In the Land of a Thousand Gods: A History of Asia Minor in the Ancient World - Hardcover

Marek, Christian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691159793 ISBN 13: 9780691159799

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2016

Synopsis

A monumental history of Asia Minor from the Stone Age to the Roman Empire

This monumental book provides the first comprehensive history of Asia Minor from prehistory to the Roman imperial period. In this English-language edition of the critically acclaimed German book, Christian Marek masterfully employs ancient sources to illuminate civic institutions, urban and rural society, agriculture, trade and money, the influential Greek writers of the Second Sophistic, the notoriously bloody exhibitions of the gladiatorial arena, and more.

In the Land of a Thousand Gods is truly panoramic in scope. Blending rich narrative with in-depth analyses of political, social, and economic history, the book traces Asia Minor's shifting orientation between East and West and examines its role as both a melting pot of nations and a bridge for cultural transmission. Marek takes readers from the earliest known Stone Age settlements to the end of antiquity. He covers the emergence of early Greek poetry and science, the invention of coinage, Persian domination, the prosperity of cities under the Hellenistic kings, and the establishment of Roman provinces. Marek draws on the latest research―in fields ranging from demography and economics to architecture and religion―to describe how Asia Minor became a center of culture and wealth in the Roman Empire. He shows how the advancement of Hellenic culture and civic autonomy was the irreversible legacy of the Pax Romana.

A breathtaking work of scholarship, In the Land of a Thousand Gods will become the standard reference book on the subject in English.

About this title

About the Author

Christian Marek is professor emeritus of ancient history at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. His fields of research are the ancient cultures of the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, from Archaic Greece to early Byzantium, and Greek epigraphy. He specializes in Asia Minor and has been conducting epigraphical and archaeological fieldwork in Turkey for more than thirty years.

From the Back Cover

"Westernmost of eastern lands, easternmost of western lands, continental bridge, contact zone, melting pot--ancient Anatolia from prehistory to the Roman Empire relives in this learned, high-resolution, majestic book. All historically minded readers should embark on this journey in time and space, led by Marek's tour de force of learning and sensitivity."--John Ma, Columbia University

"This lucid and richly illustrated book covers the cultural and political history of the entire Asia Minor peninsula from earliest prehistory to late antiquity. It is simply the most reliable, most comprehensive handbook on all aspects of the subject."--Peter Thonemann, author of The Maeander Valley: A Historical Geography from Antiquity to Byzantium

Edition details

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691159793
• ISBN 13: 9780691159799
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 824