Need Help with History Homework?

[René Artois]

How have Runciman's books on the crusades held up?

I'm mostly looking for a pleasant (if long) read, but I wouldn't want to read anything that's been thoroughly debunked, even for pleasure.

The translated version of The Crusades Through Arab Eyes is very pleasant reading. Maalouf writes it quite like a chronicle so you can end up reading it through really quickly. He draws mostly from Muslim chroniclers (Munqidh, al-Athir) so it gives you the information from the side you don't usually hear from.

[Visitor13]

@ Colossus & Rene Artois - thanks, got Asbridge, will seek out Riley-Smith and The Crusades through Arab Eyes.

[NRohirrim]

It's not my homework, but anyway... I'm looking for any lecture (book, article, pdf etc.) about Tocharian language. I'd be grateful for any clue.

[Mausolos of Caria]

It's not my homework, but anyway... I'm looking for any lecture (book, article, pdf etc.) about Tocharian language. I'd be grateful for any clue.

I have no idea about the topic, but the Lund University in Sweden seems to have some stuff about it, like these:

http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/o.o....postid=1027072

http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/o.o....&postid=134691

I hope that helps

[NRohirrim]

Ok, thanks :-)

[Antiokhos Euergetes]

I must say I know next to nothing about this, but perhaps this will help
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/l...tokol-0-X.html
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tm...languages.html

[NRohirrim]

Thanks to U too. Every info about that I appreciate.

[A Fallible Poet]

This question doesn't come from homework. I'm currently self-educating, waiting for Uni to start at the end of the year. I figured I could post the question in here, though, rather than create a whole separate thread.

Anyway, I've always been interested in Ancient/Medieval warfare, but haven't dug in too deep. I'm currently reading The Art of War which is amazing. However, I'm looking for texts that deal specifically with ancient battles and the strategies and tactics used within them. I would like to find something with commentary and diagrams depicting the battles if possible. I've looked in my local bookstore as well as online, yet haven't found what I'm looking for.

Thanks to anyone who replies!

Edit: It finally let me post! For some reason I had to change the words around and such as it kept telling me "Post denied. Too many URLs or banned words." Or something along those lines. No urls were used nor was any type of language my grandmother would consider foul. Could it because I'm new? Just wondering what I was doing wrong as that was frustrating.

[Didz]

Hi FP, I'm not heavily into ancient warfare, more of an 18th Century freak, but I do know that Osprey published a few books on ancient battle tactic's. I happen to own one called Roman Battle Tactic's 109BC-AD313 which seems quite comprehensive. The problem you have of course is that you are talking about such a huge subject, over such a massive time period, in an area where historians and battlefield archaeologists are still trying to discover the truth. In the 18th Century we are fortunate to have drill manuals and eye witness accounts to help us determine what happened, in the ancient world is mostly propaganda and boasting by the victors that is the only clue as to what happened.

[A Fallible Poet]

Hi FP, I'm not heavily into ancient warfare, more of an 18th Century freak, but I do know that Osprey published a few books on ancient battle tactic's. I happen to own one called Roman Battle Tactic's 109BC-AD313 which seems quite comprehensive. The problem you have of course is that you are talking about such a huge subject, over such a massive time period, in an area where historians and battlefield archaeologists are still trying to discover the truth. In the 18th Century we are fortunate to have drill manuals and eye witness accounts to help us determine what happened, in the ancient world is mostly propaganda and boasting by the victors that is the only clue as to what happened.

Wow. Thanks for the quick reply. I'll have to check on those books you mentioned.

My favorite fantasy series is Wheel of Time. At the end (the last book came out on the 8th) there are tons of battles, and I remember the current author finishing it, Brandon Sanderson, mention that he was pouring over tons of texts to make sure that the battles were authentic and tactically sound. When asked what battles they were looking at, he declined to say. Hopefully that changes now that the last book is out. This is what originally led me to the knowledge there was material out there I was looking for.

I'll keep looking as well as check out the materials you recommended.

Thanks!

[Darkhorse]

Hi FP, R.C.Grant authored a book called Soldier. Its a big A4 hardback thing so it's hard to miss in somewhere like Waterstones! It provides a good background into soldering throughout the ages in a brief and clear format, but I wouldn't cite it as a source of a main point. It would be great as a supporting source though.

