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The Oxford Handbook of the State in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean

Online ISBN:
9780199971428
Print ISBN:
9780195188318
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

The Oxford Handbook of the State in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean

Peter Fibiger Bang (ed.),
Peter Fibiger Bang
(ed.)
The SAXO Institute, University of Copenhagen
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Peter Fibiger Bang is Associate Professor of History at the University of Copenhagen. He works on the comparative economic history and political economy of early empires.

Walter Scheidel (ed.)
Walter Scheidel
(ed.)
Classics, Stanford University
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Walter Scheidel, Dickason Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University.

Published online:
28 January 2013
Published in print:
1 February 2013
Online ISBN:
9780199971428
Print ISBN:
9780195188318
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

This Handbook offers a comprehensive survey of ancient state formation in western Eurasia and North Africa. Eighteen experts introduce readers to a wide variety of systems spanning 4,000 years, from the earliest known states in world history to the Roman Empire and its successors. The book seeks to understand the inner workings of these states by focusing on key issues: political and military power, mechanisms of cooperation, coercion, and exploitation, the impact of ideologies, and the rise and demise of individual polities. This shared emphasis on critical institutions and dynamics invites comparative and cross-cultural perspectives. A detailed introductory review of contemporary approaches to the study of the state puts the historical case studies in context. The book transcends conventional boundaries between ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean history, and between ancient and early medieval history.

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