The Materiality of Diplomacy in the Hellenistic-Roman Mediterranean - (Edinburgh Studies in Hellenistic History and Culture) (Paperback)

About the Book

Studies the diplomatic and cultural implications of the exchange of symbolic objects in the ancient world

Book Synopsis

This volume is a survey of one of the most interesting practices of ancient diplomacy: the gift or exchange of symbolic objects understood as diplomatic presents. This custom may be as old as mankind, but it can certainly be traced back to the emergence of the first written societies. After assessing this background, the contributions of the volume focus on a transcendental historical epoch: the Hellenistic period (from the end of the 4th century BC to the end of the 1st century BC), which partially overlaps with the expansion of the Roman Republic in the Mediterranean.
The book brings together international specialists who approach the subject from different chronological, geographical and thematic perspectives. A stimulating proposal that opens up new insights into the study of Antiquity and the History of Diplomacy. It provides an innovative approach to the study of ancient diplomacy, based on cultural conditioning factors and subjective perception of the gift and illuminates current issues, such as the role of diplomacy and dialogue between cultures as a means of conflict resolution.

Review Quotes

Eduardo Sánchez Moreno and Enrique García Riaza provide a focused examination of the relevance and importance of materiality within the field of diplomacy. This focus brings an additional and distinctive contribution to the field, particularly through the collective nature of this volume.--Hannah Cornwell, University of Birmingham

The diplomatic background of Roman expansion from the 3rd century BC onwards has long been underestimated, especially for the West, but in recent years it has become a subject of study in its own right. This book has the merit of making a most valuable contribution by shedding new and original light on such an important topic, and is therefore part of a very current trend in academic research on the ancient world.--François Cadiou, University Bordeaux Montaigne