ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
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COURSE: HST 1310 (Spring 2017)
TOPIC: Greek and Roman Culture
THESIS: The histories of the ancient Greeks and Romans are closely linked, and as a result
they share many similarities, but also many differences, which can be seen through comparison
and contrast of their cultures and practices.
Bauman, Richard A. Women and politics in ancient Rome. Routledge, 2002. This work details the
changes and developments of women’s roles in the ancient Roman government and
politics, as well as their legal and social status as the Empire changed. Covering a period
of close to four hundred years of Roman history, Bauman’s work is extremely well
referenced, with each chapter containing many evidentiary citations that contribute to his
exposition. He criticizes other authors and scholars for their lack of supporting evidence,
and it is clear that he makes sure to practice as he preaches. However credible the depth
of knowledge is, however, this work is also more specific and less far reaching than
others cited. Though women and the structure of Roman politics and families play an
important part in the path to understanding the culture as a whole, the role and
development of women’s rights and responsibilities in legal and political matters is
potentially too refined to be of considerable use overall.
Blundell, Sue, and Margaret Williamson. The sacred and the feminine in ancient Greece.
Psychology Press, 1998. Blundell and Williamson provide a tasteful and insightful foray
into the lives of women in ancient Greece, with regards to their social status, their roles
as members of families, and their depiction and representation in art and mythology.
Within their essay are cited many works, both historical texts that give account of events
and legal actions taken, transcripts from courts and speeches, and more modern
contemporary analysis. With a wide range of informative sources providing credence to
their dissection and diagnosis of the place of women in the lives of the ancient Greeks, it
is fair to say that this document is valid and a trustworthy basis of study. However,
whether or not it is relevant is less clear - though in truth, women comprise half of any
society, in the pursuit of acknowledging differences between overarching cultural
constructs between the ancient Greeks and Romans, focusing solely on the place of
women in society, and not necessarily the belief systems at the root cause or otherwise,
might prove this resource to be less beneficial than some of the others listed.
Bradley, Mark. Colour and meaning in ancient Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2009. This work provides an incredibly interesting, richly detailed and cited look into the
ancient Greek view of color, and how it played a role in their art, philosophy and more. An
immensely interesting read, Bradley’s analysis provides an enormity of information that,
while less helpful when trying to construct an overarching idea of what ancient Roman
culture might have looked like, provides an incredibly sophisticated and well reasoned
account of some of the finer points of their mentality towards color, and as a result how
its influence shaped their art and culture. Like many other fairly abstract concepts during
the period of the ancient Greeks and Romans, there existed a belief that color was more
than just a pigment or a hue, and that train of thought reaches deep into some of the
psychological and philosophical frameworks of the ancient Roman times. While a
fascinating and credible source, this should not be used to build the generalist view of the
ancient Roman culture, but rather to supplement and connect more broad spectrum
concepts and ideas together through its specificity.
Bryant, Joseph M. Moral codes and social structure in ancient Greece: A sociology of Greek
ethics from Homer to the Epicureans and Stoics. SUNY Press, 1996. Bryant’s writing
presents a detailed, but easily digestible history of the development of Greece as a social
and political entity. This provides bountiful insight into the cause and effect nature of how
ancient Greek culture and society developed, but comes with a significant flaw when
compared to other scholarly works that cover the subject. While Bryant’s information
seems valid, and many references are made to contemporary analysis of the research
that he cites, compared to other historical examinations, it appears as though less
deference was given to the primary and secondary historical sources, and more given to
peers, contemporaries and more modern analysis. While this does not detract from the
valuable information present, such as the historical development of Greece as a world
power, and their interactions both inter and intracommunally, it must be noted that the
information and assertions made may not be as valid or accurate as others by this
nature. Nonetheless, in the vein of discovering the nature and qualities of Greek culture,
this source is excellent for providing a vision of how it came to be, and what features and
facets comprised the ancient Greek social form.
Carcopino, Jerome. Daily Life in Ancient Rome-The People and the City at the Height of the
Empire. Read Books Ltd, 2013. Carcopino’s writing details much of the life of the ancient
Romans, but it is constrained - for good reason stated within the text - to a very localized
period of time in the first and second centuries. For this reason, it is less overarching, but
more specific and precise than many of the other texts referenced, but it is not by that
nature less valuable. It is well referenced, including myriad primary and secondary
sources that shed light into the lives of the ancient Romans during the time frame
covered in this essay. This does limit the source’s usefulness when considering the
relatively broad nature of the thesis selected, comparing and contrasting two distinct
cultures, wherein no amount of information about any given century out of dozens, no
matter how detailed, will be as useful as those that deal in more general themes, but that
does not rule out this source as being without merit - it simply should not be relied upon
without the support of others that cover the same theme, but across a broader stretch of
time, to include more of the ancient Roman lifestyle.
