Arthur M Eckstein

Gebundenes Buch

Rome Enters the Greek East

From Anarchy to Hierarchy in the Hellenistic Mediterranean, 230-170 BC

Beschreibung

This volume examines the period from Rome's earliest involvement in the eastern Mediterranean to the creation of the first stage of Roman dominance over all the Greek states from the Adriatic Sea to Syria by the 180s BC. Applying modern political theory to ancient Mediterranean history, it takes a Realist approach to its analysis of the development of Roman involvement in the Greek Mediterranean and employs unipolarity theory to examine the earliest era of Roman geopolitical dominance over the Greek states. Focusing on the harsh nature of interactions among states under conditions of international anarchy, the book examines the conduct of both Rome and the Greek states during the period, and the beginning of the replacement of anarchy by a situation of hierarchy and unipolarity. In addition to providing an overview of the entire revolutionary period between 230 and 170 BC, the volume focuses detailed discussion on the geopolitical crisis that convulsed the Greek world in the last decade of the third century bc. This crisis led first to the violent collapse of the traditional Greek state-system based on the three great powers of Macedon, Syria, and Egypt, then to a revolution in Greek diplomacy towards Rome (201-200 BC) as second-tier states pleaded for Roman intervention in the crisis, then to the beginning of Rome's permanent involvement in the high politics of the Greek Mediterranean, and finally to the creation of a situation of Roman unipolarity in the Greek Mediterranean. The first stage of that unipolarity (ca. 190-170 BC) is then analyzed in detail. Rome Enters the Greek East offers a balanced portrait of Roman militarism and imperialism that is essential reading for scholars interested in the interaction of Rome and the Hellenistic world.

Autor

Arthur M. Eckstein is a specialist in the history of Roman imperialism. He has published three books, Senate and General: Individual Decision-Making and Roman Foreign Relations, 264-194 BC (1987), Moral Vision in the Histories of Polybius (1995), Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War and the Rise of Rome (2006), and 50 major scholarly articles. He is also co-editing an edition of Polybius' Histories.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley
• Seitenzahl: 456
• Erscheinungstermin: 11. April 2008
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 235mm x 157mm x 29mm
• Gewicht: 808g
• ISBN-13: 9781405160728
• ISBN-10: 1405160721
• Artikelnr.: 22953155

Rezensionen

"A strength of Eckstein's volume is the balance ofinternational relations theory with the detailed history of thetransformation of the Hellenistic multipolar anarchy from the FirstIllyrian War to the period of Roman "unipolarity". Thisconsolidates the placement of political theory within currenthistoriography of the interstate relations of the mid- Republic andHellenistic world. Based on the reception of IR Realism in thevarious studies cited here which have engaged directly orperipherally with Eckstein's volume, there are two majorideas for which he argues that are already working their waythrough the ancient historical consciousness: that fear, threat,force and violence underpin interstate discourses and werecommonplace in the experiences

and strategies of both primary andsecondary polities; and that all polities were stakeholders ininternational relations, with neither Roman (or others')ambivalence preventing their participation, nor secondarystates' comparative weakness limiting their determination tojoin the negotiation of conflict. We shall in future see much morescholarship based upon these two central arguments." (Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 7 May 2013)"In this excellent book, Arthur Eckstein utilizes modernpolitical science and interstate relations theory, especiallyso-called Realist theory, in order to illuminate the topic of Romanexpansion during the middle Republic." (New EnglandClassical Journal, May 2009)

"Clearly and engagingly written and augmented by four maps,this book will appeal to students and scholars alike."(Choice, April 2009)"This is a stimulating and provocative book that will forcescholars to look afresh at Rome's conquest of the easternMediterranean."
-Andrew Erskine, University of Edinburgh