DOCSLIB.ORG

Prophets and Profits

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Prophets and Profits Prophets and Profits This volume examines the ways in which divination, often through oracular utterances and other mechanisms, linked mortals with the gods, and places the practice within the ancient sociopolitical and religious environment. Whether humans sought knowledge by applying to an oracle through which the god was believed to speak or used soothsayers who interpreted specific signs such as the flight of birds, there was a fundamental desire to know the will of the gods. In many cases, pragmatic concerns – personal, economic or political – can be deduced from the context of the application. Divination and communication with the gods in a post-pagan world has also produced fascinating receptions. The presentation of these processes in monothe- istic societies such as early Christian Late Antiquity (where the practice continued through the use of curse tablets) or medieval Europe, and beyond, where the role of religion had changed radically, provides a particular challenge and this topic has been little discussed by scholars. This volume aims to rectify this desidera- tum by providing the opportunity to address questions related to the reception of Greco-Roman divination, oracles and prophecy, in all media, including literature and film. Several contributions in this volume originated in the 2015 Classics Colloquium held at the University of South Africa and the volume has been augmented with additional contributions. Richard Evans has taught at the Universities of South Africa and Cardiff. His research has focused on the political and military history of Greece and Rome, and the ancient topography of Sicily and Magna Graecia. He is currently an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies at the University of South Africa. This page intentionally left blank Prophets and Profits Ancient Divination and Its Reception Edited by Richard Evans First published 2018 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Richard Evans; individual chapters, the contributors Published in association with Acta Classica as Acta Classica Supplementum #9 (ISSN 0065-1141) The right of Richard Evans to be identified as the author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Evans, Richard J., 1954- editor. Title: Prophets and profits: ancient divination and its reception / edited by Richard Evans. Description: First [edition]. | New York: Routledge, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2017015105| ISBN 9781138290150 (hardback: alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315266527 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Divination. Classification: LCC BL613 .P76 2017 | DDC 203/.2093–dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017015105 ISBN: 978-1-138-29015-0 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-26652-7 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India Contents Notes on contributors vii Preface x Acknowledgements xi Abbreviations xii 1 Introduction 1 DANIEL OGDEN 2 Was Didyma (Branchidae) a false oracle? 16 RICHARD EVANS 3 Who wrote Greek curse tablets? 31 OLIVIER DUFAULT 4 A story of blood, guts and guesswork: synthetic reasoning in classical Greek divination 50 RALPH ANDERSON 5 Value-added divination at Dodona 65 PHILIP BOSMAN 6 Divination and profit in the Roman world 76 FEDERICO SANTANGELO 7 Profiting from prophecy: Q. Marcius Rex and the construction of the Aqua Marcia 87 ALEX NICE vi Contents 8 Valerius Maximus and the language of stars 106 JEFFREY MURRAY 9 ‘Arrows fletched from our own wings’: discovering a ‘Delphi of the mind’ in the writings of the Early Church Fathers 114 DANIEL CROSBY 10 Egyptian necromancy in Heliodorus Aethiopica (6.12–15) and the Witch of Endor narrative (1 Sam 28) 130 JOHN HILTON 11 Sosipatra: prophetess, philosopher and theurgist: reflections on divination and epistemology in late antiquity 144 CRYSTAL ADDEY 12 One oracle too many? Corippus (and Procopius) on female prophecy in North African divination and profit in the Roman world 162 MARTINE DE MARRE 13 Deconstructing divination: superstition, anticlericalism and Cicero’s De Divinatione in Enlightenment England, c. 1700–1730 183 KATHERINE EAST 14 Prophecy and Paul Kruger: Robert Grendon’s appropriation of Graeco-Roman prophets and prophetic devices in his South African epic, Paul Kruger’s Dream 199 SZERDI NAGY 15 Cassandra prophesies back: Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Firebrand 209 ELKE STEINMEYER Bibliography 221 Index 245 Contributors Crystal Addey is a Teaching Fellow in the School of Classics at the University of St Andrews, UK. She has published widely on ancient divination and religion, mainly in Late Antiquity, and on philosophy, especially Neoplatonism. Her monograph Divination and Theurgy in Neoplatonism: Oracles of the Gods was published in 2014. She has also made numerous contributions to journals and volumes of collected papers. Ralph Anderson is Senior Teaching Fellow in Ancient History at the University of St Andrews, UK. His research interests lie mainly in Greek religion, div- ination and ancient magic. He is currently revising his doctoral dissertation for publication with Cambridge University Press with the provisional title