Reviews
The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity is a compelling work that has been written with so much clarity, precision and erudition that it is almost impossible not to accept the author's views. It is also one of those books that will definitely change the way we look at the ancient world, a world that invented not only 'logos', democracy and philosophy, but also the art of using pseudo-scientific arguments in order to justify the worst ways of dealing with other men. Last but not least, Isaac establishes that considering racial discrimination in its earliest forms is a good way of gaining 'a better understanding of their contemporary forms,' since such prejudices continue to be at the root of most hatreds (and most wars) that are devastating today's world. For these reasons, this book is essential for anyone interested in the topic of racism. ---Christian Delacampagne, Patterns of Prejudice, The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity is a compelling work that has been written with so much clarity, precision and erudition that it is almost impossible not to accept the author's views. It is also one of those books that will definitely change the way we look at the ancient world, a world that invented not only 'logos', democracy and philosophy, but also the art of using pseudo-scientific arguments in order to justify the worst ways of dealing with other men. Last but not least, Isaac establishes that considering racial discrimination in its earliest forms is a good way of gaining 'a better understanding of their contemporary forms,' since such prejudices continue to be at the root of most hatreds (and most wars) that are devastating today's world. For these reasons, this book is essential for anyone interested in the topic of racism. -- Christian Delacampagne, Patterns of Prejudice, This is the first serious scholarly work to confront the problem of race and racism in Greco-Roman antiquity. . . . [Benjamin] Issac has deflated once and for all any easy suppositions about the modern origins of one of humankind's bitterest legacies., The 563 pages of this book represent an academic tour-de-force, showing vast knowledge of ancient sources from Herodotus to late antiquity, and an equally impressive mastery of early modern scholarship from the sixteenth century onwards, drawing out many links between ancient and modern thinking. ---David Noy, Journal of the Classical Association of Canada, "This is a hugely learned and provocative book. . . . Benjamin Isaac is a classical scholar, and his experience of twentieth-century anti-Semitism has both made him uniquely alive to his topic, and led him to look for the 'roots' of one particular type of racism in classical antiquity." --Christopher Jones, Scripta Classica Israelica, " The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity is by far the most sweeping and all-encompassing study of stereotypes and hostile portrayals by Greeks and Romans of other peoples that has yet been written. Isaac details the classical world's biased conceptualizations of Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Syrians, Egyptians, Persians, Gauls, Germans, and Jews. As Isaac shows, the diverse images constructed at that time of genetic inferiority, of environmental and geographic influence, of descent and lineage, and propagation of fear of the alien have had an enduring impact on thinkers and public figures in Europe and the United States even up to the present time." --Erich S. Gruen, Gladys Rehard Wood Professor of History and Classics, University of California, Berkeley, The author's magisterial and comprehensive command of the sources and the modern academic literature lends his thesis authority. He thoughtfully summarizes his arguments and conclusions from time to time. His line of thought is clear and his language is straightforward., " The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity pores over substantial textual evidence to confirm that both the ancient Greeks and Romans possessed nationalistic tendencies. . . . Isaac's book is seriously academic and will long remain an essential standard tool for debate." --Sean Kingsley, Times Higher Education Supplement, "This is the first serious scholarly work to confront the problem of race and racism in Greco-Roman antiquity. . . . [Benjamin] Issac has deflated once and for all any easy suppositions about the modern origins of one of humankind's bitterest legacies." --Brent D. Shaw, Journal of World History, "This is a hugely learned and provocative book. . . . Benjamin Isaac is a classical scholar, and his experience of twentieth-century anti-Semitism has both made him uniquely alive to his topic, and led him to look for the roots of one particular type of racism in classical antiquity."-- Christopher Jones, Scripta Classica Israelica, [An] important book. . . . [A]nyone concerned with racism, and more generally with the moral complexity of our civilization, will be profoundly educated by Isaac's magisterial and ethically lucid study. ---Paula Fredriksen, The New Republic, " The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity is a compelling work that has been written with so much clarity, precision and erudition that it is almost impossible not to accept the author's views. It is also one of those books that will definitely change the way we look at the ancient world, a world that invented not only 'logos', democracy and philosophy, but also the art of using pseudo-scientific arguments in order to justify the worst ways of dealing with other men. Last but not least, Isaac establishes that considering racial discrimination in its earliest forms is a good way of gaining 'a better understanding of their contemporary forms,' since such prejudices continue to be at the root of most hatreds (and most wars) that are devastating today's world. For these reasons, this book is essential for anyone interested in the topic of racism." ---Christian Delacampagne, Patterns of Prejudice, The 563 pages of this book represent an academic tour-de-force, showing vast knowledge of ancient sources from Herodotus to late antiquity, and an equally impressive mastery of early modern scholarship from the sixteenth century onwards, drawing out many links between ancient and modern thinking., "The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity" pores over substantial textual evidence to confirm that both the ancient Greeks and Romans possessed nationalistic tendencies. . . . Isaac's book is seriously academic and will long remain an essential standard tool for debate., " The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity pores over substantial textual evidence to confirm that both the ancient Greeks and Romans possessed nationalistic tendencies. . . . Isaac's book is seriously academic and will long remain an essential standard tool for debate." ---Sean Kingsley, Times Higher Education Supplement, The principal aim of this massive, heavily documented study . . . is to establish that racism, like so many other articles of European mental furniture, was first given shape and substance by the fifth-century Greeks. . . . [Benjamin] Isaac's accessible, ground-breaking study