Empire of the Black Sea

The Rise and Fall of the Mithridatic World

Inbunden, Engelska, 2020

429 kr

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What is commonly called the kingdom of Pontos flourished for over two hundred years in the coastal regions of the Black Sea. At its peak in the early first century BC, it included much of the southern, eastern, and northern littoral, becoming one of the most important Hellenistic dynasties not founded by a successor of Alexander the Great. It also posed one of the greatest challenges to Roman imperial expansion in the east. Not until 63 BC, after many violent clashes, was Rome able to subjugate the kingdom and its last charismatic ruler Mithridates VI.This book provides the first general history, in English, of this important kingdom from its mythic origins in Greek literature (e.g., Jason and the Golden Fleece) to its entanglements with the late Roman Republic. Duane Roller presents its rulers and their complex relationships with the powers of the eastern Mediterranean and Near East, most notably Rome. In addition, he includes detailed discussions of Pontos' cultural achievements--a rich blend of Greek and Persian influences — as well as its political and military successes, especially under Mithridates VI, who proved to be as formidable a foe to Rome as Hannibal. Previous histories of Pontos have focused almost exclusively on the career of its last ruler. Setting that famous reign in its wide historical context, Empire of the Black Sea is an engaging and definitive account of a powerful yet little-known ancient dynasty.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2020-10-22
Mått157 x 236 x 22 mm
Vikt599 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor296
FörlagOUP USA
ISBN9780190887841
UtmärkelserFinalist for a 2021 PROSE Award

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Forntidens historia inom Historia och arkeologi

IllustrationsGenealogical ChartPreface Introduction Part 1: Pontos to 120 BC 1: Pontos 2: The Founder 3: The Kingdom Becomes an Independent State 4: The Arrival of the Romans 5: The Collapse of Pergamon Part 2: The Last Generation of the Kingdom6: The Rise of Mithridates VI 7: The Early Expansion of the Kingdom of Mithridates VI 8: The Gathering Storm 9: The Eruption of Hostilities 10: The Aftermath of the First War 11. Lucullus and Mithridates VI 12. The Royal Court 13: The End of the Mithridatic Kingdom AbbreviationsNotes Bibliography List of Passages CitedIndex

Roller's clear prose, as well as his choice for a relatively strict chronological presentation, makes the region's complex history intelligible to non-specialists, despite the fact that it is only patchily recorded in ancient sources and replete with generations of identically-named sovereigns and often unfamiliar "minor" Hellenistic kingdoms. The fact that Roller offers a rare discussion of the long-term development of the kingdom, meanwhile, offers avenues of consideration even for those with deeper interests in the region.