Current Epigraphy

Reviewed today in BMCR 2007.08.06, a volume which includes detailed discussion of inscribed amulets and curse tablets:

Silke Trzcionka, Magic and the Supernatural in Fourth-Century Syria. London and New York: Routledge, 2007. Pp. 227. ISBN 0-415-39242-X. £17.99.

Reviewed by Thomas J. Kraus, Hilpoltstein (t.j.kraus@web.de)

The very positive (but not uncritical) review summarises the contents (for a summary of which see this post at the Papyrology blog), and shows how the geographically, chronologically, and topically constrained subject matter makes for a more thorough and rigorous study of ancient magic than is normally possible in the general tomes that abound in this field. The reviewer concludes with the words:

Without doubt T.’s meticulous work is very welcome and a significant contribution to the field of research on (late) antique magic. T. approaches magic in two geographical regions and in a historical period, both of which are usually not in the main focus of scholarly work. This is done in an unbiased and sound way. Very impressive is her skillful narrative account and her fluent style of writing. With her fine and concise observations at hand the readers, no matter if they are specialists in the field, beginning students of (late) antiquity, or just readers interested in the subject matters, are enabled to develop some further insights in some very specific topics that could only be touched in the book. T. must be thanked for having written that fascinating book.

In this months Books Received list in BMCR 2007.08.01, the following titles appear that may be of interest to epigraphers:

Titles marked by an asterisk are available for review. Qualified volunteers should indicate their interest by a message to classrev@brynmawr.edu, with their last name and requested author in the subject line. They should state their qualifications (both in the sense of degrees held and in the sense of experience in the field concerned) and explain any previous relationship with the author.

*Benoist, Stéphane (ed.), Mémoire et histoire: les procédures de condamnation dans l’antiquité romaine. Publications du Centre Régional Universitaire Lorrain d’Histoire, Site de Metz, 31. Metz: Centre Régional Universitaire Lorrain d’Histoire, 2007. Pp. xvii, 360. EUR 35.00 (pb). ISBN 2-85730-035-2.

*Heinen, Heinz (ed.), Handwörterbuch der antiken Sklaverei. CD-ROM Lieferung 1. Forschungen zur antiken Sklaverei, 5. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag 2006. EUR 175.00. ISBN 978-3-515-08919-7.

*Ramsby, Teresa R., Textual Permanence. Roman Elegists and the Epigraphic Tradition. London: Duckworth, 2007. Pp. ix, 197. $81.00. ISBN 978-0-7156-3632-9.

*Ray, John, The Rosetta Stone and the Rebirth of Ancient Egypt. Wonders of the World. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007. Pp. 199. $19.95. ISBN 978-0-674-02493-9.

*Rhodes, P.J., The Greek City States. A Source Book. Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Pp. xiii, 339; maps 2. $29.99 (pb). ISBN 978-0-521-61556-3.

Robert, Louis, Choix d’écrits. Édité par Denis Rousset avec la collaboration de Philippe Gauthier et Ivana Savalli-Lestrade. Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 2007. Pp. 799; figs. 77. EUR 85.00. ISBN 978-2-251-38083-4.

*Schumacher, Leonhard (ed.), Corpus der römischen Rechtsquellen zur antiken Sklaverei (CRRS). Teil VI. Stellung des Sklaven im Sakralrecht. Forschungen zur antiken Sklaverei, Beiheft 3. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag 2006. Pp. xxiii, 126. EUR 36.00. ISBN 978-3-515-08977-7.

*Eiteljorg, Harrison, II, and W. Fredrick Limp, Archaeological Computing. Bryn Mawr: Center for the Study of Architecture, 2007. Pp. 244.

*Fourrier, Sabine, and Antoine Hermary, Amathonte VI: Le sanctuaire d’Aphrodite. des origines au début de l’époque impériale. Études Chypriotes XVII. Paris: De Boccard, 2006. Pp. 218; figs. 508, pls. 50, plan 1. EUR 100.00 (pb). ISBN 2-86958-220-X.

A review in BMCR 2007.07.63 of:

Sviatoslav Dmitriev, City Government in Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Pp. xiii, 428. ISBN 0-19-517042-3. GBP 45.00.

Reviewed by Andrea Raggi, Dipartimento di Scienze Storiche del Mondo Antico, Università di Pisa. 1803 words

The reviewer summarises a useful work and makes some serious and convincing criticisms, including evidence of over-generalisation, use of epigraphic databases for searching and listing comparanda without enough attention to detail and local variation, and sometimes atypical conclusions. An epigraphic index, inventory of city offices, and bibliography seem to be particularly useful.

In BMCR 2007.07.04 a review by Jean MacIntosh Turfa of:

Giovanni Colonna, Daniele F. Maras, Corpus Inscriptionum Etruscarum, Academiis Litterarum Borussica et Saxonica legatum, Carolus Pauli primum edidit. Voluminis secundi, Instituti Studiis Etruscis et Italicis Provehendis et Academiae Scientiarum Berolinensis et Brandenburgensis communi opera et studio resumpti prolatique, Instituto Studiis de Gentibus Italiae Marisque Mediterranei Antiqui Provehendis Italicis Scientiis Pervestigandis Consilii curante. Sectionis I, Fasciculum 5 (Tit. 6325-6723) et additamentum Sectionis II, Fasciculi 1 (Tit. 8881-8927). Inscriptiones Veiis et in agro veientano, nepesino sutrinoque repertae, additis illis in agro capenate et falisco inventis, quae in fasciculo CIE II, 2, 1 desunt, nec non illis perpaucis in finitimis sabinis repertis. Pisa-Rome: Istituti Editoriali e Poligrafici Internazionali, 2006. Pp. viii, 140; figs. 37, b/w pls. ISBN 10: 88-8147-452-3. ISBN 13: 978-88-8147-452-3. €800.00.

The review points out that this is a volume in the very traditional style of CIE, and summarises in some depth a few of the most exciting and new inscriptions and collections recorded. It is nice to see this vital work continuing to be prepared to this high standard.