A Cultural History of Violence in Antiquity

Increasing attention has been paid in recent years to understanding different aspects of violence in antiquity. Building on this research, this volume explores the multifaceted concept of violence across ancient societies. Spanning millennia and continents—from third millennium BCE Mesopotamia via ancient Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, China, India, Persia, the Hebrew Old Testament, and the Greco-Roman world through to the classic Maya—this volume delves into the manifestation of violence through literary, epigraphic, and visual evidence. The contributors to this volume take a cross-cultural approach to examining how violence was understood in antiquity. Chapters investigate ancient attitudes to different types of violence, the role of religion in exacerbating violence, the spaces in which violence was undertaken, the significance of power and authority in understanding violence, the extent of op[pression and persecution in ancient societies, the connection of emotions to acts of violence, how violence is depicted in literary and visual sources, and which technologies of violence were developed and employed. By juxtaposing perspectives from diverse ancient cultures, this volume provides fresh insights into the attitudes and practices of the ancient world, laying the foundation for further research in this dynamic field.