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e-Gorgias (Issue 29, April-May 2008)

Issue 29
April-May 2008
Reading Time: 13 minutes

Memorial Day vacation is finally here and to celebrate we are offering a special memorial day sale on select titles by Regina Books. Production has been very busy lately and there are many newly realeased titles to check out below. Also in this month's newsletter Gorgias authors and enthusiasts David Konstan and Ilaria Ramelli talk about their experiences with Gorgias and make some great recommendations for summer reading. Here is a look at the April-May e-Gorgias. We wish everyone a great weekend!


  • Recently Released: Our latest titles
  • Coming Soon: Forthcoming titles from Gorgias Press
  • From the Acquisitions Desk: By Acquisitions Editor Katie Stott
  • News: Memorial Day Sale on Regina Books
  • Reviews: John Healey, Leshono Suryoyo and C. Livanos, Greek Tradition and Latin influence in the Work of George Scholarios: 'Alone against all of Europe'
  • Conferences: MAR-SBL Conference Report






Gorgias press is pleased to announce the availability of the following:

Assyrians in Yonkers
By John Pierre Ameer

ISBN 978-1-59333-745-2
Paperback, $63 (BiblioPerks™ $50.40)

This book is Dr. Ameer’s reflection on growing up within the small community of Assyrian Christians in Yonkers, New York. He uses the year 1946 as an orientation for his discussion of the characteristics of that ethnic community, that city, and that time in United States history.



History of the Iraqi City of Mosul
By Suleiman Saigh

ISBN 978-1-59333-521-2
Hardback, $254 (BiblioPerks™ $203.20)

The city of Mosul in northern Iraq, some 396 km (250 miles) northwest of Baghdad, is today a central point in the political struggles of Iraq. This three-volume set is the most comprehensive history of this historical city ever written. The first volume covers the political history of the city, the second volume covers the cultural history of Mosul, and the third volume is a comprehensive survey of the archaeology and art of the city.



The Gospel in the Stars
By Joseph Seiss

ISBN 978-1-59333-569-4
Hardback, $141 (BiblioPerks™ $112.80)

The charm of Seiss’s thesis saw this intriguing book through five editions in the author’s lifetime. Exploring potential Christian imagery in the constellations, Seiss finds the message of redemption writ large in the nighttime sky. A truly original work, this book has held the interest of many readers over the decades.



Before Alexander: Constructing Early Macedonia
By Eugene N. Borza

ISBN 0-941690-96-0
Paperback, $19 (BiblioPerks™ $15.20)

Beginning with sources and interpretations, this monograph presents the ancient written evidence, including inscriptions, as well as archaeological findings in the region of Macedonia. After looking at modern historical narratives, the study turns to the origins, ethnicity, and institutions of the Macedonians, again highlighting recent investigations. Stopping short of Alexander the Great, the final chapter in this book is dedicated to an overview of Alexander’s father, Philip II. Written and material sources likewise inform the reign of this essential character in Macedonian history. Essential reading for the novice historian of the Classics, this volume also offers considerable information for the specialist as well.



Makedonika
By Eugene N. Borza

ISBN 0-941690-64-4
Hardback, $45 (BiblioPerks™ $36.00)

Compiled and edited by Carol G. Thomas for the Association of Ancient Historians, this collection of fifteen essays by Eugene Borza on Macedonia represents a cross-section of his thought on this historically important region. The volume begins with an essay on the history and archaeology of Macedonia, providing a broad introduction to the study. Topics covered in this useful collation include: observations on the natural resources and ecology of Macedonia, including the impact of malaria on the region, political aspects of Macedonia and Greece, the origins of the royal house of Macedonia, essays on Philip II and Alexander the Great, particularly several features of Alexander’s court, communication in Alexander’s empire, Agis’ revolt, Alexander at Persepolis, and the paraphernalia of Alexander. These essential aspects of the classical world and the sea change that was about to overcome the ancient world with the rising swell of Alexander’s conquests make this book essential reading for any who wish to understand the nation that gave rise to this iconic emperor.



Makedonika
By Eugene N. Borza

ISBN 0-941690-65-2
Paperback, $24 (BiblioPerks™ $19.20)

Compiled and edited by Carol G. Thomas for the Association of Ancient Historians, this collection of fifteen essays by Eugene Borza on Macedonia represents a cross-section of his thought on this historically important region. The volume begins with an essay on the history and archaeology of Macedonia, providing a broad introduction to the study. Topics covered in this useful collation include: observations on the natural resources and ecology of Macedonia, including the impact of malaria on the region, political aspects of Macedonia and Greece, the origins of the royal house of Macedonia, essays on Philip II and Alexander the Great, particularly several features of Alexander’s court, communication in Alexander’s empire, Agis’ revolt, Alexander at Persepolis, and the paraphernalia of Alexander. These essential aspects of the classical world and the sea change that was about to overcome the ancient world with the rising swell of Alexander’s conquests make this book essential reading for any who wish to understand the nation that gave rise to this iconic emperor.



