Luke Pitcher, Writing ancient history: an introduction to classical historiography. London; New York: I. B. Tauris, 2009. ix, 275 p.
- ISBN 9781845119584.
- £ 15.99 (pb).
Recension par Lynette Mitchell (University of Exeter) dans Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2010.07.12.
Extraits en ligne sur amazon.co.uk.
Présentation de l'éditeur:
'History is the version of past events that people have decided toagree upon', said Napoleon. Yet the actual writing of history,especially ancient history, is a practice that often prompts morediscord than assent. In his new textbook, Luke Pitcher aims to overcomethe hostility which exists between two rival camps in their study ofclassical historiography. The first camp looks at the classicalhistorians with an eye to what data they can provide about the ancientworld. The second camp examines the ancient writers as literary textsin their own right, employing the tools of literary criticism andengaging with such matters as narrative artistry. Attempting to fusethese two - mutually suspicious - approaches, Luke Pitcher's attractiveintroduction offers undergraduate students of classics the firstcomprehensive introduction to historiography in antiquity on themarket. It unites the nitty-gritty of the historian's trade (thefinding and managing of data) to an awareness of the importance ofstyle, form, allusion and composition. The book also seeks to dojustice to individual classical historians, and discusses suchimportant figures as Livy, Tacitus, Herodotus, Cicero, Plutarch andLucian. A comprehensive bibliography and glossary are included.'Writing Ancient History' at last does full justice to the mechanics ofhistory-writing in the ancient world.
Luke Pitcher is Fellow and Tutor in Classics, Somerville College,Oxford. He has studied and written extensively on the subject ofhistoriography in antiquity.