Arma and his World: The Bodleian Letters in Context

Christopher J. Tuplin

ISBN 10: 0198860722 / ISBN 13: 9780198860723

Verlag: Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2020

During the Second World War the Bodleian Library in Oxford acquired a set of Aramaic letters, eight sealings, and the two leather bags in which the sealed letters were once stored. The letters concern the affairs of Ar%s=ama, satrap of Egypt in the later fifth century. Taken with other material associated with him (mostly in Aramaic, Demotic Egyptian, and Akkadian), they illuminate the Achaemenid world of which Ar%s=ama was a privileged member and evoke a wide rangeof social, economic, cultural, organizational, and political perspectives, from multi-lingual communication, storage and disbursement of resources, and satrapal remuneration, to cross-regional ethnicmovement, long-distance travel, religious practice, and iconographic projection of ideological messages.Particular highlights include a travel authorization (the only example of something implicit in numerous Persepolis documents), texts about the religious life of the Judaean garrison at Elephantine, Ar%s=ama's magnificent seal (a masterpiece of Achaemenid glyptic, inherited from a son of Darius I), and echoes of temporary disturbances to Persian management of Egypt.But what is also impressive is the underlying sense of systematic coherence founded on and expressed in the use of formal, even formalized, written communication as a means of control. The Ar%s=ama dossieris not alone in evoking that sense, but its size, variety, and focus upon a single individual give it a unique quality.Though this material has not been hidden from view, it has been insufficiently explored: it is the purpose of the three volumes of Ar%s=ama and his World: The Bodleian Letters in Context to provide the fullest presentation and historical contextualization of this extraordinary cache yet attempted. Volume I presents and translates the lettersalongside a detailed line-by-line commentary, while Volume II reconstructs the two seals that made the clay bullae that sealed the letters, with special attention to Ar%s=ama's magnificent heirloom seal. Volume IIIcomprises a series of thematic essays which further explore the administrative, economic, military, ideological, religious, and artistic environment to which Ar%s=ama and the letters belonged. These volumes offer a detailed presentation of a set of letters associated with Ar%s=ama, satrap in Egypt in the later fifth century and the bullae that sealed them. The letters are translated and provided with line-by-line commentary, alongside thematic essays. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 9780198860723

Inhaltsangabe:

During the Second World War the Bodleian Library in Oxford acquired a set of Aramaic letters, eight sealings, and the two leather bags in which the sealed letters were once stored. The letters concern the affairs of Aršama, satrap of Egypt in the later fifth century. Taken with other material associated with him (mostly in Aramaic, Demotic Egyptian, and Akkadian), they illuminate the Achaemenid world of which Aršama was a privileged member and evoke a wide range of social, economic, cultural, organizational, and political perspectives, from multi-lingual communication, storage and disbursement of resources, and satrapal remuneration, to cross-regional ethnic movement, long-distance travel, religious practice, and iconographic projection of ideological messages.

Particular highlights include a travel authorization (the only example of something implicit in numerous Persepolis documents), texts about the religious life of the Judaean garrison at Elephantine, Aršama's magnificent seal (a masterpiece of Achaemenid glyptic, inherited from a son of Darius I), and echoes of temporary disturbances to Persian management of Egypt. But what is also impressive is the underlying sense of systematic coherence founded on and expressed in the use of formal, even formalized, written communication as a means of control. The Aršama dossier is not alone in evoking that sense, but its size, variety, and focus upon a single individual give it a unique quality.

Though this material has not been hidden from view, it has been insufficiently explored: it is the purpose of the three volumes of Aršama and his World: The Bodleian Letters in Context to provide the fullest presentation and historical contextualization of this extraordinary cache yet attempted. Volume I presents and translates the letters alongside a detailed line-by-line commentary, while Volume II reconstructs the two seals that made the clay bullae that sealed the letters, with special attention to Aršama's magnificent heirloom seal. Volume III comprises a series of thematic essays which further explore the administrative, economic, military, ideological, religious, and artistic environment to which Aršama and the letters belonged.

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor:
Christopher J. Tuplin, University of Liverpool,John Ma, Columbia University

Christopher J. Tuplin is Gladstone Professor of Greek at the University of Liverpool.


John Ma is Professor of Classics at Columbia University.

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Arma and his World: The Bodleian Letters in ...
Verlag: Oxford University Press, Oxford
Erscheinungsdatum: 2020
Zustand: new