The Court and Court Society in Ancient Monarchies

The Court and Court Society in Ancient Monarchies

Author: A. J. S. Spawforth

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-06-16

Total Pages: 374

ISBN-13: 9780521290135

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Monarchy was widespread as a political system in the ancient world. This 2007 volume offers a substantial discussion of ancient monarchies from the viewpoint of the ruler's court. The monarchies treated are Achaemenid and Sassanian Persia, the empire of Alexander, Rome under both the early and later Caesars, the Han rulers of China and Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty. A comparative approach is adopted to major aspects of ancient courts, including their organisation and physical setting, their role as a vehicle for display, and their place in monarchial structures of power and control. This approach is broadly inspired by work on courts in later periods of history, especially early-modern France. The case studies confirm that ancient monarchies created the conditions for the emergence of a court and court society. The culturally specific conditions in which these monarchies functioned meant variety in the character of the ruler's court from one society to another.


Book Synopsis The Court and Court Society in Ancient Monarchies by : A. J. S. Spawforth

Download or read book The Court and Court Society in Ancient Monarchies written by A. J. S. Spawforth and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-06-16 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Monarchy was widespread as a political system in the ancient world. This 2007 volume offers a substantial discussion of ancient monarchies from the viewpoint of the ruler's court. The monarchies treated are Achaemenid and Sassanian Persia, the empire of Alexander, Rome under both the early and later Caesars, the Han rulers of China and Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty. A comparative approach is adopted to major aspects of ancient courts, including their organisation and physical setting, their role as a vehicle for display, and their place in monarchial structures of power and control. This approach is broadly inspired by work on courts in later periods of history, especially early-modern France. The case studies confirm that ancient monarchies created the conditions for the emergence of a court and court society. The culturally specific conditions in which these monarchies functioned meant variety in the character of the ruler's court from one society to another.


The Court Society

The Court Society

Author: Norbert Elias

Publisher: Collected Works of Norbert Elias

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13:

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This classic study of the life of nobility at the royal court of France, especially under Louis XIV, has long been out of print. Elias shows how courtiers and the king himself were entrapped in a web of etiquette and ceremonial, and how their expenses were dictated by their rank rather than their income.


Book Synopsis The Court Society by : Norbert Elias

Download or read book The Court Society written by Norbert Elias and published by Collected Works of Norbert Elias. This book was released on 2006 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This classic study of the life of nobility at the royal court of France, especially under Louis XIV, has long been out of print. Elias shows how courtiers and the king himself were entrapped in a web of etiquette and ceremonial, and how their expenses were dictated by their rank rather than their income.


Prince, Pen, and Sword: Eurasian Perspectives

Prince, Pen, and Sword: Eurasian Perspectives

Author: Maaike van Berkel

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2018-01-22

Total Pages: 668

ISBN-13: 9004315713

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Prince, Pen, and Sword offers a synoptic interpretation of rulers and elites in Eurasia from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. Four core chapters zoom in on the tensions and connections at court, on the nexus between rulers and religious authority, on the status, function, and self-perceptions of military and administrative elites respectively. Two additional concise chapters provide a focused analysis of the construction of specific dynasties (the Golden Horde and the Habsburgs) and narratives of kingship found in fiction throughout Eurasia. The contributors and editors, authorities in their fields, systematically bring together specialised literature on numerous Eurasian kingdoms and empires. This book is a careful and thought-provoking experiment in the global, comparative and connected history of rulers and elites.


Book Synopsis Prince, Pen, and Sword: Eurasian Perspectives by : Maaike van Berkel

Download or read book Prince, Pen, and Sword: Eurasian Perspectives written by Maaike van Berkel and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2018-01-22 with total page 668 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prince, Pen, and Sword offers a synoptic interpretation of rulers and elites in Eurasia from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. Four core chapters zoom in on the tensions and connections at court, on the nexus between rulers and religious authority, on the status, function, and self-perceptions of military and administrative elites respectively. Two additional concise chapters provide a focused analysis of the construction of specific dynasties (the Golden Horde and the Habsburgs) and narratives of kingship found in fiction throughout Eurasia. The contributors and editors, authorities in their fields, systematically bring together specialised literature on numerous Eurasian kingdoms and empires. This book is a careful and thought-provoking experiment in the global, comparative and connected history of rulers and elites.


