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

The Oxford Handbook of the State in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean 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 immediate successors. They seek to understand the inner workings of these states by focusing on key issues: political and military power, the impact of ideologies, the rise and fall of individual polities, and the mechanisms of cooperation, coercion, and exploitation. 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 rich historical case studies in context. Transcending conventional boundaries between ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean history and between ancient and early medieval history, this volume will be of interest not only to historians but also anthropologists, archaeologists, sociologists, and political scientists. Its accessible style and up-to-date references will make it an invaluable resource for both students and scholars.

Peter Fibiger Bang is Associate Professor at the Saxo Institute of the University of Copenhagen.

Walter Schiedel is Dickason Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University.

List of Maps
Contributors
Part I. INTRODUCTION
Preface
1 Studying the State
Walter Scheidel
Part II. NEAR EASTERN STATES
2 Egypt
Joseph G. Manning
3 Fertile Crescent City-States
Steven Garfinkle
4 Mesopotamian Empires
Gojko Barjamovic
5 Anatolian States
Trevor Bryce
6 Jewish States
Seth Schwartz
7 Iranian Empires
Josef Wiesehöfer
Part III. AEGEAN STATES AND THEIR EXTENSIONS
8 Bronze Age Greece
John Bennet
9 Greek City-States
Mogens H. Hansen
10 Greek Multi-City States
Ian Morris
11 The Greek Koinon
Emily Mackil
12 Hellenistic Empires
John Ma
Part IV. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN STATES AND THEIR EXTENSIONS
13 Carthage
Walter Ameling
14 The Roman Empire I: The Republic
Henrik Mouritsen
15 The Roman Empire II: The Monarchy
Peter F. Bang
Part V. TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE ANCIENT STATE
16 The Byzantine Successor State
John Haldon
17 The Germanic Successor States
Ian Wood
18 The First Islamic Empire
Chase Robinson
Index