Rethinking the Other in Antiquity
Exploring Ancient Cultures and Their Connections
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Princeton University Press
Published:25th Sep '12
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£70.00(9780691148526)
This thought-provoking work explores how ancient societies, including those discussed in Rethinking the Other in Antiquity, often found connections with foreign cultures rather than defining themselves solely by contrast.
In Rethinking the Other in Antiquity, Erich Gruen challenges the prevailing views of classicists regarding the relationships between Greeks, Romans, Jews, and various foreign cultures. Traditionally, it has been believed that these ancient societies defined themselves by contrasting their identities with those of the so-called Other, including Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Gauls. Gruen argues instead that the ancients often found connections and shared roots with these cultures, fostering a sense of kinship rather than mere hostility.
Gruen meticulously examines how the ancients expressed admiration for the achievements of other civilizations and how they incorporated foreign traditions into their own narratives. The book delves into creative tales, such as the founding of Thebes by the Phoenician Cadmus and the Trojan origins of Rome, suggesting that these stories reflect a deeper understanding of interconnectedness rather than division. By exploring myth, legend, and fictive histories, Gruen reveals the complexities of ancient identities and their perceptions of the Other.
Through in-depth analysis of significant texts by prominent figures like Aeschylus, Herodotus, and Plutarch, Rethinking the Other in Antiquity uncovers nuanced portrayals of foreign cultures that go beyond stereotypes. Gruen’s work provides a fresh perspective on ancient attitudes, demonstrating that the relationships between these societies were often characterized by mutuality and connection, enriching our understanding of the ancient world and its diverse cultures.
Shortlisted for the 2012 Runciman Award, Anglo-Hellenic League "[T]he range of research, and the depth of thought, are extraordinary. Gruen has taken on a massively important subject, and he has brought a genuinely new perspective to the scholarly conversation."--Emily Wilson, New Republic "[Gruen] is at his best when he dissects Greco-Roman perceptions of the Jews and the Jewish reception of Greco-Roman culture and accommodation with the world of the goyim."--Choice "Rethinking the Other in Antiquity, by Erich S. Gruen, out this month from Princeton University Press, like all excellent scholarship massages the mind in useful new directions... Gruen's mission ... is to unpack the contrary story, far less told: 'that Greeks, Romans, and Jews (who provide us with almost all the relevant extant texts) had far more mixed, nuanced, and complex opinions about other peoples.' In the main text and many useful footnotes of this info-packed but never boring study, Gruen accomplishes that."--Carlin Romano, Chronicle Review "Anthropologists should seriously consider Gruen's case, and it would be wonderful if this appreciation of and openness to different peoples and cultures could somehow enter into contemporary politics and culture."--Jack David Eller, Anthropology Review Database "Rethinking the Other is an extremely valuable departure from a scholarly viewpoint that has threatened to become ossified of late, and as such is very worthwhile to everyone involved in the study of ancient conceptions of foreignness and belonging."--Antti Lampinen, ARCTOS "Erich Gruen's Rethinking the Other in Antiquity is a book that, for one reason or another, desperately needed to be written, ideally by someone possessing G.'s authoritative command of the vast array of sources indicative of ancient knowledge of, and interest in, foreign peoples... The result is a provocative, wide-ranging and thoroughly engaging volume that is both beautifully produced--with copious footnotes, helpful indices and handsome book-jacket featuring a (highly apposite) janiform vase--and (very) reasonably priced. The latter is fortuitous since it will automatically become a set text for courses touching on ancient self-conception and relations with foreign peoples and mandatory reading for anyone researching these and cognate fields."--Joseph Skinner, Journal of Roman Studies "Rethinking the Other in Antiquity amounts to a major reassessment of an important topic. In light of the voluminous evidence Gruen assembles, it seems untenable to contend that Greek, Roman, and Jewish views of other cultures can be reduced to self-serving stereotypes and denigrations. Hopefully his book will help usher in more nuanced and charitable perspectives."--Eric Adler, European Legacy
- Runner-up for Runciman Award 2012
ISBN: 9780691156354
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 595g
416 pages