Edwards, Catharine. Death in ancient Rome. Yale University Press, 2007. Edwards draws heavily
from primary and secondary sources, giving heavy historical validity to her research,
while simultaneously backing up her own interpretations and assertions by comparing
and contrasting them to more contemporary examinations. This analysis of death in the
ancient Roman culture provides critical context clues, such as the view of the afterlife, the
value of living, Roman virtues, and more, which help to shape an understanding of what
life and the culture of the ancient Roman Empire might have been like. If culture is the
study of the products of a people’s life, then the study of their views and practices
regarding death is equally important to understanding it, and Edwards does a
phenomenal job of presenting the information in a credible, yet still digestible format. This
source is invaluable for developing a framework understanding of the facets of ancient
Roman culture, needed in order to compare it to the ancient Greeks’.
Golden, Mark. Sport and society in ancient Greece. Cambridge University Press, 1998. Golden
pulls from a variety of historical and analytical sources and accounts of the nature and
role of sport, physical contest and athleticism in ancient Greek culture, including the
history and tradition of such sports, as well as their significance. He also makes
comparisons to other cultures and their sporting practices, diversifying his accounts from
not only the often considered athenian and spartan Greeks even as far as to American
competitions. From there, he makes assertions and draws conclusions about Greek
identity and ideology based on their behavior, which he again defends by drawing upon
historical and contemporary sources alike that contribute data to his analysis. Golden
discusses not only the types of exercise and games performed by the ancient Greeks,
but also examines and analyzes the nature and influence that Greek cultural practice,
beliefs and tradition played in these activities - and vice versa.
Hawhee, Debra. Bodily arts: Rhetoric and athletics in ancient Greece. University of Texas Press,
2004. In this piece, Hawhee cites and draws upon classical sources and ancient
materials, engaging many of the theories and ideologies found in the works of Homer and
Aristotle with regard to the Greek culture of athleticism and the ideals of human
perfection, but makes note that the reading is designed less for classicists and is
designed towards a general audience. This presents the information in a more digestible
method for those who might be less familiar with the intricacies of ancient Greek
civilization, making it an excellent source to use when writing on this topic. That being
said, this source is an in depth and comprehensive presentation of information
surrounding the Greek idea of human physiology, strength, beauty and athleticism that
was prominent during their day and can still be seen in their art and recorded
philosophies. This source can be compared to Golden’s work, which covers more of the
materialistic, societal involvements of the Greek athletic culture, whereas Hawhee’s work
covers a more ideological sector, but both are compatible and form a foundation of
knowledge with regards to the topic they share.
Kaster, Robert. Emotion, restraint, and community in ancient Rome. Oxford University Press,
2005. Kaster presents a rather colloquial and pleasantly digestible foray into the state
and relation of emotion and sense of “Roman identity” that was such a key factor in
Rome’s history; the chivalry and unity and pride of each Roman citizen was a major
contributor to the success and growth of the Empire. Though written much more to a
casual audience, and containing less technical language and specific information, and
the topic may seem vague and somewhat unrelated to the general topic, this writing
provides incredible insight into the nature of the Roman citizens, their mindset, thoughts
and perspectives of their own culture as it is presented to them, rather than an outsider’s
perspective. This work is a useful source of information, but as a standalone might be
rather underwhelming when considering the whole of ancient Roman culture.
Lloyd, Geoffrey Ernest Richard. Science, folklore and ideology: studies in the life sciences in
ancient Greece. CUP Archive, 1983. Lloyd pulls from a variety of historical and analytical
sources, such as the works of Plato and Pliny as well as contemporary scholars, to build
and account for information regarding the developments of ancient Greek science, math
and ideology. As the ancient Greeks mixed their mythology and belief systems with the
science of observation and philosophy of reason, so too does Lloyd divest his writing into
examination and analysis of the various aspects that form the “life sciences” of the
ancient Greek culture. In the context of examining, comparing and contrasting the ancient
Greek and ancient Roman cultures and ideologies, this analysis is useful as it provides a
comprehensive and structured presentation of the ancient Greek state of mind and
understanding of the world, while remaining credible and accurate to the source material
that Lloyd draws his conclusions from.