The Hellenistic Court

The Hellenistic Court

Author: Andrew Erskine

Publisher: Classical Press of Wales

Published: 2017-12-14

Total Pages: 473

ISBN-13: 1910589675

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Hellenistic courts were centres of monarchic power, social prestige and high culture in the kingdoms that emerged after the death of Alexander. They were places of refinement, learning and luxury, and also of corruption, rivalry and murder. Surrounded by courtiers of varying loyalty, Hellenistic royal families played roles in a theatre of spectacle and ceremony. Architecture, art, ritual and scholarship were deployed to defend the existence of their dynasties. The present volume, from a team of international experts, examines royal methods and ideologies. It treats the courts of the Ptolemies, Seleucids, Attalids, Antigonids and of lesser dynasties. It also explores the influence, on Greek-speaking courts, of non- Greek culture, of Achaemenid and other Near Eastern royal institutions. It studies the careers of courtesans, concubines and 'friends' of royalty, and the intellectual, ceremonial, and artistic world of the Greek monarchies. The work demonstrates the complexity and motivations of Hellenistic royal civilisation, of courts which governed the transmission of Greek culture to the wider Mediterranean world - and to later ages.


Book Synopsis The Hellenistic Court by : Andrew Erskine

Download or read book The Hellenistic Court written by Andrew Erskine and published by Classical Press of Wales. This book was released on 2017-12-14 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hellenistic courts were centres of monarchic power, social prestige and high culture in the kingdoms that emerged after the death of Alexander. They were places of refinement, learning and luxury, and also of corruption, rivalry and murder. Surrounded by courtiers of varying loyalty, Hellenistic royal families played roles in a theatre of spectacle and ceremony. Architecture, art, ritual and scholarship were deployed to defend the existence of their dynasties. The present volume, from a team of international experts, examines royal methods and ideologies. It treats the courts of the Ptolemies, Seleucids, Attalids, Antigonids and of lesser dynasties. It also explores the influence, on Greek-speaking courts, of non- Greek culture, of Achaemenid and other Near Eastern royal institutions. It studies the careers of courtesans, concubines and 'friends' of royalty, and the intellectual, ceremonial, and artistic world of the Greek monarchies. The work demonstrates the complexity and motivations of Hellenistic royal civilisation, of courts which governed the transmission of Greek culture to the wider Mediterranean world - and to later ages.


The History of Government from the Earliest Times: Ancient monarchies and empires

The History of Government from the Earliest Times: Ancient monarchies and empires

Author: Samuel Edward Finer

Publisher:

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 630

ISBN-13: 019820664X

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No one has hitherto had the breadth of imagination and intellectual boldness to describe and analyse government throughout recorded history and throughout the world. This unique study of government is the culmination of the work of the late S. E. Finer, one of the leading political scientists of the twentieth century. Ranging over 5,000 years, from the Sumerian city state to the modern European nation state, five themes emerge: state-building, military formats, belief systems, social stratification, and timespan. The three volumes examine both representative and exceptional polities, and focus on political elites of different types. Ancient Monarchies and Empires opens with Finer's masterly Conceptual Prologue, setting out the entire scope and structure of The History . Books One and Two then consider early examples of the predominantly palace' type of polity, notably in respect of the Kingdoms of Egypt and the Empires of Assyria, Persia, Han China, and Rome; interspersed with consideration of the exceptional' Jewish Kingdoms and the Greek and Roman Republics.


Book Synopsis The History of Government from the Earliest Times: Ancient monarchies and empires by : Samuel Edward Finer

Download or read book The History of Government from the Earliest Times: Ancient monarchies and empires written by Samuel Edward Finer and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 630 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No one has hitherto had the breadth of imagination and intellectual boldness to describe and analyse government throughout recorded history and throughout the world. This unique study of government is the culmination of the work of the late S. E. Finer, one of the leading political scientists of the twentieth century. Ranging over 5,000 years, from the Sumerian city state to the modern European nation state, five themes emerge: state-building, military formats, belief systems, social stratification, and timespan. The three volumes examine both representative and exceptional polities, and focus on political elites of different types. Ancient Monarchies and Empires opens with Finer's masterly Conceptual Prologue, setting out the entire scope and structure of The History . Books One and Two then consider early examples of the predominantly palace' type of polity, notably in respect of the Kingdoms of Egypt and the Empires of Assyria, Persia, Han China, and Rome; interspersed with consideration of the exceptional' Jewish Kingdoms and the Greek and Roman Republics.


Royal Courts in Dynastic States and Empires

Royal Courts in Dynastic States and Empires

Author: Jeroen Duindam

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2011-08-11

Total Pages: 461

ISBN-13: 9004206221

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This volume presents new research on royal courts from antiquity to the modern world, from Asia to Europe. It addresses the interactions of rulers and and elites at court, as well as the multiple connections between court, capital, and realm.


Book Synopsis Royal Courts in Dynastic States and Empires by : Jeroen Duindam

Download or read book Royal Courts in Dynastic States and Empires written by Jeroen Duindam and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2011-08-11 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents new research on royal courts from antiquity to the modern world, from Asia to Europe. It addresses the interactions of rulers and and elites at court, as well as the multiple connections between court, capital, and realm.


