Asterios-Evangelos Kechagias

The study of ancient civilisations is time-consuming, but it should not lead to compartmentalisation and force the researcher to focus exclusively on a single culture, location, or ethnic group. The cultures of antiquity did not exist separately but formed part of a continuum of mutual contacts and exchanges, both in space and in time. During the past two centuries, and even more so in our own age, it has become clear that an ancient civilisation can only be fully and properly understood if it is studied in its broader cultural context and in conjunction with the other cultures and traditions with which it came into direct or indirect contact. Indeed, the most fruitful and illuminating conclusions in relevant scholarship are those that arise from comparative endeavours of this kind. The present volume, based on a conference jointly organised by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is a contribution to this fascinating field: the deeper connections between ancient cultures and peoples, their literatures and art, their ideas and worldviews, around the core area of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. A series of essays highlight various aspects of the productive meeting of civilisations in this cultural crucible, over the second and first millennium BCE: from India and Mesopotamia to the Levant and the Aegean Sea, from the Harappan civilisation to the legendary Ethiopians of Greek sources, from Babylonian astronomy to Alexander the Great, from Near-Eastern king lists to the History of Herodotus, from the figure of the Sphinx to the gods of ancient Egypt. In every respect, cross-cultural contacts emerge as a paramount factor for a deeper understanding of the ancient world.

ISBN: 978-3-86835-361-7

Erscheinungsjahr: Januar 2024

Seitenanzahl: x + 221 pp.