Mikalson, Jon D. Ancient Greek Religion. Vol. 9. John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Mikalson’s writings
discuss the religion and mythology of the ancient Greeks as it developed alongside their
civilization, both the content of the stories and mythos as well as the context, the
worshipers, cults and practices that accompanied these systems of beliefs. While full of
citations both of modern analysis and ancient works, and complete with
recommendations for further readings on each topic covered, Mikalson is the first to
admit in his writing that covering the entirety of ancient Greek religion in one publication
would be impossible, and that this piece should be intended as an introduction or primer.
This text provides a large amount of relevant information to the topic of religion, which
itself is an ideology and plays a very large part in the development and sustenance of
culture, making it an ideal candidate to credit when researching a topic such as the one
chosen.
Pearson, Lionel Ignacius Cusack. Popular ethics in ancient Greece. Stanford University Press,
1962. Pearson provides, in this example, an abnormal, that is to say unusual in the scope
and direction that it takes, insight into the culture of the ancient Athenian Greeks, namely
of the fifth century. Unlike other sources cited here, and many of the published studies of
ancient Greek philosophy and ethics, Pearson’s analysis isn’t directed towards the
philosophers and scholars, the innovative thinkers of the time. Instead, the examination is
a broad spectrum consideration of the ethics of the entire grecian population. Because of
this, and because of the rather speculative nature of the pursuit, Pearson may prove to
be less reliably factual than other sources that consider more widely written of and
researchable facets of philosophy; the area covered within this writing, by its nature,
makes more leaps and assumptions than others do, but still provides valuable, if less
ironclad, insight into the behavior, culture and thought processes of the ancient Greeks.
Porter, James I. The origins of aesthetic thought in ancient Greece: matter, sensation, and
experience. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Porter provides an indepth analysis and examination of ancient Greek aesthetics, a manner of thinking and a
philosophical construct regarding the nature of the physical world as it appeals to the
human senses, through the lense of piles of historical evidence and the works of many
ancients relevant to the topic. The coverage provided within is incredibly detailed and
extensive, and while constrained namely to the conversation of the aesthetic, its
developments, facets, factors that impacted it and that it impacted, Porter grounds his
analysis in the context of ancient Greek civilization, and demonstrates frequently how the
ideas of the time shaped the aesthetic mindset, and vice versa. This examination and
presentation demonstrates a perfect example of the thesis directive, that by examining
the cultural and ideological facets of the ancient Greeks, we can gain insight into their
similarities and differences.
Raaflaub, Kurt A., Josiah Ober, and Robert Wallace. Origins of democracy in ancient Greece.
Univ of California Press, 2007. This collective work delves into the rich and storied history
of democracy, and its evolution across western civilization, with its origins in the ancient
Greek civilization. This source, despite its intense and detailed depiction of democracy as
a whole, and the fact that it touches both the state of democratic government variants as
they existed in Greek and Roman history, does not lend itself well to the study of the
comparison and contrast of the two societies. This source, while insightful, well sourced
and researched, and though informative as to the formative process that democracy as a
governing ideology underwent, it does focus far more on democracy itself as a construct
than on the influences that it had in the Greek culture, and how it affected the Greek way
of life, despite it being rooted there. The focus is more on the politics and philosophies
that shaped the style of government and the facets of the government itself than it could
be, making it a less ideal source to draw from than others.
Toner, Jerry P. Leisure and ancient Rome. John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Toner’s writings on the
leisure practices and activities in ancient Rome provide a comprehensive, digestible
framework for any understanding of ancient Roman culture. Providing a broad spectrum
overview, yet still retaining all pertinent information to the history, formation and results of
the development of ancient Roman culture make this work an excellent starting point for
delving into the study of ancient Roman culture. Though less intensely cited and
referenced than some of the other works listed, Toner’s examination provides credible
sources for its information and inferences, but isn’t bogged down by a constant cross
examination of its own derivations, making it a much easier read than others. This work
provides an easy to read, yet valuable and fundamental look at the life of the ancient
Romans, and even provides some comparison to that of the ancient Greeks within the
text itself, making it supremely useful in this case.
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