Ovid - Life and Poetry
August 26, 2008
Sometimes it seems remarkable Rome produced anything resembling high art. The proper role of an upper class male was service to the community in a legal and political capacity; those on lower rungs could content themselves with agriculture or commerce. Then of course for both sorts there was virtus; the courage and physical excellence (manliness) displayed in a battlefield against the enemies of Rome. Arts were regulated to secondary status. Actors, for instance, were often considered little better than prostitutes, a sign of decadence of effeminate Greek culture...
...read the full article about the poet Ovid.
Review; The Rise and Fall of Alexandria
August 19, 2008
"Most of us take if for granted that two cities, Athens and Rome, completely dominated the classical world," opines Justin Pollard and Howard Reid. "In fact, there was a third city that, at its height, dwarfed both of these in wealth and population as well as in scientific and artistic achievement. " That city was Alexandria, the Greco-Egyptian capital of the Ptolemaic empire. The authors call the city "the greatest mental crucible the world has ever known," the intellectual foundation upon which the later Renaissance forged the minds of modern men. "The Rise and Fall of Alexandria" is a delightful and informative read that effectively waves the banner of an unappreciated aspect of the Western legacy...
...read the full review of The Rise and Fall of Alexandria by Justin Pollard and Howard Reid
Review; Swords Against The Senate
August 10, 2008
This book charts the rise of the Roman army and how it played a decisive role in the eventual demise of the Roman Republic. It tells the story of how it evolved from an army of wealthy landowners fighting for the glory of Rome, into a professional army fighting not only for Rome but for the glory of their general. Its main focus is spread over a period of about 70 years beginning in 133 B.C. with the tribuneship of Tiberius Gacchus and ending 78 B.C. on the death of Lucius Cornelius Sulla...
read the full article of Swords Against The Senate by Erik Hildinger
Review; The Oxford History of the Roman World
August 04, 2008
The Oxford History of the Roman World is, above all, an enjoyable read. It is however one that is flawed in approach. When I think of UK scholarship, and Oxford in particular, I am wont to imagine a certain thoroughness in detail and scope that may even border on pedantry. Such is not the case with this work. There are gaps in its focus which detract from what could have easily been a brilliant and even-handed survey. Nonetheless, on the areas it chooses to concentrate, the book does provide an engaging read. This makes the Oxford History an introduction of mixed quality for the neophyte...
read the full article of The Oxford History of the Roman World by John Boardman
