007-09-09

A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome was published in 1992 and replaced the 1929 Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome which had become dated (the text of that is in the public domain). The book gives an excellent introduction to all of the monuments in the city of Ancient Rome.It has appropriate diagrams etc and an excellent bibliography. It - along with the Oxford Classical Dictionary - is a must for a library of those interested in Ancient Rome and is suited for both classical students plus interested lay readers.

Topographical Dictionary is a must!.......2005-07-28

I have lived in Rome for 12 years and have become an avid enthusiast of ancient Roman history. History is inextricably connected to physical locations. The Topographical Guide has proven to be invaluable. There is not one location in Rome that I have looked up that I did not find. The who, what, when, where and why of the location is concisely and clearly presented in a very easy reading style. I consider it a must for any student or enthusiast of Ancient Rome.

Good text, weak on illustrations and maps.......2004-07-01

There is a wealth of fascinating textual information in this book, together with about a hundred illustrations, mostly architectural plans or fragments of the ancient marble plan. The author states that it was a deliberate decision not to include drawings or photographs, since these are available in Nash's Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Rome -- but that work is very rare and expensive. His decision is understandable, but it is harder to account for the complete absence of maps. A couple of flyleaf maps of the ancient and modern city would have been very helpful in orienting the reader.

Excellent.......2000-03-15

This is definitely worth the money. It is a very, very detailed work with many references to things I'd never even heard of. I've successfully used it as a reference for several papers, and recommend it to anyone-- especially classicists who're interested in the finer points of Rome's architecture, geography, and history. This is an excellent way to learn more about less common aspects of Rome, as well as the big things like the Pantheon, etc.

All in all, it's an excellent reference and a great read as well-- I highly recommend it.

Absolutely critical to understanding ancient Rome (the city).......1999-07-17

With this magnificent work in hand one can read the ancient historians and understand what you are reading, street by street, site by site. New information and research has been presented in the 60 plus years since the last dictionary of ancient Rome, and it makes this new topographical tome so exciting. If you are going to Rome and have a strong arm as well as a strong interest in what was where and when, then this admittedly heavyweight book will not be too much to take along. Perhaps most fascinating are those wonderful maps which present past and present on sites long lost to the avid Roman visitor. You may not see what was there by looking at the present site, but you can understand what was there better with this book. For the college student who may be planning a career or a deep interest in classical Rome, this book will be worth the price many times over! Best of all is the list of all the classical references for each building, site, or even, in some cases, statues or adornments. This book is more than a gift of scholarship, it is a gift of love of the history of Rome and for all those who will come along in the future to study it.

Average customer rating:

Good book for beginners

Spoken Greek
Evris Tsakirides
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0472064886

Book Description

Lively new method of teaching modern Greek

Customer Reviews:

Good book for beginners.......2001-01-30

The book is a good introduction for the people who want to learn the Greek language beyond the greek basics. It offers a comprehensive approach in teaching and it has been updated to cover the modern Greek language. It is also a good book to have because it extends beyond the limitations of other Greek-language books which are focused for travelers only. I would recommend it.

Dictionary of Bibliographic Abbreviations Found in the Scholarship of Classical Studies and Related Disciplines: Revised and Expanded Edition

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Dictionary of Bibliographic Abbreviations Found in the Scholarship of Classical Studies and Related Disciplines: Revised and Expanded Edition
Jean Susorney Wellington
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313321418

Book Description

Trying to identify abbreviated titles of journals and standard bibliographic works is a major difficulty facing researchers and librarians in the field of Classical Studies. This revised edition has been greatly expanded, with nearly twice the abbreviations (17,000) and bibliographic entries (12,400) as the first edition. Also, the Greek and Cyrillic abbreviations have increased by seven and four fold respectively. Abbreviations for internet sites are now included, as are those for associations in the broad area of Classical Studies. There are also more entries for Eastern European and regional archaeological publications. This revised volume is divided into two parts. Part One consists of an alphabetical listing of bibliographic abbreviations found in the scholarship of classical studies and related disciplines. Meanwhile, Part Two is an alphabetically arranged bibliographic descriptions for the works published in classical studies and related disciplines. Special efforts were made to increase the coverage in peripheral areas, making this new edition a useful reference tool for scholars in all subjects of study in the ancient and medieval world.

A to Z of Greek and Roman Women (A to Z of Women)

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A to Z of Greek and Roman Women (A to Z of Women)
Marjorie Lightman , and Benjamin Lightman
Manufacturer: Facts on File
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0816067104

The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature

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A Comprehensive Survey of Classical Literature
Avocational Requirement

The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 019860081X

Book Description

The second edition of The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature provides enthusiasts for the classical world and its literary heritage with the complete reference guide to the subject. This book not only presents the reader with all the essential facts about the authors, tales, and characters from ancient myth and literature, but also uniquely places these details in the wider contexts of the history and society of the Greek and Roman worlds. With an extensive web of cross-references and a useful chronological table and location maps, this volume traces the development of literary forms and the classical allusions which have become embedded in our Western culture. * Accounts of the lives and works of the classical writers: poets, dramatists, historians, and philosophers from Aeschylus and Anacreon to Socrates, Xenophon, and Zeno * Character entries and plot summaries: the Labours of Hercules, the tragic fates of Oedipus and Antigone, the comic pieces by Aristophanes and Plautus, Odysseus' tussles with Polyphemus the one-eyed giant, the Sirens, and the god Poseidon * Literary styles: the development of biography, epic, rhetoric, tragedy, and lyric poetry; examples of metrical form and poetic devices: hexameters, iambic and lyric metres, assonance, metonymy * Historical, political, social, and wider cultural background: aqueducts, armies, art, education, emperors and political orators, law courts, music, position of women, religion, and vase-painting * General textual themes: Greek and Roman alphabets and language, books and writing, historiography, papyrology, transmission of ancient texts * Accessible and informative: all Latin and Greek words are translated; detailed maps pin-point places with literary connections; chronological table gives instant access to the major literary and historical events

Customer Reviews:

A Comprehensive Survey of Classical Literature.......2005-06-14

A useful reference work for anyone interested in the literature of the ancient world, The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature is arranged alphabetically and contains encyclopedic entries for all of the major authors and their particular works, Greek and Latin gods, mythological characters, histories of Greece and Rome, major historical figures, and relevant places.

The original edition of the 1930s by Sir Paul Harvey became a classic of its own and was intended by the author to be a handbook of information for readers of the Greek and Latin authors and of modern works that touched upon the classical world. The current second edition is edited by Margaret Howatson, who revises and enlarges the Harvey edition. She notes that while a few of the entries on technical subjects were written with classical specialists in mind, the book generally requires no knowledge of Greek or Latin and is intended for anyone curious to find out more about the classical world.

An ideal companion for any reader interested in Greek or Latin literature and history.

Avocational Requirement.......2004-02-13

For anyone interested in reading from Greek and Latin / Roman history, literature, philosophy, &c. this will help you through. Entries include texts, themes, authors, characters, place names, and genre discussion.

If you have always wanted to read Virgil, Homer, Julius Caesar, and were not inclined to begin with a chronological survey of culture, history, philosophy, this book will enliven and make intelligible your reading. One literary help for me was to be able to look up the name of a character, geographical location, or common noun, and find enough information to make a whole text intelligible.

While Oxford Classical Dictionary covers subjects in greater detail, this volume is a direct help in reading Greek and Latin texts in translation.

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