Peacemaking in Medieval Europe
By Udo Heyn

ISBN 0-941690-72-5
Paperback, $19 (BiblioPerks™ $15.20)

As an attempt to consider the causes, course, and consequences of particular conflicts that have plagued Europe throughout much of its history, historian Udo Heyn addresses several pertinent issues in his book. Following an introduction to the topic, the issues and definitions involved, the rise of the doctrine of “Just War” comprises an essay on the Western quest for peace. Clearly tied to this doctrine is the role of the medieval church in the quest for peace in Europe. This is explored through the concepts of the peace of God and the truce of God. Peace campaigns of the state are also considered in terms of the secular peace of the prince and the peace of the realm. The moves from private justice to public law and private combat to rules of war are explored. Various catalysts and additional factors in the pacification of Europe are also considered. The study ends with an extensive bibliography on the subjects under discussion, providing a gateway into further research on this important topic.



Balkan Currents
By Lawrence A., ed. Tritle

ISBN 0-941690-82-2
Hardback, $26 (BiblioPerks™ $20.80)

Delving into the troubled history of the Balkan Peninsula, this collection of essays does not shy away from the difficult issues. Seven papers by noted specialists in this region (Charles A. Frazee, Thomas A. Emmert, Snjezana Buzov, Veniamin Karakostanoglou, Basil Kondis, Spyridon Sfetas, and Stephen K. Batalden) ponder the larger implications of this fractured part of the European map. At the confluence of two continents and three major religions, the Balkans are often overlooked until the media calls attention to the troubles of the region. This book contains essays on the religious, ethnic, and political element in the conflict. Particularly timely, considerations of Kosovo’s status and the continuing crisis of what used to be called Yugoslavia are directly engaged in this study. This collection is must-read material for those interested in the history and culture of this troubled society.



Mercenary of the Gods
By Jack Cargill

ISBN 1-930053-31-2
Paperback, $24 (BiblioPerks™ $19.20)

A friendly introduction to the complexities of the Archiac period in Greece, Egypt, the kingdoms of Isreal and Judah, and the successive empires of Assyria and Babylonia, set within a "first person narrative" fleshed out with plausible personal details of one lifetime--the life of a Greek mercenary"borrowed" from a well-known inscription at Abu Simbel in Lower Nubia. The reader is prefectly free to treat this book as a "historical novel" simply by reading the text and ignoring the endnotes and other editorial material.



The Crusades: Conflict Between Christendom and Islam
By Matti Moosa

ISBN 978-1-59333-366-9
Hardback, $221 (BiblioPerks™ $176.80)

This book sheds light on the first three Crusades (1097-1191) by introducing material from several medieval Syriac and Arabic sources and reconciling their accounts with those provided by Western sources. It presents the Crusades as an extension of the conflict between Christianity and Islam, which began with the Arabs’ first incursions into Christian territory in the seventh century and continued with their conquest of the Iberian peninsula.



Jewish Arabic Literature
By Moritz Steinschneider

ISBN 978-1-59333-858-9
Hardback, $127 (BiblioPerks™ $101.60)

Steinschneider’s first section is a dictionary of Jewish Arabic authors. This includes a careful study of Jewish names. The Second section is a study of the lives and literatures of Jews, and Christians, within Muslim society.



Ancient History: Recent Work and New Directions
By Carol G., ed. Thomas

ISBN 0-941690-78-4
Paperback, $20 (BiblioPerks™ $16.00)

Characteristic of the aims and goals of the Association of Ancient Historians, this volume focuses on the new and developing arenas of study of the Classical world. Included in this volume are informed considerations of recent work done in four major fields of Classics scholarship: Greece (beginning in the late Dark Ages), by Kurt A. Raaflaub, the Hellenistic Age (including Macedon), by Stanley M. Burstein, the Roman Republic, by Allen M. Ward, and the Roman Empire, by Ramsay MacMullen. Designed to give both the specialist and the novice in the field an overview of trends in present-day scholarship focused on the ancient world, each contributor is allowed his own voice and viewpoint.



Current Issues and the Study of Ancient History
By Carol G., ed. Thomas

ISBN 1-930053-10-X
Paperback, $19 (BiblioPerks™ $15.20)

The arrival of new disciplinary approaches to ancient fields of study is embraced in this volume of Publications of the Association of Ancient Historians. This volume considers the world of the Classic civilizations viewed through the lenses of recent approaches to historical material. Stanley M. Burstein considers Egypt and Greece in the light of Afrocentrism as a means of exploring ethnicity in the study of antiquity. Nancy Demand applies the outlook of gender studies to ancient history with the resultant concepts of participation and power. Ian Morris delves into the role archaeology takes in the understanding of ancient Greece, and Lawrence Tritle explores psychology and history in an analysis of Thucydides, a foundational writer of Classical history. These cross-disciplinary studies demonstrate the flexibility and breadth of the historical undertaking in an environment of continual growth and change.



Myth Becomes History: Pre-Classical Greece
By Carol G. Thomas

ISBN 0-941690-51-2
Paperback, $19 (BiblioPerks™ $15.20)

Noting the standard reservations of Classicists regarding the Greek Bronze and Dark Ages, Carol Thomas declares the Pre-Classical period of ancient Greece to be the locus of much historical information. Both the metaphor and the fact of Troy serve as emblems of this historical enterprise as Thomas organizes her work around the subjects encountered by those approaching this time-frame: the tools (method and dating) and the evidence (writing and oral tradition). A brief account of the war is given in the context of both an actual war and a metaphor. These tools allow her to reconstruct the Mycenaean Age and the Dark Age prior to Classical Greece. A necessary requisite for consideration of the history of Classical Greece, this volume is accessible to scholars and interested laity alike.