of Dwelling with Divinity: Person, Place and Perception in Athenian Religion. Philip Bosman is Associate Professor in Classics at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. He is the author of Conscience in Philo and Paul (2003) and the editor of Mania: Madness in the Greco-Roman World (2009), Corruption and Integrity in Ancient Greece and Rome (2012) and Alexander in Africa (2014). He has also contributed numerous articles to journals in South Africa and in the UK. Daniel Crosby is studying for his PhD at Bryn Mawr College, having previously studied at Fresno Pacific University. His main research interests are Greek and Roman religion, Delphi and early Christianity. He has recently (2016) pub- lished in the Journal of Ancient History on Josephus. Martine de Marre is Associate Professor in the Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies at the University of South Africa. Her research to date has spotlighted the role of women in antiquity, especially in Roman North Africa. She has also published on the literary sources of Late Antiquity. Olivier Dufault completed his doctoral studies at the University of Santa Barbara and is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Distant Worlds Graduate School of Ancient Studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Germany. His current research focuses on Greek alchemical inquiry and Late Antiquity. Katherine East is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Newcastle, having previously viii Contributors completed her PhD at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. She is the author of The Radicalization of Cicero: John Toland and Strategic Editing in the Early Enlightenment (forthcoming). Richard Evans has taught at the University of South Africa, Pretoria, and at Cardiff University, UK. Most recently he has been a Visiting Researcher and Research Fellow in the Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies at the University of South Africa. His publications include: Gaius Marius: A Political Biography (1994), Questioning Reputations: Essays on Nine Roman Republican Politicians (2003), Syracuse in Antiquity: History and Topography (2009), Roman Conquests: Asia Minor, Syria and Armenia (2011), A History of Pergamum (2012), Fields of Death: Retracing Ancient Battlefields (2013), Fields of Battle: Retracing Ancient Battlefields (2015) and Ancient Syracuse: From Foundation to Fourth Century Collapse (2016). He also edited Mass and Elite in the Greek and Roman Worlds: From Sparta to Late Antiquity (2017). John Hilton is Professor of Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and is the current editor of Acta Classica, the journal of the South African Classical Association. He has published extensively on the ancient novel, especially with regard to Heliodorus, in reception studies and in Greek and Latin linguistics. He is co-author of Apuleius: Rhetorical Works (2001 and 2007) and Alma Parens Originalis? Classical Receptions in South Africa, Cuba and Europe (2007). Jeffrey Murray taught at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, prior to studying in the Department of Classics at the University of Cape Town. In 2016, he completed a PhD thesis entitled Valerius Maximus on Vice: A Commentary on ‘Facta et Dicta Memorabilia’ 9.1–11. Szerdi Nagy is a Lecturer in Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Her research focuses on the reception of epic literature, classics in
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Iron Age Rock Art from Fortified Hilltop Settlements in the Wadi Draa, Morocco
    Title Page Horses and Habitations: Iron Age Rock Art from Fortified Hilltop Settlements in the Wadi Draa, Morocco Youssef Bokbot Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine, Rabat, Morocco. Corisande Fenwick Institute of Archaeology, University College, London, UK David J. Mattingly School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, University Rd, Leicester, LEI7RH, UK. (*Corresponding Author: [email protected]) Nichole Sheldrick School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, UK. Martin Sterry School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, UK. Acknowledgements Funding for the 2015-2016 fieldwork of the MDP was primarily from the European Research Council grant for the Trans-SAHARA Project (Grant no: 269418), with support for the post-field research from an Arts and Humanities Research Council Grant for the OasCiv project (AH/T002409/1). The project remains indebted to Aomar Akerraz, Director of INSAP at the time of the original fieldwork and to our many supporters in the local area. Field recording of the rock art, including photography and fixing DGPS position for the images in 2015-2016 was primarily carried out by Youssef Bokbot, David Mattingly, Martin Sterry, Julia Nikolaus, Nick Ray, Nichole Sheldrick, and Rachael Sycamore. Nichole Sheldrick was responsible for final image interpretation and data tabulation and Martin Sterry for the GIS mapping and spatial analysis of the data. Geodrone Survey (Jonathan Adams, Joseph Bassett and Jason Hagon) carried out the drone surveys. The final writing of this article has been led by David Mattingly and Martin Sterry, but all the named authors have made important contributions to its authoring and editing.
