Sun 2 Oct 2005
Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement (York U.)
Posted by Phil Harland. Categories: Ancient ethnography and paradoxography , History linksPost a Comment
There is an ongoing, substantial project on cultural interactions in antiquity hosted at York University and led by Steve Mason. The Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement (PACE) “aims to recover the Ancient Mediterranean World for our time in new ways. Its focus is the set of problems arising from the encounter and interaction of cultures: representation of one’s own group and others’, motivations for learning about or depicting the other, stereotypes (e.g., the barbarian) and rhetorical commonplaces, attraction to the exotic or revulsion at the alien, conscious assimilation or repudiation, and all the attendant problems of identity-construction.” Although only entering phase two of the project, there are already Greek texts and facing English translations (with commentaries) of Josephus’ works and Polybius’ Histories (click on “Texts and Commentary” on the site). There are also many relevant images and even videos pertaining to important places mentioned in Josephus’ works. The plan is to include other living commentaries of ancient authors who engage in ethnography or reflect cultural encounters. This is an excellent resource.

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