The Oxford Classical Dictionary

By Nicholas Geoffrey Lempriere Hammond

Book Overview

For almost half a century, the Oxford Classical Dictionary has been the unrivaled one-volume reference work on the Greco-Roman world. Whether one is interested in literature or art, philosophy or law, mythology or science, intimate details of daily life or broad cultural and historical trends, the OCD is the first place to turn for clear, authoritative information on all aspects of ancient culture. Now comes the Third Edition of this redoubtable resource, 20 per cent larger than the previous edition, with virtually every entry rewritten to bring it up to date with current scholarship, and with over 800 new entries that reflect the greatly expanded scope of classical studies.
Here, in over six thousand entries ranging from long articles to brief identifications, readers can find information on virtually any topic of interest--athletics, bee-keeping, botany, magic, Roman law, religious rites, postal service, slavery, navigation, and the reckoning of time. The Dictionary profiles every major figure of Greece and Rome, from Homer and Virgil, to Plato and Aristotle, to Tacitus and Thucydides, to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. (The OCD also covers many important but lesser known figures who will not be found in other reference works.) Readers will find entries on mythological and legendary figures, on major cities, famous buildings, and important geographical landmarks, and on legal, rhetorical, literary, and political terms and concepts. Equally important, the OCD features extensive thematic articles that offer superb coverage of topics of interest to both scholars and general readers, exploring everything from medicine and mathematics to music, law, and marriage.
In addition, there are over 800 completely new entries in the Third Edition, additions that reflect the insights and interests of a new generation of classical scholars. Readers will now find substantial coverage of women in the ancient world (with entries on abortion, breast-feeding, childbirth, housework, midwives, menopause, and motherhood, among many others), sexuality (homosexuality, love and friendship, contraception, pornography), the Far East (with entries ranging from Gandhara to the Persian Gulf), Jews (Dead Sea Scrolls, Pharisees, rabbis, Talmud), and early Christians (churches, pilgrimages, St. Paul). In addition, there are many more thematic articles than in previous editions, some of which reflect the new emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches to classical studies (such as Anthropology and the Classics, Marxism and Classical Antiquity, and Literary Theory and Classical Studies), while others examine issues of general interest to modern readers (race, class struggle, ecology, ethnicity, alcoholism, incest, suicide, pollution, propaganda, literacy, and much more).
Finally, the OCD boasts contributions and guidance from some of the finest classical scholars in the world. In addition to the superb efforts of general editors Hornblower and Spawforth, there were fifteen Area Advisors, including such respected figures as Martha Nussbaum (philosophy), Tony Honore (Roman law), Patricia Easterling (Greek literature), John Matthews (late antiquity), Geoffrey Lloyd (maths and sciences), Helen King (women's studies), Ernst Badian (Roman Republican prosopography), and Emily Kearns (Greek myth and religion). And among the many eminent authorities who have offered contributions are Albert Henrichs, Fritz Graf, Gian Biagio Conte, Oswyn Murray, Elaine Fantham, Julia Annas, J.J. Pollitt, Michael Jameson, and over three hundred others--a truly international team. Indeed, the aim throughout has been to secure the best experts on the topics covered, wherever in the world they happen to be. Thus, in the area of Greek religion, for instance, contributions have come from Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and the United States.
As an authoritative one-volume guide to all aspects of the ancient world--political, economic, philosophical, religious, artistic, and social--the Oxford Classical Dictionary has no equal in any language. It is the definitive summation of classical scholarship as it stands today.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019866172X
• ISBN13: 9780198661726
• Release Date: December 1996
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 1704 Pages
• Weight: 5.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 2.9" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

older, is not always worse

I own the 2nd and 3rd Rev editionThe Oxford Classical Dictionary. I am not willing to relinquish either. The Strong points for owning the 2nd is that the perspective of the era was perfection. The entries are very objective, even when they depart from the particular contributors' respective viewpoint. This edition is painstakingly reliant on the most primary sources available that are relevant to a specific subject. it does not send you to some self aggrandizing article, by the same contributor. Instead the 2nd is consistent in providing the ancient sources, something that apparently was considered less important in the 3rd Ed, which is its primary weakness. In the 2nd Ed you get lean, straightforward information that is not plugged up with mini thesis entries. If you want just the basics, and the 'new' trendy positions are important to you, buy the 3rd Rev Ed. If you want serious scholarship, that you can observe for yourself the evidence clearly used, the 2nd Ed is right for you. But you must also understand it is current information up to the print date. So you will have to do some leg work if you want the complete picture of the scholarship. In that case I would suggest you also research in (not necessarily purchase) the New PaulyBrill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World: Antiquity, Volume 3 (Cat - Cyp) or Brill's New Pauly Encyclopedia Of The Ancient World: Antiquity : Hat-Jus.