Current Issues and the Study of the Ancient Near East
By Mark W., ed. Chavalas

ISBN 1-930053-46-5
Paperback, $24 (BiblioPerks™ $19.20)

Beginning with the earliest civilizations known, this book begins with an essay by Gonzalo Rubio exploring the field of Sumerian and Babylonian studies, the realm of southern Mesopotamia. Following a northern arc, the next essay, by Steven J. Garfinkle, considers the Assyrians as they are currently being viewed. Gary Beckman then addresses the present trends in the study of the Hittites in Anatolia. The final essay brings the discussion to the familiar realms of the biblical world directly with a contribution by Daniel C. Snell considering Syria-Palestine in present-day research.



Alexander's Empire: Formulation to Decay
By Lawrence Tritle, Pat Wheatley, eds. Waldemar Heckel

ISBN 1-930053-45-2
Paperback, $22 (BiblioPerks™ $17.60)

Conceived of as a companion volume to Crossroads of History: The Age of Alexander, this collection of papers stems from the second international symposium on the topic of Alexander the Great and his era. The papers by respected Classicists in this volume cover the time frame from the formation of the empire through the period of the Diadochoi. Sixteen essays on a variety of specific aspects of the empire are included. Within the range of the period of Alexander, the papers include topics as diverse as early Hellenistic chronology, the games of Alexander, problems in early Diadoch sources, and Alexander’s sexuality. Essential reading for any lover of Classical history or the ancient world, this set of materials will enhance the library of Alexander specialists and laity alike.



Treasure of the Syriac Language: A Dictionary of Classical Syriac
By Thomas Audo

ISBN 978-1-59333-572-4
Hardback, $293 (BiblioPerks™ $234.40)

Audo’s Syriac dictionary is a reference tool coveted by all students of the Syriac language. As a language tool it represents the Syriac known and used in the nineteenth century in the Middle East. Now available with an English introduction, Gorgias Press is making this historic contribution to the understanding of the Syriac language.



S. Ephraim's Prose Refutations of Mani, Marcion, and Bardaisan
By C. W. Mitchell

ISBN 978-1-59333-719-3
Hardback, $224 (BiblioPerks™ $179.20)

This two-volume set of St. Ephraim’s refutations of Mani, Marcion, and Bardaisan is presented in a bilingual edition with the Syriac original and English translation. The prose refutations are an important component to the understanding of one of the most important patriarchs of Eastern Christianity.



Text and Tradition
By Lawrence Tritle Ronald Mellor

ISBN 0-941690-91-1
Hardback, $45 (BiblioPerks™ $36.00)

Written by recognized authorities in the study of Classics, this Festschrift for Mortimer Chambers contains 20 substantial essays on Greek history and historiography. After a biography and bibliography of Chambers’ works, the essays are arranged in the two broad divisions of Text and Tradition and cover a broad range of topics. These essays are the works of E. Badian, John Barron, Alan Boegehold, John Buckler, Stanley M. Burstein, Luciano Canfora, Michael Clark, Daren Engen, Charles Fornara, Valerie French, Ralph Gallucci, Frank Kolb, Eberhard Ruschenbusch, Robert Wallace, W. Ward Briggs, William M. Calder III, John Langdon, John Nicols, George Szemler, W. J. Cherf, and Lawrence Tritle. Representing material that Classicists seldom find gathered in one monumental volume, this collection will be welcomed by libraries and individual scholars alike.



Text and Tradition
By Lawrence Tritle Ronald Mellor

ISBN 0-941690-92-X
Paperback, $24 (BiblioPerks™ $19.20)

Written by recognized authorities in the study of Classics, this Festschrift for Mortimer Chambers contains 20 substantial essays on Greek history and historiography. After a biography and bibliography of Chambers’ works, the essays are arranged in the two broad divisions of Text and Tradition and cover a broad range of topics. These essays are the works of E. Badian, John Barron, Alan Boegehold, John Buckler, Stanley M. Burstein, Luciano Canfora, Michael Clark, Daren Engen, Charles Fornara, Valerie French, Ralph Gallucci, Frank Kolb, Eberhard Ruschenbusch, Robert Wallace, W. Ward Briggs, William M. Calder III, John Langdon, John Nicols, George Szemler, W. J. Cherf, and Lawrence Tritle. Representing material that Classicists seldom find gathered in one monumental volume, this collection will be welcomed by libraries and individual scholars alike.



Polis and Polemos
By Peter Krentz, ed. Charles D. Hamilton

ISBN 0-941690-76-8
Hardback, $48 (BiblioPerks™ $38.40)

A cornucopia of essays on ancient Greece, this Festschrift for Donald Kagan contains 16 substantial essays on politics, war, and history. The collection is divided into two main foci: essays on Thucycdides and the Peloponnesian War and those on the period following the Peloponnesian War. Within the contexts of these two historic eras, the papers represent a variety of topics. Several essays explore the war itself, including the outbreak of the war and how warfare was conducted, alliances, honor, and strategy. Thucycdides and his outlook on constitutionalism and the end of the war are noted. The essays following the war period analyze Sparta and issues associated with its decline, Alexander’s battle at Granicus, and classical Athens in hindsight. A colorful collection of several aspects of ancient history, this publication will be much appreciated by Classicists and students of military history in the ancient world.










