Review by Choice Review
The wars of Greece and Rome still inform military strategists today, and this work provides the most comprehensive approach to warfare in the ancient Mediterranean region available for general readers. Although most entries are short, averaging less than a page, the coverage is broad and encompasses a wide variety of topics related to war, including battles, conflicts, people, politics, culture, and religion. Coverage extends from Archaic Greece (c. 700 BCE) to the fall of the Roman Empire (476 CE). Detailed chronologies of conflicts in ancient Greece and Rome gives much-needed temporal context. The editors provide quotes on war by Greeks and Romans, a few primary documents, helpful maps, and glossaries of specialized terms related to war and conflict. The index is comprehensive. Though works such as The Oxford Classical Dictionary (CH, Oct'12, 50-0603) and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome (CH, May'10, 47-4795) cover many of the same subjects, this work excels because of its primary focus on war and conflict. For most academic libraries, this work will be supplementary, but for those that support programs in military studies, ancient history, Latin, and Greek, it is a mandatory purchase. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Community college and undergraduate students and instructors; general readers. --Gregory A. Crawford, Pennsylvania State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
This set evenly splits its alphabetically ordered entries between conflicts in Greece, first, and then Rome, with entries covering everything from battles and campaigns to noteworthy leaders to important regions, values, and ideas. There are some unexpected entries such as Post-traumatic stress disorder, which provides a thought-provoking perspective by retrospectively applying a more modern term to ancient times. The entry explains in some detail how differences in both culture and way of warfare may have mitigated the effect of PTSD on ancient war veterans. Other noteworthy topics not focused on personages or battles are Civilian populations in war; Prisoners of war and slavery; Religious practices before battle; and Omens and portents. There are even a number of entries devoted to weapon types (slings, for example). There are a few black-and-white pictures throughout, mostly showing battle terrain, archaeological items, ancient ruins, and artwork. At the end of each section, there is a useful index, a detailed bibliography, a glossary, and a handful of maps. Primary documents appear immediately after the entries and are mostly ancient historical passages, poems, decrees, or memorial inscriptions. Overall, this is a set that would be highly useful for any academic library with coursework in the classics.--Tosko, Michael Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Acknowledging that some students find their facts on the History Channel or through fictional television shows and movies, librarian Phang, Iain Spence (former head, Sch. of Classics, History, Philosophy and Religion, Univ. of New England, Australia), Douglas Kelly (classics & ancient history emeritus, Macquarie Univ., Sydney, Australia; Australian National Univ., Canberra), and Peter Londey (Ctr. for Classical Studies, Australian National Univ., Canberra) set out to create an approachable series of entries on wars and battles in Greece and Rome for undergraduate students. The first volume and half of the second discuss Greece from the Archaic Period "to the Roman conquest of the Greek world." The later sections of Volumes 2 and 3 cover "early Rome to the fall of the western Roman Empire in 476 CE." Both Greek and Roman segments start with an introduction stating the purpose of the entries, a brief overview of the entire period covered, organization and cross-references, material on the abbreviations and spelling standards, a "Chronology of Conflict," and a "Guide to Related Topics." Each entry is listed alphabetically and has an informational segment and, if available, a "see also" displaying other entries and further readings related to that entry. Major battles receive longer summaries and have three distinct sections: the causes, the course, and the consequences of the conflict. VERDICT This set is recommended for academic libraries serving undergraduate history students who use print reference regularly. Public libraries with patron interest in ancient battles may well purchase, too.-Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
