Ancient Greek and Roman History Thread

B

BRUTALITOPS

on indefiniate mod break
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I have a bunch of tabs open in chrome (i never use bookmarks) and have decided to instead post the links here. Some of you may like some of this stuff.

I haven't seen/listened to any of this stuff yet so I am not vouching for it.

Birth of Rome, first Metropolitan City

Hannibal - Stanford Continuing Studies Program
This course examines Hannibal’s childhood and his young soldierly exploits in Spain. Then it follows him over the Pyrenees and into Gaul, the Alps, Italy, and beyond, examining his victories over the Romans, his brilliance as a military strategist, and his legacy after the Punic Wars. Along the way, students will learn about archaeologists’ efforts to retrace Hannibal’s journey through the Alps and the cutting-edge methods that they are using. Hunt has been on foot over every major Alpine pass and has now determined the most probable sites where archaeological evidence can be found to help solve the mystery. Presented by the Stanford Continuing Studies Program.
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https://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/hannibal/id384234015?mt=10#ls=1

For those that don't use itunes you can stream it there online, or I am sure you can find it somewhere else

Introduction to Ancient Greek History with Donald Kagan (Yale University Lectures)
(~24 hours worth of material O_O)

This is an introductory course in Greek history tracing the development of Greek civilization as manifested in political, intellectual, and creative achievements from the Bronze Age to the end of the classical period. Students read original sources in translation as well as the works of modern scholars.
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http://www.dnatube.com/courses/yaleintroancient
 
Rana said:
I agree Mott, I love her books! "the Grass Crown".
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I think I have read that about 4 times. The way she explains the Social Wars and how the Marian reforms permitted the precedence for Sullas march on Rome which set another precedent that began the snowball rolling towards the events that ended the Roman Republic. The one thing I do criticize her for is how she ends the Grass Grown with Sulla marching off towards Greece to confront Mithradates and starts "Fortunes Favorite" with Sulla having won the first Mithradatic war and being devestated by disease. Sullas battles against Archeleous were some of the greatest battles of antiqueity with Roman forces being outnumber by like 125,000 to 40,000 and the Roman forces twice anihilating Archeleous forces through the genious of Sulla's generalship, not to mention Sulla's brilliant management of the siege of Athens....and she skips it all! One of the great turning points in human civilization and she skips it completely. That I did not understand at all. Other than that, from the rise of Marius to the event of Augustus Principate, shes just spot on and the way she explains the politics. Wow! Simply amazing.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
I think I have read that about 4 times. The way she explains the Social Wars and how the Marian reforms permitted the precedence for Sullas march on Rome which set another precedent that began the snowball rolling towards the events that ended the Roman Republic. The one thing I do criticize her for is how she ends the Grass Grown with Sulla marching off towards Greece to confront Mithradates and starts "Fortunes Favorite" with Sulla having won the first Mithradatic war and being devestated by disease. Sullas battles against Archeleous were some of the greatest battles of antiqueity with Roman forces being outnumber by like 125,000 to 40,000 and the Roman forces twice anihilating Archeleous forces through the genious of Sulla's generalship, not to mention Sulla's brilliant management of the siege of Athens....and she skips it all! One of the great turning points in human civilization and she skips it completely. That I did not understand at all. Other than that, from the rise of Marius to the event of Augustus Principate, shes just spot on and the way she explains the politics. Wow! Simply amazing.
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I think I need to retread it!
 
Mott the Hoople said:
I keep telling you guys about Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series. They are some of the best historical fiction I have ever read. Newt Gingrich is a big fan of this series. You've got to read these.

http://books.google.com/books/about/The_First_Man_in_Rome.html?id=PSRD1rTZI9wC
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Well, as for historical fiction on Rome, the obvious works would be I, Claudius and Claudius the God. I read I, Claudius, haven't gotten to Claudius the God yet (it seems to be pretty obscure, had to discover IRC ebook trading before I finally found it).

It's kind of difficult to get into, boring in the beginning, better in the second half, and it gets really interesting in the last 20% or so when Caligula becomes emperor (that Caligula, what a character). I think it's overall depiction of the characters unrealistic - everyone that supports the republic is super-good, noble, and stupid, while everyone that supports the empire is at best easily corruptible (like Tiberius) and usually just evil and scheming. It treats Augustus's propaganda about being a reluctant ruler who merely exercises auctoritas with total credulity, while subscribing to the "Livia did everything" school of Roman history. I suppose that makes for a spicier account, though.

If I wrote a book on the period, Augustus would be morally grey, Livia would have little real influence, and the republicans motivations would bear more resemblance to balance of power politics than any love of liberty and hatred of tyranny - which is in all likelihood a more realistic picture. But I doubt I would sell much.
 
Fluttershy said:
Well, as for historical fiction on Rome, the obvious works would be I, Claudius and Claudius the God. I read I, Claudius, haven't gotten to Claudius the God yet (it seems to be pretty obscure, had to discover IRC ebook trading before I finally found it).

It's kind of difficult to get into, boring in the beginning, better in the second half, and it gets really interesting in the last 20% or so when Caligula becomes emperor (that Caligula, what a character). I think it's overall depiction of the characters unrealistic - everyone that supports the republic is super-good, noble, and stupid, while everyone that supports the empire is at best easily corruptible (like Tiberius) and usually just evil and scheming. It treats Augustus's propaganda about being a reluctant ruler who merely exercises auctoritas with total credulity, while subscribing to the "Livia did everything" school of Roman history. I suppose that makes for a spicier account, though.

If I wrote a book on the period, Augustus would be morally grey, Livia would have little real influence, and the republicans motivations would bear more resemblance to balance of power politics than any love of liberty and hatred of tyranny - which is in all likelihood a more realistic picture. But I doubt I would sell much.
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I Claudius does compliment McCulloughs work as it picks up in the time of the imperium where McCullough ends with the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Principate. Tough "I Claudius" is an excellent work it is no where nearly as sweeping in scope as McCullough's work and thus I think McCullough's is the greater work. Robert Graves doesn't go nearly into the detail about the cultural and day to day life of Romans as McCullough does nor does he explain is as much detail the civic/governmental and political organization and issues of the times as McCullough does. He does do a far better job of character development in his novels but he doesn't portray the vast number of actual historical characters that McCullough does.

Personally I find her style very similiar to Allen Eckert ( you should read his "Winning of America" series which focuses mostly on the frontier history of what was then called "The Northwest Territory." i.e. the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley region). Both volumes of work are incredible in their use of primary sources. So I kind of wonder if Eckert was an influence on her style of writting historical fiction.
 
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