is a timely and important work., "Benjamin Isaac's treatment of this complex problem is the first comprehensive, intelligible, and truly magisterial one of which I am aware. The book will be an invaluable source of information, discussion, and interpretation for any person (scholar or layman) interested in any aspect of the problem of ethnic identity, whether in antiquity or in modern times." --Martin Ostwald, Swarthmore College and University of Pennsylvania, This is a hugely learned and provocative book. . . . Benjamin Isaac is a classical scholar, and his experience of twentieth-century anti-Semitism has both made him uniquely alive to his topic, and led him to look for the 'roots' of one particular type of racism in classical antiquity. ---Christopher Jones, Scripta Classica Israelica, "The author's magisterial and comprehensive command of the sources and the modern academic literature lends his thesis authority. He thoughtfully summarizes his arguments and conclusions from time to time. His line of thought is clear and his language is straightforward." --Ralph Amelan, The Jerusalem Post, The principal aim of this massive, heavily documented study . . . is to establish that racism, like so many other articles of European mental furniture, was first given shape and substance by the fifth-century Greeks. . . . [Benjamin] Isaac's accessible, ground-breaking study is a timely and important work. ---Margaret H. Williams, Journal of Jewish Studies, "The 563 pages of this book represent an academic tour-de-force, showing vast knowledge of ancient sources from Herodotus to late antiquity, and an equally impressive mastery of early modern scholarship from the sixteenth century onwards, drawing out many links between ancient and modern thinking." --David Noy, Journal of the Classical Association of Canada, "[An] important book. . . . [A]nyone concerned with racism, and more generally with the moral complexity of our civilization, will be profoundly educated by Isaac's magisterial and ethically lucid study." ---Paula Fredriksen, The New Republic, This is the first serious scholarly work to confront the problem of race and racism in Greco-Roman antiquity. . . . [Benjamin] Issac has deflated once and for all any easy suppositions about the modern origins of one of humankind's bitterest legacies. ---Brent D. Shaw, Journal of World History, The author's magisterial and comprehensive command of the sources and the modern academic literature lends his thesis authority. He thoughtfully summarizes his arguments and conclusions from time to time. His line of thought is clear and his language is straightforward. ---Ralph Amelan, The Jerusalem Post, The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity pores over substantial textual evidence to confirm that both the ancient Greeks and Romans possessed nationalistic tendencies. . . . Isaac's book is seriously academic and will long remain an essential standard tool for debate. ---Sean Kingsley, Times Higher Education Supplement, "The principal aim of this massive, heavily documented study . . . is to establish that racism, like so many other articles of European mental furniture, was first given shape and substance by the fifth-century Greeks. . . . [Benjamin] Isaac's accessible, ground-breaking study is a timely and important work." ---Margaret H. Williams, Journal of Jewish Studies, This is a hugely learned and provocative book. . . . Benjamin Isaac is a classical scholar, and his experience of twentieth-century anti-Semitism has both made him uniquely alive to his topic, and led him to look for the 'roots' of one particular type of racism in classical antiquity., "[An] important book. . . . [A]nyone concerned with racism, and more generally with the moral complexity of our civilization, will be profoundly educated by Isaacs magisterial and ethically lucid study."-- Paula Fredriksen, The New Republic, "The principal aim of this massive, heavily documented study . . . is to establish that racism, like so many other articles of European mental furniture, was first given shape and substance by the fifth-century Greeks. . . . [Benjamin] Isaac's accessible, ground-breaking study is a timely and important work." --Margaret H. Williams, Journal of Jewish Studies, "[An] important book. . . . [A]nyone concerned with racism, and more generally with the moral complexity of our civilization, will be profoundly educated by Isaac's magisterial and ethically lucid study." --Paula Fredriksen, The New Republic, "This is the first serious scholarly work to confront the problem of race and racism in Greco-Roman antiquity. . . . [Benjamin] Issac has deflated once and for all any easy suppositions about the modern origins of one of humankind's bitterest legacies." ---Brent D. Shaw, Journal of World History, "A revolutionary work of immense relevance to the tensions of our contemporary globalized society. Enormous in scope, erudition, and importance, it is lucidly written and can easily be appreciated by any historically minded reader." --Glen W. Bowersock, Institute for Advanced Study, "The author's magisterial and comprehensive command of the sources and the modern academic literature lends his thesis authority. He thoughtfully summarizes his arguments and conclusions from time to time. His line of thought is clear and his language is straightforward." ---Ralph Amelan, The Jerusalem Post, " The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity is a compelling work that has been written with so much clarity, precision and erudition that it is almost impossible not to accept the author's views. It is also one of those books that will definitely change the way we look at the ancient world, a world that invented not only 'logos', democracy and philosophy, but also the art of using pseudo-scientific arguments in order to justify the worst ways of dealing with other men. Last but not least, Isaac establishes that considering racial discrimination in its earliest forms is a good way of gaining 'a better understanding of their contemporary forms,' since such prejudices continue to be at the root of most hatreds (and most wars) that are devastating today's world. For these reasons, this book is essential for anyone interested in the topic of racism." --Christian Delacampagne, Patterns of Prejudice, "The 563 pages of this book represent an academic tour-de-force, showing vast knowledge of ancient sources from Herodotus to late antiquity, and an equally impressive mastery of early modern scholarship from the sixteenth century onwards, drawing out many links between ancient and modern thinking." ---David Noy, Journal of the Classical Association of Canada, "This is a hugely learned and provocative book. . . . Benjamin Isaac is a classical scholar, and his experience of twentieth-century anti-Semitism has both made him uniquely alive to his topic, and led him to look for the 'roots' of one particular type of racism in classical antiquity." ---Christopher Jones, Scripta Classica Israelica, [An] important book. . . . [A]nyone concerned with racism, and more generally with the moral complexity of our civilization, will be profoundly educated by Isaac's magisterial and ethically lucid study.
