Readings in Ancient History: Thought and Experience from Gilgamesh to St. Augustine

by Nels M. Bailkey (Editor)

Book by

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Philosophy

558 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[John]

Any collection of this sort is bound to be both fragmentary, whatever its length, and biased, however unintentionally. In addition, the older the text, the more dated its sources, historical perspective, and translations are bound to be. This collection—already more than 30 years old—is by turns intriguing, informative, engaging, and exacerbating. As one introductory overview of the writings of the ancients, it certainly has its place alongside any number of similar anthologies and serves as a useful overview. The editor in this instance seems to favor examples that consciously parallel the world of today—or at least the world of 1992—and to that extent, the choices made are gratifying, if a bit on the nose at times. Less worthwhile is the editor's obvious bias toward a Christian-centered viewpoint, a bias not only revealed explicitly by the commentaries on several of the later Roman writers but also in choices that repeatedly foreshadow the rise of Christianity and seem to uphold it as normative for Western thought. From the perspective of 2023, this bias comes across as both myopic and trite. But that doesn't alter the quality of the selections themselves, just the editorial choices behind their selection.

[Mary]

How can I not give the Greeks and Romans five stars?

[Tracie]

Solid Ancient History reader. A bit advanced for my 1101 students but a nice supplement in chunks for upper divisions.