We are excited to announce that the following titles will soon be in print:

Click here for a complete list of our soon-to-be-published books.

As Below, So Above: Apocalypticism, Gnosticism and the Scribes of Qumran and Nag Hammadi By Glen J. Kanigan-Fairen
After questioning the scholarly assumptions regarding the “heretical” Nag Hammadi Library and the “apocalyptic” Dead Sea Scrolls, Kanigan-Fairen will argue that they were not diametrically opposed, but represent a scribal reconfiguration of an Enochic worldview as a critique of foreign rule.
ISBN 978-1-59333-082-8, Paperback, $64 (BiblioPerks™ $51.20)

Konsekration und Konsekrationsgeschehen in der syrischen eucharistischen Anaphora und in der Liturgie der anderen Mysterien By Aho Shemunkasho
Am Beispiel der Initiationssakramente (Taufe, Firmung, Eucharistiefeier) und der Priesterweihe wird einerseits die Konsekration der Materie (Wasser, Myronöl, Brot und Wein) und des Empfängers dargestellt, anderseits das Konsekrationsgeschehen der einzelnen liturgischen Vollzüge nach der syrisch antiochenischen Liturgie miteinander verglichen, analysiert und kommentiert.
ISBN 978-1-59333-849-7, Hardback, $98 (BiblioPerks™ $78.40)

Homer and the Bronze Age By Peter Karavites
This scholarly and up-to-date investigation of Bronze Age and Near Eastern literature and Homer’s poetry reveals fascinating similarities between Near Eastern and Homeric Diplomatic Practices and the enduring influence of Humanistic Ideals on Bronze Age customs and practices.
ISBN 978-1-59333-985-2, Hardback, $107 (BiblioPerks™ $85.60)

Manuscrits Syriaques Conservés dans la Bibliothèque des Maronites d’Alep (Syrie) By Francisco del Río Sánchez
The Maronite Library of Aleppo is one of the most important collections of manuscripts in Syria. This catalogue gives the first detailed description of the Syriac copies, containing also images and indices of titles, personal names, subjects and places.
ISBN 978-1-59333-956-2, Hardback, $134 (BiblioPerks™ $107.20)

The Greek-Turkish War 1919-23 By Stavros T. Stavridis
The book provides a historical development of the Australian press from Colonial Times till 1923. Since Australia was part of the British Empire, foreign policy decisions made in London impacted on this far-flung dominion located in the South –West Pacific. Australia’s national identity was forged on the shores of the Gallipoli Peninsula fighting against the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
ISBN 978-1-59333-967-8, Hardback, $105 (BiblioPerks™ $84.00)

Neo-Aramaic Dialect Studies By Geoffrey Khan
This volume contains a collection of papers presented at the workshop on various aspects of the grammar of Neo-Aramaic, with special attention to the North Eastern Neo-Aramaic dialect group. The papers include descriptions of several hitherto undescribed dialects together with sample texts and also studies of various aspects of phonology, morphology and syntax of the dialects.
ISBN 978-1-59333-423-9, Hardback, $115 (BiblioPerks™ $92.00)

Textual Variation: Theological and Social Tendencies? By H.A.G. Houghton and D.C. Parker, eds.
Did scribes change the text of the New Testament? This book questions the assumption that they did and the claim that variant readings are due to theological motivation or social difference.
ISBN 978-1-59333-789-6, Hardback, $105 (BiblioPerks™ $84.00)






This month I would like to draw attention to some soon-to-be-released titles in the areas of biblical studies and classics that we are very excited about here at Gorgias:

Of interest to biblical scholars and, in fact, anyone fascinated by the ever-popular subjects of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Gnosticism is Glen Kanigan-Fairen’s As Below, So Above: Apocalypticism, Gnosticism and the Scribes of Qumran and Nag Hammadi. This study questions foundational assumptions in the scholarly classification and reconstruction of early Christianity. By looking at how both the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library are deployed, Kanigan-Fairen shows how modern scholarship has constructed two discursive and binary categories—“Apocalypticism” and “Gnosticism”—to establish a nostalgic Christianity that not only draws its pedigree from a sui generis and “pure” Judaism but is also insulated from the syncretistic and “foreign” influence of Hellenism. According to Willi Braun, Professor of Religion in the Department of History and Classics at the University of Alberta, and a leading scholar in the area of early Christianity, the book advances a critique that is not only cogent and erudite, but which could potentially contribute to a re-shaping of the theoretical basis for studying Christian origins.

New Testament scholars and students should also look out for Textual Variation: Theological and Social Tendencies? edited by D. C. Parker (Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham) and H. A. G. Houghton (research fellow in theology at the University of Birmingham). This volume questions the assumption that variant readings in the NT are due to theological motivation or social difference. Evidence is gathered from some of the earliest surviving biblical manuscripts in order to reconstruct the copying habits of scribes and to explore the contexts in which they worked. Alongside these are studies of selected early Christian authors and writings, which illustrate attitudes to and examples of textual change. The papers were first presented at a colloquium in Birmingham and further developed in the light of subsequent discussion and interaction between the presenters. The international team of contributors represents a wide range of approaches and theories and includes many leaders in the field.