"A Gem of a Reference Book"

The "Oxford Classical Dictionary" is a gem of a reference book, which far surpasses any other edition available in its class. With over six thousand entries, covering any topic imaginable in the sphere of the Greco-Roman world, this dictionary will come as a relief and a reward to the aspiring student and the accomplished scholar. This seventeen hundred-page dictionary is well worth its weight and should be on the shelves of anyone interested in the multifaceted occurrences of the classical world. This authoritative volume has no equal--nothing may be compared with it--and it is highly recommended. For a more convenient sized edition of the OCD, which treats the lives of influential men throughout antiquity, see Simon Hornblower's "Who's Who in the Classical World" (Oxford Paperback Reference).

Indespensible!!

As a 1st. year Master's degree student studying ancient Mediterranean civilizations I can not believe I made it this far without the book on my shelf. Ok, so I used a library copy. Now that I have my own I find myself using it more and more. I even find myself causualy flipping through the pages as I eat dinner. I am constantly amazed at the wealth of information provided. This is a "must have" volume for anyone with more than just a passing interest in the classics. It may at fist appear a bit expensive but it is worth every dollar, drachma, denari, whatever. I will admit that this is the only 'dictionary' I actually sit down and read, albeit slowly. The volume of entries, their content, and clarity are without equal. A wonderful added bonus is the inclusion of references to further reading and research. For those of us actively studying classical civilizations this is an indespensible aid to scholarly research.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Greece & Rome!

As a reference work, this revised third edition of "The Oxford Classical Dictionary" merits awe. Like the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls, the best one can do is simply stand there, mouth agape and say something like, "So, there it is." At 1,640 pages and weighing in a five and three-quarter pounds (1.48 minas according to the Attic-Euboic standard or 1.95 Roman libras), this massive reference work summarizes all that is known about the Greek and Roman worlds. It is a detailed volume that has plenty of entries for both the specialist and general reader. But, realistically, at $100 a throw, this dictionary will be more likely to be purchased by those who have more than a passing interest in the classical era. They in turn will be rewarded with a volume that covers nearly every conceivable aspect of Roman and Greek life, from the public deeds of emperors to the private lives of laborers. Here, among the academic jargon and bibliographical references, one may learn that, in Athens, a popular after-dinner game was the wine-throw,' in which players would flick the dregs from their cups at a target, such as a saucer floating in water; that while incest in general was banned, siblings with the same father could marry in Athens, of the mother in Sparta; that even mimes existed in both Roman and Greek cultures, sometimes acting out on the streets stock stories that sound like the sitcoms and soap operas of our day. Much of the 800 new entries (the editors note that the book is 20 percent larger than the previous edition) focus on the societal aspects, such as alcoholism, breast-feeding, cannibalism, cemeteries, debt, fairs, fantastic literature, homosexuality, housework, suicide and tourism, while the dictionary overall benefitted from archeological discoveries made since the previous edition. While the price may be considered steep, the diction is a treasure trove of information, well-written, thoroughly annotated, and well worth the price for those with a deep interest in the Classical world.

Excellent reference

This badly-needed third edition of the OCD (the standard English-language reference to classical studies) is a fabulous work. It includes a great many new articles and adds the latest scholarship to the older pieces without replacing those that have withstood the test of time. Each article includes an excellent bibliography that points the reader to the better modern studies and the various editions of classical texts, and from there the reader can dive into a detailed study of any topic with confidence that he is being led to solid scholarly works. In addition, articles are keyed to the standard (and much larger) German reference, Pauly-Wissowa's "Real-Encyclopadie." This new edition of the OCD features contributions from an international team of scholars, and while debates will naturally arise from some of their interpretations, this remains an absolutely indispensible reference work for the scholar, student, and interested general reader. Ignore it (and the classical tradition generally) at your peril.