Description
From the eighteenth century onwards, the ancient Greek writer Thucydides (c 460 - c 395 BCE) was viewed as the most important classical historian. He was acclaimed not only as a vital source for reconstructing antiquity but as a purveyor of timeless political wisdom. His name is almost inescapable in nineteenth-century discussions of history's nature and purpose. And his spirit, or the image of him constructed by German historicists, remains a significant presence in more recent debates about historical method. It is remarkable, then, that the trajectory of Thucydides' modern reception has never been properly studied. Neville Morley here sets right that neglect. He examines different aspects of the reception of Thucydides within modern western historiography, casting fresh light on ideas about history and the historian in the contemporary world. His nuanced readings illuminate changing notions of the nature and purpose of history and of the historian's proper task. This latest volume in the I.B.Tauris New Directions in Classics series makes a bold and significant contribution to understandings of how to reclaim the past.
From the eighteenth century onwards, the ancient Greek writer Thucydides (c 460 - c 395 BCE) was viewed as the most important classical historian. He was acclaimed not only as a vital source for reconstructing antiquity but as a purveyor of timeless political wisdom.
About the Author
Neville Morley is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bristol. He is the author of Trade in Classical Antiquity (2010), Theories, Models and Concepts in Ancient History (2004) and Metropolis and Hinterland: The City of Rome and the Italian Economy, 200 BC - AD 200 (1996).
Reviews
This book offers a lucid and compelling analysis of how readings of Thucydides have shaped modern ideas of history and of how changing notions of history have in turn shaped the idea of Thucydides. Well-written and well-organised, it is accessible to students and scholars of ancient history and literature as well as to all those interested in the development of historiography.' Tim Rood, Tutorial Fellow in Classics, St Hugh's College, Oxford and author of 'Thucydides: Narrative and Explanation' 'This is a highly original, even masterful, book that deserves a broad,cross-disciplinary readership.' Emily Greenwood, Professor of Classics, Yale University, author of 'Thucydides and the Shaping of History' This book is essential reading for anyone interested not just in the legacy of Thucydides, but also more generally in discussions of historical method.' - Miriam Leonard, Professor of Greek Literature and its Reception, University College London.
Book Information
ISBN 9781848851702
Author Dr Neville Morley
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint I.B. Tauris
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 398g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 20mm
From the eighteenth century onwards, the ancient Greek writer Thucydides (c 460 - c 395 BCE) was viewed as the most important classical historian. He was acclaimed not only as a vital source for reconstructing antiquity but as a purveyor of timeless political wisdom.
About the Author
Neville Morley is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bristol. He is the author of Trade in Classical Antiquity (2010), Theories, Models and Concepts in Ancient History (2004) and Metropolis and Hinterland: The City of Rome and the Italian Economy, 200 BC - AD 200 (1996).
Reviews
This book offers a lucid and compelling analysis of how readings of Thucydides have shaped modern ideas of history and of how changing notions of history have in turn shaped the idea of Thucydides. Well-written and well-organised, it is accessible to students and scholars of ancient history and literature as well as to all those interested in the development of historiography.' Tim Rood, Tutorial Fellow in Classics, St Hugh's College, Oxford and author of 'Thucydides: Narrative and Explanation' 'This is a highly original, even masterful, book that deserves a broad,cross-disciplinary readership.' Emily Greenwood, Professor of Classics, Yale University, author of 'Thucydides and the Shaping of History' This book is essential reading for anyone interested not just in the legacy of Thucydides, but also more generally in discussions of historical method.' - Miriam Leonard, Professor of Greek Literature and its Reception, University College London.
Book Information
ISBN 9781848851702
Author Dr Neville Morley
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint I.B. Tauris
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 398g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 20mm
