Tertullian the African

Tertullian the African
Author: David E. Wilhite
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2011-06-24
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 3110926261

Who was Tertullian, and what can we know about him? This work explores his social identities, focusing on his North African milieu. Theories from the discipline of social/cultural anthropology, including kinship, class and ethnicity, are accommodated and applied to selections of Tertullian’s writings. In light of postcolonial concerns, this study utilizes the categories of Roman colonizers, indigenous Africans and new elites. The third category, new elites, is actually intended to destabilize the other two, denying any “essential” Roman or African identity. Thereafter, samples from Tertullian’s writings serve to illustrate comparisons of his own identities and the identities of his rhetorical opponents. The overall study finds Tertullian’s identities to be manifold, complex and discursive. Additionally, his writings are understood to reflect antagonism toward Romans, including Christian Romans (which is significant for his so-called Montanism), and Romanized Africans. While Tertullian accommodates much from Graeco-Roman literature, laws and customs, he nevertheless retains a strongly stated non-Roman-ness and an African-ity, which is highlighted in the present monograph.

Cultural Reformations

Cultural Reformations
Author: Brian Cummings
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 702
Release: 2010-06-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199212481

The deepest periodic division in English literary history has been between the medieval and the early modern. 'Cultural Reformations' initiates discussion on many fronts in which both periods look different in dialogue with each other.

Roman Theater and Society

Roman Theater and Society
Author: William J. Slater
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Total Pages: 214
Release: 1996
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780472107216

A thought-provoking and timeless volume, presenting Roman theater as the voice of the common citizen

THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (All 6 Volumes)

THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (All 6 Volumes)
Author: Edward Gibbon
Publisher: Good Press
Total Pages: 2144
Release: 2024-01-10
Genre: History
ISBN:

Edward Gibbon's 'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' is a monumental work that spans six volumes, chronicling the collapse of one of the most powerful empires in history. Gibbon's writing style is both eloquent and meticulous, providing readers with a comprehensive account of the political, social, and cultural factors that led to Rome's decline. The book is a masterpiece of historical analysis, blending scholarly research with engaging narrative that keeps readers captivated throughout. Gibbon's work is considered a classic in the field of History, shaping the way we understand the rise and fall of civilizations. Edward Gibbon, a renowned historian and member of the British Parliament, was inspired to write this magnum opus after extensive travels throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. His firsthand encounters with ancient Roman ruins fueled his fascination with the empire's history and eventual demise. Gibbon's meticulous research and attention to detail have made 'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' a timeless masterpiece that continues to be studied and revered by scholars and history enthusiasts alike. I highly recommend Gibbon's 'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' to readers interested in delving into the complexities of Roman history and the broader themes of empire, power, and decline. This magisterial work provides a thorough and compelling narrative of one of the most pivotal periods in Western civilization, making it a must-read for anyone passionate about history and its lasting impact on society.

Being Greek Under Rome

Being Greek Under Rome
Author: Simon Goldhill
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 408
Release: 2001
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521030878

This book explores the cultural conflicts of the second-century CE Roman Empire, through the perspective of Greek writings. The specially commissioned essays investigate the intellectual and social tensions in the era which gave rise to Christianity.

Death in Ancient Rome

Death in Ancient Rome
Author: Catharine Edwards
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2007-01-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780300112085

For the Romans, the manner of a person's death was the most telling indication of their true character. Death revealed the true patriot, the genuine philosopher, even, perhaps, the great artist--and certainly the faithful Christian. Catharine Edwards draws on the many and richly varied accounts of death in the writings of Roman historians, poets, and philosophers, including Cicero, Lucretius, Virgil, Seneca, Petronius, Tacitus, Tertullian, and Augustine, to investigate the complex significance of dying in the Roman world. Death in the Roman world was largely understood and often literally viewed as a spectacle. Those deaths that figured in recorded history were almost invariably violent--murders, executions, suicides--and yet the most admired figures met their ends with exemplary calm, their last words set down for posterity. From noble deaths in civil war, mortal combat between gladiators, political execution and suicide, to the deathly dinner of Domitian, the harrowing deaths of women such as the mythical Lucretia and Nero's mother Agrippina, as well as instances of Christian martyrdom, Edwards engagingly explores the culture of death in Roman literature and history.

Spectacles of Empire

Spectacles of Empire
Author: Christopher A. Frilingos
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2004-10-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0812238222

The author reads the Book of Revelation as a text firmly situated in the world of imperial Roman Asia Minor, where it was written. He argues that Revelation is a Christian version of that world, complete with its own gladiatorial combats and other public spectacles.

Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Texts

Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Texts
Author: Christy Cobb
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 299
Release: 2022-10-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1793637857

Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Texts examines instances of sexual violence within a diversity of early Christian texts carefully, ethically, and with an eye toward shining a light on the scourge of sexual violence that is so often manifest in both ancient and contemporary Christian communities.