    [Show full text]
  • Lucan's Natural Questions: Landscape and Geography in the Bellum Civile Laura Zientek a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulf
    Lucan’s Natural Questions: Landscape and Geography in the Bellum Civile Laura Zientek A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2014 Reading Committee: Catherine Connors, Chair Alain Gowing Stephen Hinds Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Classics © Copyright 2014 Laura Zientek University of Washington Abstract Lucan’s Natural Questions: Landscape and Geography in the Bellum Civile Laura Zientek Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Catherine Connors Department of Classics This dissertation is an analysis of the role of landscape and the natural world in Lucan’s Bellum Civile. I investigate digressions and excurses on mountains, rivers, and certain myths associated aetiologically with the land, and demonstrate how Stoic physics and cosmology – in particular the concepts of cosmic (dis)order, collapse, and conflagration – play a role in the way Lucan writes about the landscape in the context of a civil war poem. Building on previous analyses of the Bellum Civile that provide background on its literary context (Ahl, 1976), on Lucan’s poetic technique (Masters, 1992), and on landscape in Roman literature (Spencer, 2010), I approach Lucan’s depiction of the natural world by focusing on the mutual effect of humanity and landscape on each other. Thus, hardships posed by the land against characters like Caesar and Cato, gloomy and threatening atmospheres, and dangerous or unusual weather phenomena all have places in my study. I also explore how Lucan’s landscapes engage with the tropes of the locus amoenus or horridus (Schiesaro, 2006) and elements of the sublime (Day, 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • Pliny's Poisoned Provinces
    A DANGEROUS ART: GREEK PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL RISK IN IMPERIAL ROME DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Molly Ayn Jones Lewis, B.A., M.A. ********* The Ohio State University May, 2009 Dissertation Committee: Duane W. Roller, Advisor Approved by Julia Nelson Hawkins __________________________________ Frank Coulson Advisor Greek and Latin Graduate Program Fritz Graf Copyright by Molly Ayn Jones Lewis 2009 ABSTRACT Recent scholarship of identity issues in Imperial Rome has focused on the complicated intersections of “Greek” and “Roman” identity, a perfect microcosm in which to examine the issue in the high-stakes world of medical practice where physicians from competing Greek-speaking traditions interacted with wealthy Roman patients. I argue that not only did Roman patients and politicians have a variety of methods at their disposal for neutralizing the perceived threat of foreign physicians, but that the foreign physicians also were given ways to mitigate the substantial dangers involved in treating the Roman elite. I approach the issue from three standpoints: the political rhetoric surrounding foreign medicines, the legislation in place to protect doctors and patients, and the ethical issues debated by physicians and laypeople alike. I show that Roman lawmakers, policy makers, and physicians had a variety of ways by which the physical, political, and financial dangers of foreign doctors and Roman patients posed to one another could be mitigated. The dissertation argues that despite barriers of xenophobia and ethnic identity, physicians practicing in Greek traditions were fairly well integrated into the cultural milieu of imperial Rome, and were accepted (if not always trusted) members of society.
