John Bodel

Saul M. Olyan

The first book to explore the religious dimensions of the familyand the household in ancient Mediterranean and West Asianantiquity. Advances our understanding of household and familial religion,as opposed to state-sponsored or civic temple cults Reconstructs domestic and family religious practices in Egypt,Greece, Rome, Israel, Mesopotamia, Ugarit, Emar, and Philistia Explores many household rituals, such as providing forancestral spirits, and petitioning of a household's patron deitiesor of spirits associated with the house itself Examines lifecycle rituals – from pregnancy and birth tomaturity, old age, death, and beyond Looks at religious practices relating to the household bothwithin the home itself and other spaces, such as at extramuraltombs and local sanctuaries

Household and Family Religion in Antiquity

Walter Scheidel

On Human Bondage—a critical reexamination of Orlando Patterson’s groundbreaking Slavery and Social Death—assesses how his theories have stood the test of time and applies them to new case studies. Discusses the novel ideas of social death and natal alienation, as Patterson first presented them 35 years ago and as they are understood today Brings together exciting new work by a group of esteemed historians of slavery, as well as a final chapter by Patterson himself that responds to and expands upon the other contributions Provides insights into slave societies around the world and across time, from classical Greece and Rome to modern Brazil and the Caribbean, and from Han China and pre-colonial South Asia to early modern Europe and the New World Delves into a wide range of topics, including the reformation of social identity after slavery, the new historicist approach to slavery, rituals of enslavement and servitude, questions of honor and dishonor, and symbolic imagery of slavery

After?Slavery and Social Death

On Human Bondage

Papers from a conference, "Being Nobody?," held at Brown University.

Richard J. A. Talbert

Susan E. Alcock

"The unparalleled network of roads in the empire of ancient Rome was a remarkable achievement--yet this Roman road network is just the most notable example of an important feature of many pre-modern societies worldwide. Highways, Byways, and Road Systems in the Pre-Modern World presents a comparative analysis of several sophisticated systems of overland transport and communication networks across pre-modern cultures. Featuring contributions from an international team of scholars, these readings delve deeply into the societal, cultural, and religious implications of various transportation networks around the globe. The latest research from the Mediterranean and the Near East is brought together with fresh work from the Americas, Africa, and Asia to reveal the significance and logistics of the movement of people and ideas in the pre-modern world. Highways, Byways, and Road Systems in the Pre-Modern World sheds important new light--and fills a gap in contemporary scholarship--by exploring the importance and interconnectedness of the countless physical pathways of peoples and cultures"--Provided by publisher.

Highways, Byways, and Road Systems in the Pre-Modern World

Stephen Houston

This book zeroes in on hidden writing and alternative systems of graphic notation, exploring writings that deflect attention from language.

Cryptic Writing and Meaningful Marks

The Hidden Language of Graphic Signs

Epigraphic Evidence is an accessible guide to the responsible use of Greek and Latin inscriptions as sources for ancient history. It introduces the types of historical information supplied by inscriptional texts and the methods with which they can be used. It outlines the limitations as well as the advantages of the different types of evidence covered. Epigraphic Evidence includes a general introduction, a guide to the arrangement of the standard corpora inscriptions and individual chapters on local languages and native cultures, epitaphs and the ancient economy amongst others.

John Bodel

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