[Mausolos of Caria]

Another excellent introduction is Adrian Goldsworthy's Roman Warfare, which concentrates on Roman history, but comes in a handy, light format and covers almost 1000 years of Roman Warfare. Goldworthy writes in a very engaging and comprehensible style, but still fullfils scientific criteria (it can be cited at Uni as well)
I suppose you don't speak German, but if you do, there's a new book called Feldherren, Krieger und Strategen: Krieg in der Antike von Achill bis Attila by Raimund Schulz, which is very similar to Goldsworthy in style and entertainment, but encompasses Greek and Hellenistic warfare as well

[Antiokhos Euergetes]

http://histories.cambridge.org/colle..._roman_warfare

Perhaps these two volumes will satisfy your needs? You will not get the graphics you had asked for, but you will get a good series of essays by experts on the development of Greco/Roman warfare across most of antiquity.

[Watercress]

This isn't really homework, or indeed homework at all, but I do have a Classics exam coming up. It's regarding the life and times of Cicero. Does anyone have any good revision material for this topic?

[Antiokhos Euergetes]

http://sites.la.utexas.edu/cicero/

Try that link, I am not going to stake my reputation on it, as I have not had time to read it. But upon initial browsing seems decent enough

PS Best of luck with exam...may the gods smile on your endeavors

[Colossus]

This isn't really homework, or indeed homework at all, but I do have a Classics exam coming up. It's regarding the life and times of Cicero. Does anyone have any good revision material for this topic?

Read either Anthony Everitt's Cicero: The Life and Times (appropriately named for what you asked!) or Cicero: Politics and Persuasion in Ancient Rome by Kathryn Tempest if you haven't already.

Wow. Thanks for the quick reply. I'll have to check on those books you mentioned.

My favorite fantasy series is Wheel of Time. At the end (the last book came out on the 8th) there are tons of battles, and I remember the current author finishing it, Brandon Sanderson, mention that he was pouring over tons of texts to make sure that the battles were authentic and tactically sound. When asked what battles they were looking at, he declined to say. Hopefully that changes now that the last book is out. This is what originally led me to the knowledge there was material out there I was looking for.

I'll keep looking as well as check out the materials you recommended.

Thanks!

I would also recommend Goldsworthy's book (or indeed any of his books) for a very good overview of Roman warfare.

For Greek stuff, The Greek and Macedonian Art of War by Frank Adcock is an excellent overview, despite its short length. A bit more heavy, and full of controversial stuff (in a good way!) is Greek Warfare: Myth and Realities by Hans van Wees.

[Neoton]

Hi guys, I'd be really grateful if you help me out with this. So my task is about this picture - link.
The question is - "Of what ethnic group does the spice trader(the guy from the picture) belong to(hint: look at the hat)? What is the role of their community in city economics and what is other's attitude towards them?"
So does anybody know at least of what ethnic group he is because I can't recognize the hat?
The answer shouldn't really be a very long, I guess not more than a page. Also we are talking about around the 11 to 14th century, the revival of the cities.

[Charlatan]

I know that picture, it's from the tacuinum sanitatis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacuinum_Sanitatis

I'm pretty sure that the picture is a medieval Italian depiction of a Merchant from the East.

I'm not a hundred per cent on this but you may be able to find that exact picture with a clearer description by checking through the external links provided on wiki.

[Neoton]

I know that picture, it's from the tacuinum sanitatis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacuinum_Sanitatis

I'm pretty sure that the picture is a medieval Italian depiction of a Merchant from the East.

I'm not a hundred per cent on this but you may be able to find that exact picture with a clearer description by checking through the external links provided on wiki.

Well, I already did this homework and it turned out to be easy actually. I asked the teacher about that hat and he told me that the question was about the jews and that the hat isn't really an jewish one. So I guess it's kind of a mistake of the authors of the book. Anyway I just used Israel Abraham's "Jewish Life in the Middle Ages" and it was absoloutely enough, such a nice book.
Thanks for the effort though.+ rep

[Grymloq]

Hi,
which is the difference between Ghulams (Ghilman) and Mamluks (Mamalik)?
Thanks