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Loading... The Oxford Classical Dictionaryby Simon Hornblower
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. This book should be on every classicist's book shelf. It contains clear, concise entries on nearly every subject and figure of antiquity, going all the way up to the 4th-5th centuries. It's the ultimate reference book to the Classical World. (  ) flmcgough | Nov 28, 2009 |  Modeled on Lubker's REALLEXIKON, but adding more Myth and Literature, this covers the same ground as Smith's dictionary on Roman and Greek antiquities, "though on a different scale".[1948 Preface] The terminus ad quem is the death of Constantine in 337ad, although it adventitiously includes post-Constantinian Augustine (354ad), Eustathius (1100s), Photius (858ad), Psellus (1018), Thos.Magister (1282ad), Triclinius (1300s), and Tzetzes (1100s) for their work on classic texts. Also, excludes the exclusively "Christian" writers. Curious to see these "exceptions" in a dictionary of the Classical. For example, St. Augustine is notable for having entirely abandoned the "classical" ideals for a doctrine of grace, which he tortured into an explicit policy of persecution of religious dissenters. And then to omit Paul of Tarsus (qv as the seat of the celebrated school). The scholarship is marred by persistent incapacity to treat women justly. Cf Olympias'--"orgy of murder", Women - errors in description of property rights; fails to understand or even recognize achievements of many many great women, for example Boudicca, or the salon hostesses, for example in the Scipionic dinner "circle". Unfortunately also misses many historical and causative "connections". For example, mentions the fame of the Amphictiones at Thermopylae, without mentioning the carneatic rites which made an entire month "holy". Many of the biographies of important philosophers suffer from incomprehensible attempts to describe what they taught. For example, Socrates, Carneades, And why fill a column with a King List of Sparta, when the names are largely "hypothetical" and meaningless even to scholars? And in spite of the influence of the Agoge system of education in depleting Sparta, and its inspiration to the 'Hitler Youth' of more recent times, Hellenic education and training is barely noted. (  ) keylawk | Mar 18, 2007 | All things considered, a superb reference work, January 26, 2007 This edition (the third edition, 1996) has over 6200 entries on 1640 pages! And no, I haven't read them all... This is really wonderful for those times when you come across a new term (whether a person, place or thing) and need some idea as to who (what or where) is being discussed, indicated or alluded to. This Edition, published in 1996, was put together between 1991-1994 and contains matters (such as the Near East) that were barely touched on in earlier editions. But never fear! - The centrality of Greece and Rome has been quite correctly retained. There is, however, a much broader (and self-consciouss) inter-disciplinary focus to this edition. Older readers will likely be annoyed by long bows to feminism, Marxism and postmodernism in some of the essays. Occasionally, the tone and 'politically correct' point of view of some entries can be a bit over the top. If you are either old-fashioned or easily annoyed (and you know who you are) it might be wise NOT to toss out the second edition... But even they might find some of the new 'thematic' entries - on disease, ecology, economy, imperialism, literacy, motherhood, and technology, e.g. - more than occasionally useful. There is even good news for the under-educated - most Greek and Latin terms are translated! But I would prefer that the Greek or Latin and its translation both appear; this compromise would likely satisfy both novices and experts. Unfortunately, the cost of including the original term and the translation would likely cause the publisher to balk. Now, Roman names will probably continue to annoy everyone. If, for example, one looks up Caesar one finds 'See Iulius Caesar'. Now, as I hope we all know, the Romans had three names (using Caesar as an example): Gaius (praenomen), Iulius (nomen), Caesar (cogomen). Pretty much no one, besides Emperors and writers, is listed under the cogomen in this edition - they are almost all listed by nomen. (No, Caesar is not the exception, he was never officially Emperor.) The change of 'Julius' into 'Iulius' is also annoying - especially after being assured (Preface, viii) that "the more familiar form [...] should be preferred." But with a work of this scope and length there will always be a multitude of quibbles and annoyances. One of mine is that I wish the tiny bibliographies that follow some entries were less brief. But all things considered this is a first-rate OCD that will inevitably, after a generation and a half has passed, need to be revised. But such is the fate of all academic reference works. - They are all such slaves to fashion! That said, the general editors, Hornblower and Spawforth, and the area advisers have much to be proud of; 4.5 stars, 5 if the 'politically correct' gestures are toned down and the bibliographical data following some of the separate entries increased. ( )1  pomonomo2003 | Feb 11, 2007 | 
 The most useful one-volume dictionary of the ancient world in English has for many years been the Oxford Classical Dictionary, whose first edition appeared in 1949, followed by the second in 1970. The new third edition, though, has been very largely rewritten, being 20 percent larger than its predecessor, and having more than eight hundred new entries. It is all written in the English language, but its 364 contributors are drawn not only from English-speaking countries, but from all countries where classical antiquity is studied. What the editors in their introduction call “a certain top-heaviness in favor of the purely literary aspects” of ancient culture has been effectively corrected; the new edition deals not only with literature but with archaeology, art, history, law, religion, philosophy, linguistics, science, and mathematics. It gives extended coverage to regions beyond the core areas of Greece and Italy, and to cultures which interacted with those of Greece and Rome. Eighteen “Area Advisors” are named as having been responsible for different aspects of ancient culture; for the most part these are noted experts. Much of the old dictionary has been preserved, but it has often been expanded and has been carefully brought up to date, with the addition of much valuable bibliography. [Note: The review refers to the 3rd edition, published in 1996.]
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