Turning to the field of classics, Peter Karavites (Professor Emeritus of Greek and Roman History from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts) presents a revisionist overview of Homeric scholarship, in his Homer and the Bronze Age: The Reflection of Humanistic Ideals in Diplomatic Practices, with the purpose to bridge the gap between the “positivist” and “negativist” theories dominant in the greater part of the twentieth century. His investigation derives new insights from Homer’s text and addresses the age old question of the relationship between Homer and the Mycenaean age.

He boldly provides a new interpretation of the diplomatic relations of the Mycenaean and Homeric times based on fresh textual examination of old archaeological material, new archaeological discoveries, and a much broader analytical focus, emphasizing social, economic, political, and cultural approaches that have transformed our understanding of ancient interstate relations contained in the Homeric Corpus. The author underscores the similarities between the Near Eastern diplomatic practices as well as practices analyzed in Homeric texts to highlight the relationship between Homeric times and the Mycenaean Age.

Bronze Age and Homeric diplomatic envoy customs are treated in a series of chapters pertaining to Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the littoral of the Eastern Mediterranean area, and the Aegean world. They treat practices such as envoy escorts, envoy protection and hospitality, symbolism of gift exchanges, royal marriages alliances, envoy credentials, and various other practices.

Scholars and students of history, political science, diplomacy, archaeology and social relations will benefit from this work.

Hopefully this brief introduction to some our forthcoming releases will whet your appetite. Happy reading!

Katie Stott, Acquisitions/Production Editor






Save up to 30% on Select Regina Books in Honor of Memorial Day

It was at the 2007 annual meeting of the Association of Ancient Historians (AAH) in Princeton that Richard and Glenda Burns of Regina Books and George and Christine Kiraz of Gorgias Press met. It was clear from the initial meeting that both presses, being started by a husband and wife team, had similar backgrounds and faced similar challenges in regards to distribution of books. As a result Gorgias has the pleasure to announce distribution of select Regina titles that we think our readers would appreciate. Furthermore, to celebrate this new partnership and in honor of Memorial Day we have put all the Regina titles we carry on sale.

To take advantage of the sale, order online to save 20% off the list price through BiblioPerks and receive an additional 10% off by using coupon code: 0602-ReginaSale-839F7 during check out when you order any of the Regina books below. Sale ends June 30th, 2008.

Eighteenth Century Egypt
By Daniel, ed. Crecelius

ISBN 0-941690-42-3, Hardback, $29 (BiblioPerks™ $23.20)

Originating from a conference bearing the same name as the volume, these nine papers were originally presented at California State University, Los Angeles in 1990. They address the rather specific question of the Arabic manuscript resources available in the eighteenth century to document the history of Egypt during the Ottoman Period. Based on the premise that Abd al-Rahman ibn Hasan al-Jabarti’s work had been unduly monolithic in the field, the conference participants addressed the other manuscript sources that were available to compose such a history. For researchers into the Ottoman Period of Egyptian history, this study will prove an invaluable tool.



Alexander's Empire: Formulation to Decay
By Lawrence Tritle, Pat Wheatley, eds. Waldemar Heckel

ISBN 1-930053-45-2, Paperback, $22 (BiblioPerks™ $17.60)

Conceived of as a companion volume to Crossroads of History: The Age of Alexander, this collection of papers stems from the second international symposium on the topic of Alexander the Great and his era. The papers by respected Classicists in this volume cover the time frame from the formation of the empire through the period of the Diadochoi. Sixteen essays on a variety of specific aspects of the empire are included. Within the range of the period of Alexander, the papers include topics as diverse as early Hellenistic chronology, the games of Alexander, problems in early Diadoch sources, and Alexander’s sexuality. Essential reading for any lover of Classical history or the ancient world, this set of materials will enhance the library of Alexander specialists and laity alike.



Text and Tradition
By Lawrence Tritle Ronald Mellor

ISBN 0-941690-91-1, Hardback, $45 (BiblioPerks™ $36.00)

Written by recognized authorities in the study of Classics, this Festschrift for Mortimer Chambers contains 20 substantial essays on Greek history and historiography. After a biography and bibliography of Chambers’ works, the essays are arranged in the two broad divisions of Text and Tradition and cover a broad range of topics. These essays are the works of E. Badian, John Barron, Alan Boegehold, John Buckler, Stanley M. Burstein, Luciano Canfora, Michael Clark, Daren Engen, Charles Fornara, Valerie French, Ralph Gallucci, Frank Kolb, Eberhard Ruschenbusch, Robert Wallace, W. Ward Briggs, William M. Calder III, John Langdon, John Nicols, George Szemler, W. J. Cherf, and Lawrence Tritle. Representing material that Classicists seldom find gathered in one monumental volume, this collection will be welcomed by libraries and individual scholars alike.