    [Show full text]
  • Encyclopédie Berbère, 28-29 | 2008 Laguatan 2
    Encyclopédie berbère 28-29 | 2008 28-29 | Kirtēsii – Lutte Laguatan (Ilaguas ; Leuathae ; Louāta/Lawāta) D.J. Mattingly Édition électronique URL : http://journals.openedition.org/encyclopedieberbere/279 DOI : 10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.279 ISSN : 2262-7197 Éditeur Peeters Publishers Édition imprimée Date de publication : 1 janvier 2008 Pagination : 4314-4318 ISBN : 2-7449-0707-4 ISSN : 1015-7344 Référence électronique D.J. Mattingly, « Laguatan », Encyclopédie berbère [En ligne], 28-29 | 2008, document L03a, mis en ligne le 01 juin 2013, consulté le 25 septembre 2020. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/ encyclopedieberbere/279 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.279 Ce document a été généré automatiquement le 25 septembre 2020. © Tous droits réservés Laguatan 1 Laguatan (Ilaguas ; Leuathae ; Louāta/Lawāta) D.J. Mattingly 1 The Laguatan (plural : Ilaguas) comprised a confederation of Berber tribes in late antiquity and though the history of the confederation cannot be reconstructed in detail, the importance of this tribal grouping must not be underestimated. From its first appearance in the late third century AD, the confederation played a significant role in the politics of late Roman,Vandal, Byzantine and early Arab Africa. It is to the Laguatan that we can look for a vital thread of continuity across this long period of successive upheavals. 2 The tribal ethnic is known in various forms from a number of Byzantine and Arab sources, though it is generally accepted that the transliteration found in the work of the African writer Corippus is likely to be the closest to the original Berber (lagatan/ Laguatan). Alternative forms in Procopius (Leuathae) and early Arab writers (Louāta or Lawāta) hint at the soft pronunciation of the ‘g’ (Mattingly, 1983, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Généalogies Et Géographies Tribales
    Grigori Lazarev Sociologue, et Géographe. Association de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Al Idrissi, Rabat Ancien fonctionnaire international (FAO), Rome. [email protected] Généalogies et géographies tribales Résumé : Cet article tire ses matériaux des travaux de G. Lazarev (en cours de publication) sur les « Populations et les territoires du Maghreb, VII°-XI° siècle ». Il propose quelques réflexions sur les rapports entre les généalogies et les géographies tribales pendant la période médiévale. Il fait bien entendu référence à Ibn Khaldûn et à l’approche généalogique de son histoire des groupements ethniques berbères jusqu’au XIV° siècle. L’analyse montre cependant les biais de son approche et son adéquation des généalogies à la succession des phases successives de l’histoire du Maghreb. Une contre-analyse permet de déceler les correspondances qui s’établissent entre les blocs généalogiques et la géographie des tribus du Maghreb. Cette contre-analyse vérifie une intuition tardive d’Ibn Khaldûn, mais que déterminé par le conformisme généalogique de son époque, il n’a pas appliquée dans son ouvrage antérieur, le kitab al ibar1. Mots clé : Maghreb médiéval, tribus berbères, généalogie tribale, géographie tribale au Maghreb Abstract: This paper is based upon works by G. Lazarev (in process of publication) on « Populations and Territories in Maghreb, VII°-XI° centuries ». It offers some thoughts on the relationships between genealogies and tribal geographies in medieval times. Of course, it refers to Ibn Khaldûn and to his genealogical approach of berber ethnic groups until century XIV. An analysis showshowever his approach’many biases due to hissimplified adequation to the successive phases ofMaghreb history. A counter-analysis leads to find straight correspondences between « genealogical blocks » andMaghreb tribal geography.
