Books by Ingvar B . Mæhle
Antikkens bystater, 2023
This is a comparative study of the social and political systems of the greco-roman city-states.
Methods and models in ancient history. Essays in honor of Jørgen Christian Meyer, 2020
This volume collects studies presented by colleagues, friends and students in honour of Jørgen Ch... more This volume collects studies presented by colleagues, friends and students in honour of Jørgen Christian Meyer on the occasion of his 70th birthday and his retirement as professor of ancient history at the University of Bergen.
The essays in this volume on the one hand reflect Meyer’s wide scholarly interest and evolving research focus in addressing periods from the Bronze Age to 20th century reception and geographical areas from China to the western Mediterranean, but are brought together by his openness to different and novel approaches to ancient history, combined with his insistence on methodological stringency. For Meyer, history is social science applied to the past. His scholarship and teaching are consistent in being theoretically and methodologically informed by the social sciences. This is an approach that he has also advocated among colleagues and passed on to his students. It is thus only fitting that methods and models serve as the common denominator for this volume in his honor. The following essays fall within either of two categories: the first group explicitly discusses how different methods, models and theoretical approaches unlock new insight into the ancient world and exemplifies this through empirical studies; the other starts with empirical case studies in order to demonstrate the potential of different methodological approaches.
The first three papers address possibilities opened by advances in archaeological methodology. Knut Krzywinski, Gidske L. Andersen and Richard H. Pierce describe how RPAS mapping may help unlock the history of the likely ancient Beja capital of Nubt in the Red Sea Hills of present-day Sudan. Jørgen Bakke and Hege Bakke-Alisøy consider the use of existing road networks as a point of departure for the investigation of past communication patterns in the Greek landscape of Arcadia, while Andreas Colinet-Schmidt demonstrates how the evidence of stones quarried in Palmyra can be used to date the monuments of the ancient Syrian city.
The second group contains three studies addressing the potential of theoretical modelling to shed light on historical problems. Tomas Larsen Høisæter shows the applicability of network models to the study of trade along central Asian segments of the so-called Silk Road in Late Antiquity. Tønnes Bekker-Nielsen argues the continued relevance of central place theory, much challenged by such network approaches, to the study of urban structures in hierarchical systems like the Roman Empire, while Eivind Heldaas Seland applies formal GIS modelling in combination with so-called common-sense geography in order to approach sailing patterns in the Roman-period Red Sea.
Three contributors take iconography as their point of access to ancient society. Reinert Skumsnes is directly inspired by Meyer’s ethnographic work in Turkey in his approach to the feminine element in Egyptian New Kingdom tomb paintings. Rubina Raja addresses depictions of men with camels in Palmyra, while Eleonora Cussini investigates food and drink in Palmyrene iconographic and epigraphic sources. The latter paper connects with the next two, which also address epigraphy. Michael Gawlikowski investigates the kinship relations of a Palmyrene elite family while Aleksander Engeskaug explores the potential of a quantitative approach to Middle Persian inscriptions.
Synnøve des Bouvrie and Leonardo Gregoratti investigates the ancient world through the lens of social anthropology. Des Bouvrie demonstrates the potential of anthropological theory and method for the study of Greek tragedy, while Gregoratti outlines how the concept of the Third Space can help us better understand dynamics between states, empires, cities and nomads in the Roman-period Near East. Ingvar B. Mæhle uses comparative method in order to reconstruct the political history of the Greek city state of Tegea within the frame of political variation within the Greek and Roman worlds, and Lise Hannestad studies Seleukos I’s use of the epithet ‘Macedonian’ through a methodical use of historical source criticism.
The final group of papers explores the relationship between past, posterity and present. Per Bjarne Ravnå discusses the challenges that modern scholars encounter when using religious text, in this case the New Testament, as historical sources. Kiyohide Saito recounts the chance finding of evidence relating to the first modern Western visitors to Palmyra during the excavation of an ancient monument. Gullög Nordquist and Michael Lindblom report on the experiences encountered during the recent digitalization and online publication of the Swedish excavations in Asine (Greece) in 1926. Finally, Eva Maria Lassen brings past into dialogue with current debates in her inquiry into the use of Antiquity in discourse on human rights after 1948. The volume closes with a bibliography of Jørgen Christian Meyer’s scholarship compiled by Pål Steiner and a tabula gratulatoria.