Before Alexander: Constructing Early Macedonia
By Eugene N. Borza

ISBN 0-941690-96-0, Paperback, $19 (BiblioPerks™ $15.20)

Beginning with sources and interpretations, this monograph presents the ancient written evidence, including inscriptions, as well as archaeological findings in the region of Macedonia. After looking at modern historical narratives, the study turns to the origins, ethnicity, and institutions of the Macedonians, again highlighting recent investigations. Stopping short of Alexander the Great, the final chapter in this book is dedicated to an overview of Alexander’s father, Philip II. Written and material sources likewise inform the reign of this essential character in Macedonian history. Essential reading for the novice historian of the Classics, this volume also offers considerable information for the specialist as well.



Makedonika
By Eugene N. Borza

ISBN 0-941690-64-4, Hardback, $45 (BiblioPerks™ $36.00)

Compiled and edited by Carol G. Thomas for the Association of Ancient Historians, this collection of fifteen essays by Eugene Borza on Macedonia represents a cross-section of his thought on this historically important region. The volume begins with an essay on the history and archaeology of Macedonia, providing a broad introduction to the study. Topics covered in this useful collation include: observations on the natural resources and ecology of Macedonia, including the impact of malaria on the region, political aspects of Macedonia and Greece, the origins of the royal house of Macedonia, essays on Philip II and Alexander the Great, particularly several features of Alexander’s court, communication in Alexander’s empire, Agis’ revolt, Alexander at Persepolis, and the paraphernalia of Alexander. These essential aspects of the classical world and the sea change that was about to overcome the ancient world with the rising swell of Alexander’s conquests make this book essential reading for any who wish to understand the nation that gave rise to this iconic emperor.



Peacemaking in Medieval Europe
By Udo Heyn

ISBN 0-941690-72-5, Paperback, $19 (BiblioPerks™ $15.20)

As an attempt to consider the causes, course, and consequences of particular conflicts that have plagued Europe throughout much of its history, historian Udo Heyn addresses several pertinent issues in his book. Following an introduction to the topic, the issues and definitions involved, the rise of the doctrine of “Just War” comprises an essay on the Western quest for peace. Clearly tied to this doctrine is the role of the medieval church in the quest for peace in Europe. This is explored through the concepts of the peace of God and the truce of God. Peace campaigns of the state are also considered in terms of the secular peace of the prince and the peace of the realm. The moves from private justice to public law and private combat to rules of war are explored. Various catalysts and additional factors in the pacification of Europe are also considered. The study ends with an extensive bibliography on the subjects under discussion, providing a gateway into further research on this important topic.



Polis and Polemos
By Peter Krentz, ed. Charles D. Hamilton

ISBN 0-941690-76-8, Hardback, $48 (BiblioPerks™ $38.40)

A cornucopia of essays on ancient Greece, this Festschrift for Donald Kagan contains 16 substantial essays on politics, war, and history. The collection is divided into two main foci: essays on Thucycdides and the Peloponnesian War and those on the period following the Peloponnesian War. Within the contexts of these two historic eras, the papers represent a variety of topics. Several essays explore the war itself, including the outbreak of the war and how warfare was conducted, alliances, honor, and strategy. Thucycdides and his outlook on constitutionalism and the end of the war are noted. The essays following the war period analyze Sparta and issues associated with its decline, Alexander’s battle at Granicus, and classical Athens in hindsight. A colorful collection of several aspects of ancient history, this publication will be much appreciated by Classicists and students of military history in the ancient world.



Myth Becomes History: Pre-Classical Greece
By Carol G. Thomas

ISBN 0-941690-51-2, Paperback, $19 (BiblioPerks™ $15.20)

Noting the standard reservations of Classicists regarding the Greek Bronze and Dark Ages, Carol Thomas declares the Pre-Classical period of ancient Greece to be the locus of much historical information. Both the metaphor and the fact of Troy serve as emblems of this historical enterprise as Thomas organizes her work around the subjects encountered by those approaching this time-frame: the tools (method and dating) and the evidence (writing and oral tradition). A brief account of the war is given in the context of both an actual war and a metaphor. These tools allow her to reconstruct the Mycenaean Age and the Dark Age prior to Classical Greece. A necessary requisite for consideration of the history of Classical Greece, this volume is accessible to scholars and interested laity alike.



Ancient History: Recent Work and New Directions
By Carol G., ed. Thomas

ISBN 0-941690-78-4, Paperback, $20 (BiblioPerks™ $16.00)

Characteristic of the aims and goals of the Association of Ancient Historians, this volume focuses on the new and developing arenas of study of the Classical world. Included in this volume are informed considerations of recent work done in four major fields of Classics scholarship: Greece (beginning in the late Dark Ages), by Kurt A. Raaflaub, the Hellenistic Age (including Macedon), by Stanley M. Burstein, the Roman Republic, by Allen M. Ward, and the Roman Empire, by Ramsay MacMullen. Designed to give both the specialist and the novice in the field an overview of trends in present-day scholarship focused on the ancient world, each contributor is allowed his own voice and viewpoint.