    [Show full text]
  • Sotochica Egipto.Pdf (4.486Mb)
    Historiografía y representaciones III Estudios sobre las fuentes de la conquista islámica Editores científicos: Luis A. García Moreno – Esther Sánchez Medina Lidia Fernández Fonfría Historiogrfía y representaciones Historiogrfía III Estudios sobre las fuentes de la conquista islámica conquista de la fuentes las sobre III Estudios ISBN 978‑84‑15069‑50‑8 REAL ACADEMIA DE LA HISTORIA Egipto, los árabes y la conquista de la Libia Marmárica, Pentápolis y Tripolitania. 642-698 José Soto Chica UGR-C.E.B.N.Ch. Resumen En el siglo VI las provincias bizantinas de Tripolitania, Pentápolis y de la Libia Marmárica, se vieron favorecidas por el auge del comercio marítimo alejandrino. La conquista de Egipto y Alejandría por los árabes impuso a estos la tarea de asegurar su posesión con el sometimiento o al menos destrucción, de las provincias bizantinas situadas a Occidente de Egipto. La empresa contaría con el apoyo del nuevo Patriarcado copto de Alejandría, pero sería una tarea ardua y larga que sólo concluiría con la destrucción de Cartago. Palabras clave: Bizancio, árabes, Egipto, Libia Marmárica, Pentápolis, Cirenaica, Tripolitania. Abstract On the 6th Century the byzantine provinces of Tripolitania, Pentapolis and Marmarican Lybia, were favoured by the growth of the Alexandrine maritime commerce. The conquest of Egypt and Alexandria by the Arabs imposed on them the task of securing their possession with the submis- sion, or at least the destruction of the byzantine provinces located on the west of Egypt. The task would rely on the support of the new Alexandrine Coptic Patriarchate, but it would be a hard and long undertaking that would only conclude with the destruction of Carthage.
    [Show full text]
  • Diplomatic Relations of Rome with Local Forces in North Africa 202 BC - 284 AD
    International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426 Diplomatic Relations of Rome with Local Forces in North Africa 202 BC - 284 AD Dr. Salma Mohammed B Hosawi Associate Professor, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia Abstract: This study presents a historical view of Roman diplomacy toward the local powers in North Africa which was known as “the province of Africa” from the end of the third century BC until the end of the third century AD. There is no doubt that Rome's diplomacy toward these powers paralleled with general Roman policy, which is based on in containment diplomacy before resorting to the use of military powers. This study presents a Trackless topic, It is rare to talk about it, as usual when talking about the Roman Empire, we are talking about wars and expansions and the use of forces was talking about Roman diplomacy is something new worth checking. The study shows Rome's diplomacy toward the local forces in North Africa, how to deal with Carthage, when Romans succeeded in pursuing a diplomatic policy with the barbaric and violent tribes in the desert, they were able to achieve their colonial objectives in North Africa without fighting. The same success with the Moorish tribes which indicates the extent of Roman wisdom in the use of this flexible mechanism through different stages of its application both at the level of the Kingdom and at the level of tribes that formed an economic and political force. Keywords: Diplomatic, Roman, Africa, province, policy 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Osu1099344529.Pdf (455.37
    ETHNOGRAPHIC CHARACTERIZATION IN LUCAN’S BELLUM CIVILE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Gregory W.Q. Hodges, B.A., M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2004 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Erik Gunderson, Adviser Professor Frank Coulson _________________________ Professor Gifty Ako-Adounvo Adviser Department of Greek and Latin Copyright by Gregory W.Q. Hodges 2004 ABSTRACT Lucan’s Bellum Civile is a commentary upon and criticism of the Neronian principate and the deteriorated Roman character of the first century. The poet’s success would be marked initially by imperial censorship, followed by his avowed involvement in the Pisonian conspiracy, the inevitable result of which was Lucan’s death sentence in 65 A.D. In his epic Lucan laments the state of Roman citizenship that has precipitated the fall of the Republic. The true Roman, the hero that would sacrifice all for the state, is absent from the poem. Instead the promotion of the individual, effected by military and political successes among foreign peoples at and beyond the edges of empire, has dismantled simultaneously the ethnic construct of the Roman. To underscore this loss of native Roman identity Lucan employs various non-Roman ethnic models when developing the characters of Caesar, Pompey, and Cato. The stereotypical traits of the European Gaul, the Asiatic despot, and the North African nomad, as generated by such sources as Polybius and Cato the Elder, structure the character of Lucan’s protagonists. They have divested themselves of their Roman aspects and assumed rather those of the peoples among whom they produced their public strength.
