--- product_id: 805847499 title: "Critical Ancient World Studies: The Case for Forgetting Classics" price: "2219 Ft" currency: HUF in_stock: true reviews_count: 1 url: https://www.desertcart.hu/products/805847499-critical-ancient-world-studies-the-case-for-forgetting-classics store_origin: HU region: Hungary --- # Critical Ancient World Studies: The Case for Forgetting Classics **Price:** 2219 Ft **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Critical Ancient World Studies: The Case for Forgetting Classics - **How much does it cost?** 2219 Ft with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hu](https://www.desertcart.hu/products/805847499-critical-ancient-world-studies-the-case-for-forgetting-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Critical Ancient World Studies: The Case for Forgetting Classics eBook : Umachandran, Mathura, Ward, Marchella: Kindle Store Review: Classics on the chopping block - I’m a dabbler in the classics, broadly defined as the works of Greek and Roman antiquity and their ancient influences. Once the hallmark of higher education in the West, the field has been in decline during the past century or so, largely due to the rising prestige of science, which itself has roots in methods of inquiry first recorded in ancient Greece. If the contributors to this volume have their way, the field is as good as dead—and perhaps their careers along with it. Where to begin? The various authors have a problem with the term, “the West” ("an imagined West,” as they mystically put it). For good or ill, the West is the world in which most of us now live—where I am typing this on a computer in a well-engineered building equipped with electricity, running water, and conveniences galore, among them the benefits of modern health care. All of these features and more were perfected in the Industrial Revolution and its aftermath, which is a distinctly European achievement. And Europe itself is an outgrowth of the Roman Empire and Christianity, which in turn were heavily influenced by Greek culture. So it makes sense that the works of Greek and Roman antiquity (along with the Bible) became the basis for an educated Westerner. “Not so fast!” this book argues. What about the contributions of Egypt, Islam, and China, among others? Well, yes, European civilization did not develop in a vacuum, and its strength was that it ranged far and wide (in a venture derided as “colonialism”), trading with other cultures and not infrequently exploiting and conquering them. This is the scenario enacted by every empire that has ever existed, with the difference that Europe succeeded on an unprecedented global and even interplanetary scale. On balance, we are all better off for it, including the authors of this book who are employed in the higher education system developed on the European model. There are some interesting ideas here: notably the origin of the cult of Serapis in chapter 3 and the concept of the anti-lexicon in chapter 7. But by and large the book is drowned in torturous, tendentious, jargon-laden prose. The afterword by Dan-el Padilla Peralta is a particularly good example of bizarre academic obscurantism. Of course, classics is a limited field that has been continuously plowed for millennia. It’s no surprise that the current harvest is so paltry. I believe the best hope is that the carbonized scrolls at Herculaneum, now on the verge of wholesale decipherment thanks to Western technology, will yield scores of new works for study by inspired scholars—presumably not the ones in this book. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B0CKFLFQGT | | Accessibility | Learn more | | Best Sellers Rank | #12,227 Free in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #25 in Ancient History (Kindle Store) | | Customer Reviews | 3.4 3.4 out of 5 stars (5) | | Edition | 1st | | Enhanced typesetting | Enabled | | File size | 4.3 MB | | ISBN-13 | 978-1003827405 | | Language | English | | Page Flip | Enabled | | Print length | 284 pages | | Publication date | December 27, 2023 | | Publisher | Routledge | | Screen Reader | Supported | | Word Wise | Enabled | | X-Ray | Not Enabled | ## Images ![Critical Ancient World Studies: The Case for Forgetting Classics - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/914H+EJLIlL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐ Classics on the chopping block *by O***D on June 21, 2024* I’m a dabbler in the classics, broadly defined as the works of Greek and Roman antiquity and their ancient influences. Once the hallmark of higher education in the West, the field has been in decline during the past century or so, largely due to the rising prestige of science, which itself has roots in methods of inquiry first recorded in ancient Greece. If the contributors to this volume have their way, the field is as good as dead—and perhaps their careers along with it. Where to begin? The various authors have a problem with the term, “the West” ("an imagined West,” as they mystically put it). For good or ill, the West is the world in which most of us now live—where I am typing this on a computer in a well-engineered building equipped with electricity, running water, and conveniences galore, among them the benefits of modern health care. All of these features and more were perfected in the Industrial Revolution and its aftermath, which is a distinctly European achievement. And Europe itself is an outgrowth of the Roman Empire and Christianity, which in turn were heavily influenced by Greek culture. So it makes sense that the works of Greek and Roman antiquity (along with the Bible) became the basis for an educated Westerner. “Not so fast!” this book argues. What about the contributions of Egypt, Islam, and China, among others? Well, yes, European civilization did not develop in a vacuum, and its strength was that it ranged far and wide (in a venture derided as “colonialism”), trading with other cultures and not infrequently exploiting and conquering them. This is the scenario enacted by every empire that has ever existed, with the difference that Europe succeeded on an unprecedented global and even interplanetary scale. On balance, we are all better off for it, including the authors of this book who are employed in the higher education system developed on the European model. There are some interesting ideas here: notably the origin of the cult of Serapis in chapter 3 and the concept of the anti-lexicon in chapter 7. But by and large the book is drowned in torturous, tendentious, jargon-laden prose. The afterword by Dan-el Padilla Peralta is a particularly good example of bizarre academic obscurantism. Of course, classics is a limited field that has been continuously plowed for millennia. It’s no surprise that the current harvest is so paltry. I believe the best hope is that the carbonized scrolls at Herculaneum, now on the verge of wholesale decipherment thanks to Western technology, will yield scores of new works for study by inspired scholars—presumably not the ones in this book. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hu/products/805847499-critical-ancient-world-studies-the-case-for-forgetting-classics](https://www.desertcart.hu/products/805847499-critical-ancient-world-studies-the-case-for-forgetting-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Hungary* *Store origin: HU* *Last updated: 2026-05-25*