Courts and Elites in the Hellenistic Empires

Courts and Elites in the Hellenistic Empires

Author: Strootman Rolf Strootman

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2020-07-13

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 0748691286

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Rolf Strootman brings together various aspects of court culture in the Macedonian empires of the post-Achaemenid Near East. During the Hellenistic Period (c. 330-30 BCE), Alexander the Great and his successors reshaped their Persian and Greco-Macedonian legacies to create a new kind of rulership that was neither 'western' nor 'eastern' and would profoundly influence the later development of court culture and monarchy in both the Roman West and Iranian East.Drawing on the socio-political models of Norbert Elias and Charles Tilly, After the Achaemenids shows how the Hellenistic dynastic courts were instrumental in the integration of local elites in the empires, and the (re)distribution of power, wealth, and status. It analyses the competition among courtiers for royal favour and the, not always successful, attempts of the Hellenistic rulers to use these struggles to their own advantage.It demonstrates the interrelationships of the three competing 'Hellenistic' empires of the Seleukids, Antigonids and Ptolemies, casts new light on the phenomenon of Hellenistic Kingship by approaching it from the angle of the court and covers topics such as palace architecture, royal women, court ceremonial, and coronation ritual.


Book Synopsis Courts and Elites in the Hellenistic Empires by : Strootman Rolf Strootman

Download or read book Courts and Elites in the Hellenistic Empires written by Strootman Rolf Strootman and published by Edinburgh University Press. This book was released on 2020-07-13 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rolf Strootman brings together various aspects of court culture in the Macedonian empires of the post-Achaemenid Near East. During the Hellenistic Period (c. 330-30 BCE), Alexander the Great and his successors reshaped their Persian and Greco-Macedonian legacies to create a new kind of rulership that was neither 'western' nor 'eastern' and would profoundly influence the later development of court culture and monarchy in both the Roman West and Iranian East.Drawing on the socio-political models of Norbert Elias and Charles Tilly, After the Achaemenids shows how the Hellenistic dynastic courts were instrumental in the integration of local elites in the empires, and the (re)distribution of power, wealth, and status. It analyses the competition among courtiers for royal favour and the, not always successful, attempts of the Hellenistic rulers to use these struggles to their own advantage.It demonstrates the interrelationships of the three competing 'Hellenistic' empires of the Seleukids, Antigonids and Ptolemies, casts new light on the phenomenon of Hellenistic Kingship by approaching it from the angle of the court and covers topics such as palace architecture, royal women, court ceremonial, and coronation ritual.


King and Court in Ancient Persia 559 to 331 BCE

King and Court in Ancient Persia 559 to 331 BCE

Author: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2014-02-14

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 0748677119

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This book explores the representation of Persian monarchy and the court of the Achaemenid Great Kings from the point of view of the ancient Iranians themselves and through the sometimes distorted prism of Classical authors.


Book Synopsis King and Court in Ancient Persia 559 to 331 BCE by : Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Download or read book King and Court in Ancient Persia 559 to 331 BCE written by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones and published by Edinburgh University Press. This book was released on 2014-02-14 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the representation of Persian monarchy and the court of the Achaemenid Great Kings from the point of view of the ancient Iranians themselves and through the sometimes distorted prism of Classical authors.


A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, 2 Volume Set

A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, 2 Volume Set

Author: Bruno Jacobs

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2021-08-31

Total Pages: 1747

ISBN-13: 1119174287

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A COMPANION TO THE ACHAEMENID PERSIAN EMPIRE A comprehensive review of the political, cultural, social, economic and religious history of the Achaemenid Empirem Often called the first world empire, the Achaemenid Empire is rooted in older Near Eastern traditions. A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire offers a perspective in which the history of the empire is embedded in the preceding and subsequent epochs. In this way, the traditions that shaped the Achaemenid Empire become as visible as the powerful impact it had on further historical development. But the work does not only break new ground in this respect, but also in the fact that, in addition to written testimonies of all kinds, it also considers material tradition as an equal factor in historical reconstruction. This comprehensive two-volume set features contributions by internationally-recognized experts that offer balanced coverage of the whole of the empire from Anatolia and Egypt across western Asia to northern India and Central Asia. Comprehensive in scope, the Companion provides readers with a panoramic view of the diversity, richness, and complexity of the Achaemenid Empire, dealing with all the many aspects of history, event history, administration, economy, society, communication, art, science and religion, illustrating the multifaceted nature of the first true empire. A unique historical account presented in its multiregional dimensions, this important resource deals with many aspects of history, administration, economy, society, communication, art, science and religion it deals with topics that have only recently attracted interest such as court life, leisure activities, gender roles, and more examines a variety of available sources to consider those predecessors who influenced Achaemenid structure, ideology, and self-expression contains the study of Nachleben and the history of perception up to the present day offers a spectrum of opinions in disputed fields of research, such as the interpretation of the imagery of Achaemenid art, or questions of religion includes extensive bibliographies in each chapter for use as starting points for further research devotes special interest to the east of the empire, which is often neglected in comparison to the western territories Part of the acclaimed Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire is an indispensable work for students, instructors, and scholars of Persian and ancient world history, particularly the First Persian Empire.


