The Mediterranean in history / edited by David Abulafia ; texts by David Abulafia [and others].

Format
Book
Language
English
Published/​Created
Los Angeles, CA : J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003.
Description
320 pages : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 29 cm

Availability

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Firestone Library - Stacks D973 .M424 2003 Browse related items Request

    Details

    Subject(s)
    Summary note
    Contained in this history of the "Great Sea" are the stories of the birth of Western Civilization, the clash of warring faiths, and the rivalries of empires. David Abulafia leads a team of eight distinguished historians in an exploration of the great facts, themes and epochs of this region's history: the physical setting; the rivalry between Carthaginians, Greeks, and Etruscans for control of the sea routes; unification under Rome and the subsequent break up into Western Christendom, Byzantium, and Islam; the Crusades; commerce in medieval times; the Ottoman resurgence; the rivalry of European powers from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries; and the globalization of the region in the last century. The book departs from the traditional view of Mediterranean history, which placed emphasis on the overwhelming influences of physical geography on the molding of the region's civilizations. Instead, this new interpretation regards that physical context as a staging ground for decisive action, and at center stage are human catalysts at all levels of society-whether great kings and emperors, the sailors of medieval Amalfi, or the Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492. The authors do more than simply catalogue the societies that developed in the region, but also describe how these groups interacted with one another across the sea, enjoying commercial and political ties as well as sharing ideas and religious beliefs. This richly illustrated book offers contemporary historical writing at its best and is sure to engage specialists, students, and general readers alike.
    Bibliographic references
    Includes bibliographical references (p. 313-316) and index.
    Contents
    • What is the Mediterranean? / David Abulafia
    • The physical setting / Oliver Rackham
    • The first trading empires : prehistory to c. 1000 BC / Marlene Suano
    • The battle for the sea routes, 1000-300 BC / Mario Torelli
    • The creation of Mare Nostrum, 300 BC-500 AD / Geoffrey Rickman
    • The Mediterranean breaks up, 500-1000 / John Pryor
    • A Christian Mediterranean, 1000-1500 / Michel Balard
    • Resurgent Islam, 1500-1700 / Molly Greene
    • The Mediterranean as a battleground of the European powers, 1700-1900 / Jeremy Black
    • A globalized Mediterranean, 1900-2000 / David Abulafia.
    ISBN
    • 0892367253
    • 9780892367252
    • 9781606060575
    • 1606060570
    LCCN
    2003107262
    OCLC
    53321408
    International Article Number
    • 9780892367252
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