    [Show full text]
  • Teacher's Guide for DIG: Africa's Jewel: Leptis Magna
    Teacher’s Guide for DIG: Africa’s Jewel: Leptis Magna February 2008 This guide was prepared by Mary B. Lawson, a teacher at Michigan Avenue Elementary School, Saint Cloud, Florida, Florida Geographic Alliance Consultant, and “A History of US” Teaching American History Grant Cohort. Materials: February 2008 Dig issue: Africa’s Jewel: Leptis Magna; computer, Internet access, map of Africa, markers, writing paper, chart paper, crayons, colored pencils, time capsule, overhead, Build Prior Knowledge: Have the students write the answer to the following question and then share their answers. Who or what is Leptis Magna? Make a list on chart paper of their answers and post in the classroom. Reading: Divide students into groups. Assign each group an article from Dig. Read as a group and discuss the article read. Create a graphic organizer to take notes on. This can be posted in the classroom. A Great Site p. 8-11 Play with Oil p.12-13 also art-i-facts oil lamp p. 33 City of the Emperors p. 14-15 also the back cover to discuss the pictures Home Sweet Home p.16-19 End of an Era p. 26-28 Vocabulary: p.8-11 maritime Leptis Magna wadis Phoenicians antiquity Tripolitania Punc Persians province commodities marketable promontory imiazen indigenous Berbers barbarian archaeologists excavating p. 12-13 and p. 33 Cato the Younger Pompey Julius Caesar determination tribute Leptis Magna ceramic amphorae bathhouses legionnaires Pompeii funneled arid terracotta concentric circles rosettes reliefs shards p. 14-15 emperor boundaries Lucius Septimius Severus Leptis
    [Show full text]
  • Form C Basic
    1 School of Archaeology & Ancient History AH3020 North Africa in Late Antiquity Academic Year: 2009-2010 Semester: 2 Time and location: Tue. 2-3pm. KE 526 (provisional) Fri. 1-2pm ATT SB 2.07 First meeting: Tue. January 26 2pm KE 526 (provisional) Module coordinator: Andy Merrills e-mail: [email protected] Room: 110 Office hours: Thursdays 9.30-11.30 Your individual appointments (e.g. tutorials, seminars): …………………………………………………… …………………………………………………… …………………………………………………… …………………………………………………… document prepared by: AHM 1/12/09 2 3 AR3020 North Africa in Late Antiquity Weighting: 20 credits Coordinator: Andy Merrills Other tutors: Dave Edwards; David Mattingly Module outline: Classical North Africa was shaped profoundly by the imperial domination of Rome and Meroe. When these great empires began to fragment from the later fourth century, the region experienced a number of political, cultural and economic convulsions every bit as profound as those experienced elsewhere in the classical world. This module explores the ‘forgotten’ history of Africa from c.350-c.550 CE, from a consciously comparative perspective. We will examine a variety of different post- imperial societies, and post-imperial phenomena, from Egyptian monasticism and Berber pyramid-building to the warrior aristocracies of Nubia and Vandal Carthage. Aims: To examine a crucial (but neglected!) area in the history of late Antiquity, and in the history of Africa. To introduce students to a wide array of translated sources and documents, the archaeological data and secondary works, and to encourage their critical analysis and evaluation. To develop further skills in written presentation Intended On completion of the module, students will be able to: learning outcomes: Research a well-defined aspect of a topic and communicate the results effectively in an oral presentation Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of many of the principal historical themes of this period Display a nuanced appreciation of the themes and controversies surrounding the study of North Africa in the Roman and post- Roman period.