Current Issues and the Study of Ancient History
By Carol G., ed. Thomas

ISBN 1-930053-10-X, Paperback, $19 (BiblioPerks™ $15.20)

The arrival of new disciplinary approaches to ancient fields of study is embraced in this volume of Publications of the Association of Ancient Historians. This volume considers the world of the Classic civilizations viewed through the lenses of recent approaches to historical material. Stanley M. Burstein considers Egypt and Greece in the light of Afrocentrism as a means of exploring ethnicity in the study of antiquity. Nancy Demand applies the outlook of gender studies to ancient history with the resultant concepts of participation and power. Ian Morris delves into the role archaeology takes in the understanding of ancient Greece, and Lawrence Tritle explores psychology and history in an analysis of Thucydides, a foundational writer of Classical history. These cross-disciplinary studies demonstrate the flexibility and breadth of the historical undertaking in an environment of continual growth and change.



Current Issues and the Study of the Ancient Near East
By Mark W., ed. Chavalas

ISBN 1-930053-46-5, Paperback, $24 (BiblioPerks™ $19.20)

Beginning with the earliest civilizations known, this book begins with an essay by Gonzalo Rubio exploring the field of Sumerian and Babylonian studies, the realm of southern Mesopotamia. Following a northern arc, the next essay, by Steven J. Garfinkle, considers the Assyrians as they are currently being viewed. Gary Beckman then addresses the present trends in the study of the Hittites in Anatolia. The final essay brings the discussion to the familiar realms of the biblical world directly with a contribution by Daniel C. Snell considering Syria-Palestine in present-day research.



Mercenary of the Gods
By Jack Cargill

ISBN 1-930053-31-2, Paperback, $24 (BiblioPerks™ $19.20)

A friendly introduction to the complexities of the Archiac period in Greece, Egypt, the kingdoms of Isreal and Judah, and the successive empires of Assyria and Babylonia, set within a "first person narrative" fleshed out with plausible personal details of one lifetime--the life of a Greek mercenary"borrowed" from a well-known inscription at Abu Simbel in Lower Nubia. The reader is prefectly free to treat this book as a "historical novel" simply by reading the text and ignoring the endnotes and other editorial material.



The Daughter of Maschemuth
By Frances Herrington Williamson

ISBN 978-1930053-40-3, Paperback, $21 (BiblioPerks™ $16.80)

In 1212 A.D., boy preachers arose and led literally thousands of children to the east in what has been called “The Children’s Crusade where all disappeared with hardly a trace. This historical romance novel, written a century ago, reconstructs this bizarre event. In dealing with medieval religion, it describes the nature of Islam with a great deal of sensitivity.










David Konstan and Ilaria Ramelli

David Konstan and Ilaria Ramelli met four and a half years ago at the annual conference of the Society of Biblical Literature, and became instant friends. David teaches at Brown University, where he is Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature; he has been president of the American Philological Association. Ilaria is at the Catholic University of Milan, where she took her two degrees (Classics and Philosophy) and specialized in Early Christianity and History of Philosophy; she was the youngest winner ever of the prestigious Marcello Gigante prize. After her PhD in Classical Philology (at the State University of Milan) and a postdoctoral research in religious studies, she became professor in History of the Christian Near East, and is currently assistant in Ancient Philosophy. She belongs to many scholarly associations.


It was Ilaria who introduced David to George Kiraz. Ilaria knew various titles and journals published by Gorgias Press in connection with Syriac, which she has studied along with Greek and Latin, Coptic, Sanskrit, Armenian, and several other ancient languages. She has many published books and numerous articles on all aspects of classical and early Christian literature, philosophy, and theology, including a thorough study of allegory in classical Greece and Rome. Her favorite area is Patristic philosophy and she has never interrupted an extremely intense research activity lasting for seventeen years. David has focussed more on classical materials, and most recently published a book on the emotions of the ancient Greeks; but he has become increasingly interested in late antiquity and the intersection of Christian and pagan literatures.

David and Ilaria soon began collaborating on projects: first, a paper on a well-known crux in Aristotle's Metaphysics, then a study of the meaning of a crucial phrase in Paul's Letter to the Thessalonians. Ilaria translated a book of David's, on Epicurean psychology, into Italian, and David has just completed a translation into English of Ilaria's edition, with full commentary and translation, of the complete fragments of Hierocles the Stoic. Their biggest joint endeavor so far has been a book on the meaning of two Greek words that are commonly rendered as "eternal," tracing their use and evolution from their earliest occurrences down to the sixth century A.D. They argue that only one of these terms (aïdios) signifies strict eternity, while the other (aiônios) means either a very long time, or a time pertaining to the next age or aiôn. The payoff in all this is that when the Bible and Christian writers speak of life in the next world as aïdios, but of punishment only as aiônios, it is plausible to infer an affinity with the doctrine of apocastasis or universal salvation, associated with Origen, on which a monograph by Ilaria is forthcoming in Milan.

When they came to seeking a publisher for their joint work, it was natural to turn to Gorgias Press. Here, they felt, was a press not timid about publishing a specialized work with a lot of Greek type, and editors who recognized that such a detailed, technical study might well shed light on an important problem in early Christian theology. And they were delighted with their choice: the Press took consummate care with the work, and was helpful at every stage. The newsletter, moreover, brings their study and many important books very quickly to the attention of the scholarly world. In a word, Ilaria and David are proud to be "Gorgias Authors" -- and "Gorgias Enthusiasts."?

