The Oxford Handbook of the State in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean
By: edited by Peter Fibiger Bang and Walter Scheidel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 576
ISBN-13: 9780195188318
Subjects: Politics and government; Comparative government; The State; Political science; History
Description: The Oxford Handbook of the State in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean offers a comprehensive survey of ancient state formation in western Eurasia and North Africa. Eighteen experts introduce readers to a wide variety of systems spanning 4,000 years, from the earliest known states in world history to the Roman Empire and its immediate successors. They seek to understand the inner workings of these states by focusing on key issues: political and military power, the impact of ideologies, the rise and fall of individual polities, and the mechanisms of cooperation, coercion, and exploitation. This shared emphasis on critical institutions and dynamics invites comparative and cross-cultural perspectives. A detailed introductory review of contemporary approaches to the study of the state puts the rich historical case studies in context. Transcending conventional boundaries between ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean history and between ancient and early medieval history, this volume will be of interest not only to historians but also anthropologists, archaeologists, sociologists, and political scientists. Its accessible style and up-to-date references will make it an invaluable resource for both students and scholars.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Preface; title: Studying the state / Walter Scheidel; title: Egypt / Joseph G. Manning; title: Fertile crescent city-states / Steven Garfinkle; title: Mesopotamian empires / Gojko Barjamovic; title: Anatolian states / Trevor Bryce; title: Jewish states / Seth Schwartz; title: Iranian empires / Josef Wiesehöfer; title: Bronze age Greece / John Bennet; title: Greek city-states / Mogens H. Hansen; title: Greek multi-city states / Ian Morris; title: The Greek koinon / Emily Mackil; title: Hellenistic empires / John Ma; title: Carthage / Walter Ameling; title: The Roman Empire I: the republic / Henrik Mouritsen; title: The Roman Empire ii: the monarchy / Peter F. Bang; title: The Byzantine successor state / John Haldon; title: The Germanic successor states / Ian Wood; title: The first Islamic empire / Chase Robinson.