Book Synopsis A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, 2 Volume Set by : Bruno Jacobs

Download or read book A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, 2 Volume Set written by Bruno Jacobs and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 1747 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A COMPANION TO THE ACHAEMENID PERSIAN EMPIRE A comprehensive review of the political, cultural, social, economic and religious history of the Achaemenid Empirem Often called the first world empire, the Achaemenid Empire is rooted in older Near Eastern traditions. A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire offers a perspective in which the history of the empire is embedded in the preceding and subsequent epochs. In this way, the traditions that shaped the Achaemenid Empire become as visible as the powerful impact it had on further historical development. But the work does not only break new ground in this respect, but also in the fact that, in addition to written testimonies of all kinds, it also considers material tradition as an equal factor in historical reconstruction. This comprehensive two-volume set features contributions by internationally-recognized experts that offer balanced coverage of the whole of the empire from Anatolia and Egypt across western Asia to northern India and Central Asia. Comprehensive in scope, the Companion provides readers with a panoramic view of the diversity, richness, and complexity of the Achaemenid Empire, dealing with all the many aspects of history, event history, administration, economy, society, communication, art, science and religion, illustrating the multifaceted nature of the first true empire. A unique historical account presented in its multiregional dimensions, this important resource deals with many aspects of history, administration, economy, society, communication, art, science and religion it deals with topics that have only recently attracted interest such as court life, leisure activities, gender roles, and more examines a variety of available sources to consider those predecessors who influenced Achaemenid structure, ideology, and self-expression contains the study of Nachleben and the history of perception up to the present day offers a spectrum of opinions in disputed fields of research, such as the interpretation of the imagery of Achaemenid art, or questions of religion includes extensive bibliographies in each chapter for use as starting points for further research devotes special interest to the east of the empire, which is often neglected in comparison to the western territories Part of the acclaimed Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire is an indispensable work for students, instructors, and scholars of Persian and ancient world history, particularly the First Persian Empire.


The Roman Imperial Court in the Principate and Late Antiquity

The Roman Imperial Court in the Principate and Late Antiquity

Author: Caillan Davenport

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2023-09-23

Total Pages: 422

ISBN-13: 0192688812

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The Roman Imperial Court in the Principate and Late Antiquity examines the Roman imperial court as a social and political institution in both the Principate and Late Antiquity. By analysing these two periods, which are usually treated separately in studies of the Roman court, it considers continuities, changes, and connections in the six hundred years between the reigns of Augustus and Justinian. Thirteen case studies are presented. Some take a thematic approach, analysing specific aspects such as the appointment of jurists, the role of guard units, or stories told about the court, over several centuries. Others concentrate on specific periods, individuals, or office holders, like the role of women and generals in the fifth century AD, while paying attention to their wider historical significance. The volume concludes with a chapter placing the evolution of the Roman imperial court in comparative perspective using insights from scholarship on other Eurasian monarchical courts. It shows that the long-term transformation of the Roman imperial court did not follow a straightforward and linear course, but came about as the result of negotiation, experimentation, and adaptation.


Book Synopsis The Roman Imperial Court in the Principate and Late Antiquity by : Caillan Davenport

Download or read book The Roman Imperial Court in the Principate and Late Antiquity written by Caillan Davenport and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023-09-23 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Roman Imperial Court in the Principate and Late Antiquity examines the Roman imperial court as a social and political institution in both the Principate and Late Antiquity. By analysing these two periods, which are usually treated separately in studies of the Roman court, it considers continuities, changes, and connections in the six hundred years between the reigns of Augustus and Justinian. Thirteen case studies are presented. Some take a thematic approach, analysing specific aspects such as the appointment of jurists, the role of guard units, or stories told about the court, over several centuries. Others concentrate on specific periods, individuals, or office holders, like the role of women and generals in the fifth century AD, while paying attention to their wider historical significance. The volume concludes with a chapter placing the evolution of the Roman imperial court in comparative perspective using insights from scholarship on other Eurasian monarchical courts. It shows that the long-term transformation of the Roman imperial court did not follow a straightforward and linear course, but came about as the result of negotiation, experimentation, and adaptation.