    [Show full text]
  • War in the Tribal Zone Expanding States and Indigenous Warfare
    War in the Tribal Zone Expanding States and Indigenous Warfare Edited by R. Brian Ferguson and Neil L. Whitehead With a new preface by the Editors ~ School.of American Research Press Santa Fe, New Mexico James Currey Oxford WAR IN THE TRIBAL ZONl Contributon Thomas S. Abler R. A. L. H. Gunawardam School of American Research Department of Anthropology Department of HistoIJ Advanced Seminar Series University of Waterloo University of Peradeniyc Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Peradeniya, Sri umk~ Douglas W. Schwartz, General Editor Michael F. Brown Ross Hassi~ Department of Anthropology Department of Anthropolog} and Sociology University of Oklahoma Williams College Norman, Oklahoma Williamstown, Massachusetts Robin Uiw R. Brian Ferguson Department of History Department of Sociology; University of Stirling Anthropology; and CriminalJustice Stirling, Scotland Rutgers University Newark, NewJersey D. J. Matttingly Department of Classical Studies Eduardo Fernandez University of Michigan Lima, Peru Ann Arbor, Michigan Andrew Strathern Department of Anthropology University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Neil L. Whitehead Department of Anthropology University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin i I] School of American Research Press James Currey Ltd Content~ Post Office Box 2188 73 Botley Road Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87504-2188 Oxford OX2 OBS Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: War in the tribal zone: expanding states and indigenous warfare / edited by R. Brian Ferguson and Neil L. Whitehead. Preface to the Second Printing xi p. em. - (School ofAmerican Research advanced seminar series) R. BRIAN FERGUSON AND NEll L. WHITEHEAD Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-933452-79-9. -ISBN 0-933452-80-2 Preface xxxvii 1. War and society-Cross-cultural studies.
    [Show full text]
  • A Correlation Analysis of Low-Level Conflict in North African Berber Groups, 1990-2011
    A CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF LOW-LEVEL CONFLICT IN NORTH AFRICAN BERBER GROUPS, 1990-2011 A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of The School of Continuing Studies and of The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Studies By Suzanne Hollands, B.A. Georgetown University Washington, D.C. April 10, 2014 Copyright 2014 by Suzanne Hollands-Sibley All Rights Reserved. ii A CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF LOW-LEVEL CONFLICT IN NORTH AFRICAN BERBER GROUPS, 1990-2011 Suzanne Hollands-Sibley, B.A. MALS Mentors: John O. Voll, Ph.D., Andy Vogt, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Berber regions of North Africa have long resisted incursion from the outside world. Regional conquests from the Punics, Greeks and Romans were repeatedly met with persistent and at times violent resistance, particularly under Greek and Roman rule. With the Arab conquest in the seventh century AD, the depth of penetration into Berber culture was fundamentally altered, particularly in the area of religion and language. Though still committed to Islam as a religion, recent Berber movements have shown a marked resistance to Arab cultural identity, seeking instead to re-establish a purely Berber cultural ethos through the revival of their indigenous Amazigh language and customs. Because their former identity precedes the advent of Islam, the Berber have recently sought to reconcile their ancient cultural heritage, particularly their language, with a religion they adopted in the seventh century but whose very language they conceive of as that of a former oppressor. Rather than rejecting Islam, they choose instead to reinvent it, replacing the sacred Arabic language of the QUrán with their lingua franca – Tamazight – in their practice of Islam, thereby uniting both culture and religion and reinforcing a cultural identity.
    [Show full text]