Recommendations

Yiorgos Kalogeras, of the University of Thessaloniki, has had the wonderful idea of introducing two books by the extraordinary Greek writer, Demetra Vaka (Mrs. Kenneth-Brown), who was born in Istanbul, married in the United States, and described her experiences on returning to the country of her birth. The first of these books is Haremlik (originally 1909), which offers a deeply sensitive appreciation of the domestic life in a polygamous Turkish household -- it's different from what you think. The second is The Unveiled Ladies of Stamboul (originally 1923: note the date!). These two facsimile reprints are part of the Gorgias Press's excellent series, "Cultures in Dialogue" (in the subseries, "Orientalism, Occidentalism, and Women's Writing"). I recommend these books wholeheartedly, and commend Gorgias Press for publishing them.

--David Konstan.

Haremlik: Some Pages from the Life of Turkish Women
By Demetra Vaka Brown

ISBN 1-59333-203-3
Hardback, $85 (BiblioPerks™ $68.00)

Born as a Greek Ottoman in Istanbul, Demetra Vaka Brown (1877-1946) moved to America where she became a journalist and novelist, revisiting Turkey to write several books about the twilight of the Ottoman Empire and the emergence of the Turkish Republic. She based this, her first book, on experiences from 1901, when modernization had made inroads into Ottoman domestic life and the harem was becoming a thing of the past. Her reflections on life in the harem suggest the conflicted nature of her allegiances: Vaka is nostalgic for the Ottoman life that was rapidly disappearing, but she also enjoys the freedoms of a professional American woman.



The Unveiled Ladies of Istanbul (Stamboul)
By Demetra Vaka Brown

ISBN 1-59333-216-5
Hardback, $85 (BiblioPerks™ $68.00)

The Unveiled Ladies of Istanbul (Stamboul) is a picturesque description of women's life in post-World War I Turkey during a period of social and political turmoil. Here Demetra Vaka (1877-1946), an expatriate of Ottoman Turkey, established American journalist and acquaintance of Prince Sabaheddin, returns to her native Istanbul after a 20-year absence. Describing women's lives in post-World War I Turkey, she reports on the successful project of female emancipation pursued by Mustafa Kemal as part of the nationalist agenda. Noting how much this project had benefited upper- and middle-class Turkish women, Vaka nonetheless regrets that the gradual emergence of the monocultural, modern Republic was bringing an end to the multiethnic character of the Ottoman State.








John Healey, "Leshono Suryoyo" by Gillian Greenberg of University College London, Oxford Journals Clippings Service: Journal of Semitic Studies, Vol 19, no 1, Spring 2008. pp. 185-186

" The outstanding value of Professor Healey's book, manifesting his long teaching experience, is in its clarity and simplicity, evident in numerous small matters. To give just a few examples, technical grammatical terms are avoided when the point can be explained without using them. The explanations of the use of enclitic forms of pronouns, and of the repetition of pronouns which is so characteristic of Syriac texts, are particularly useful, coming as they do near the beginning of the book at a stage when these matters often bother students, making them feel they are failing to grasp some subtle point. ... Many students of Syriac have never heard the language spoken: the CD fills this gap excellently. Hearing the correct placing of the accents makes it easier to understand why some final vowels, though still written, are no longer pronounced... The chanted text are a delight, particularly the Ephrem, which will surprise most listeners hearing such work for the first time with its immediate appeal, spirit and melodiousness."

C. Livanos, "Greek Tradition and Latin Influence in the Work of George Scholarios: 'Alone against all of Europe'" in Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, vol 32, No. 1 (2008) 122-123 by Joseph Munitz, Birmingham University

"This book paints an intriguing picture: quite often the very broad brush strokes-- the insistence on East versus West, Orthodox versus Roman Catholic, Greek versus Latin-- leave one perplexed; at other times, very detailed analyses of texts (carefully translated whether from the Greek or the Spanish) are a delight to read. The enigma of Scholarios remains almost as tantalizing at the end as the beginning, but one has to be grateful for the first full-length attempt to bring him back to scholarly attention."

Leshono Suryoyo & A Compendious Syriac Dictionary
By John Healey

ISBN 1-59333-359-5
Hardback, $90 (BiblioPerks™ $72.00)



Greek Tradition and Latin Influence in the Work of George Scholarios
By Christopher Livanos

ISBN 1-59333-344-7
Hardback, $99 (BiblioPerks™ $79.20)

This book attempts to understand the miscommunications between Greeks and westerners in the fifteenth century by concentrating on the work of George Gennadios Scholarios who under the name of Gennadios II became the first Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church during Ottoman Rule.








MAR-SBL Annual Meeting

The persistent March rain did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the Mid Atlantic Regional SBL meeting in New Brunswick, NJ on March 27-28. For those more acclimated to the sprawling, intense SBL Annual Meeting, the regional setting is more relaxed and casual. Participants seemed quite interested in the Gorgias Press book display, by far the largest at the conference. Although sales were not brisk, interest ran high with many conference-goers expressing their admiration for the scope and breadth of our publishing interests. Potential authors paid special attention to our dissertation series, noting how nicely produced the volumes are. Even a few of our competitors noted the innovation of our classic reprints and new titles. Gorgias Press will be attending the SBL Annual Meeting in Boston in November.






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