Papers by Ingvar B . Mæhle
Ancient Greek History and Contemporary Social Science, 2018
The ideology of the Spartan homoioi, the “equals”, or rather the “similars” masked vast differenc... more The ideology of the Spartan homoioi, the “equals”, or rather the “similars” masked vast differences in wealth, prestige and power. In such circumstances, personal patronage thrive, decades of anthropological investigations has shown us. Yet patronage is most commonly associated with Rome, despite the demonstration by several scholars that patron‐client relationships did indeed play a role even in democratic Athens, a society before thought exempt from the universal laws of reciprocity. This chapter discusses the role of personal patronage in classical Sparta, and the differences between unequal reciprocity in the society of the “similars” compared to democratic Athens and Republican Rome. It demonstrates how patronage is a natural part of all ancient societies. Different systems allow patronage different scope and venues, forcing the phenomenon to adapt to various circumstances. This changes the rates of exchange between patron and client, but does not abolish the institution. The a...
Historisk tidsskrift, Sep 23, 2011
Edinburgh University Press eBooks, Sep 1, 2018
The ideology of the Spartan homoioi, the “equals”, or rather the “similars” masked vast differenc... more The ideology of the Spartan homoioi, the “equals”, or rather the “similars” masked vast differences in wealth, prestige and power. In such circumstances, personal patronage thrive, decades of anthropological investigations has shown us. Yet patronage is most commonly associated with Rome, despite the demonstration by several scholars that patron‐client relationships did indeed play a role even in democratic Athens, a society before thought exempt from the universal laws of reciprocity. This chapter discusses the role of personal patronage in classical Sparta, and the differences between unequal reciprocity in the society of the “similars” compared to democratic Athens and Republican Rome. It demonstrates how patronage is a natural part of all ancient societies. Different systems allow patronage different scope and venues, forcing the phenomenon to adapt to various circumstances. This changes the rates of exchange between patron and client, but does not abolish the institution. The aim is to construct a general theory of patronage in the ancient city-states of Greece and Rome.
A partir de l’incident de 295 relate par Tite Live ou une patricienne Virginia qui a epouse le co... more A partir de l’incident de 295 relate par Tite Live ou une patricienne Virginia qui a epouse le consul plebeien L. Volumnius est chassee du temple de Pudicia patricia et ou cette meme matrone construit dans sa propre maison un autel a Pudicia plebeia examen des signes de luttes de classes dans le monde feminin republicain romain et preuve d’une certaine « autonomie » pour les femmes de classes elevees dans la pratique des cultes
Edinburgh University Press eBooks, Jun 19, 2018
Norwegian Institute at Athens eBooks, 2020
Historisk tidsskrift, 2011
Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2018
Abstract:The scholarly consensus regarding patron-client relationships has been that this was a p... more Abstract:The scholarly consensus regarding patron-client relationships has been that this was a predominantly Roman phenomenon, which the Greeks, and particularly the Athenians, avoided. This article challenges that paradigm and presents a model in which personal patronage is seen as a universal feature of the classical world and the Athenian democracy differs from Rome only in how patronage operated. Institutional reforms and state subsidies did not abolish the market for powerful protectors but changed the rates of exchange between patrons and clients in favor of the latter. The pursuit of gratitude did not result in packed assemblies, in either Rome or Athens, but created for the patron a core group of loyal helpers in the sociopolitical game for honor.
A partir de l’incident de 295 relate par Tite Live ou une patricienne Virginia qui a epouse le co... more A partir de l’incident de 295 relate par Tite Live ou une patricienne Virginia qui a epouse le consul plebeien L. Volumnius est chassee du temple de Pudicia patricia et ou cette meme matrone construit dans sa propre maison un autel a Pudicia plebeia examen des signes de luttes de classes dans le monde feminin republicain romain et preuve d’une certaine « autonomie » pour les femmes de classes elevees dans la pratique des cultes
Kokalos, vol. LIV , 2017
This article discusses the nature of the ”democratic interlude” in fifth century Sicily in genera... more This article discusses the nature of the ”democratic interlude” in fifth century Sicily in general, and Syracuse in particular. It seeks to replace the casual use of analogies to Athens, which has dominated the debate about Sicilian democracies so far, with a systematic comparison. Combining an awareness of the many institutional variations and the institutional similarities, both of which have been documented by the Copenhagen Polis Centre, this article delineates a more precise classification system of ancient political systems. Using this system, it then attempts to reconstruct the Syracusan politeia in the period between the tyrannies, according to testable criteria, rather than the “gut feeling” prevalent among scholars.
Hesperia, 2018
The scholarly consensus regarding patron-client relationships has been that this was a predominan... more The scholarly consensus regarding patron-client relationships has been that this was a predominantly Roman phenomenon, which the Greeks, and particularly the Athenians, avoided. This article challenges that paradigm and presents a model in which personal patronage is seen as a universal feature of the classical world and the Athenian democracy differs from Rome only in how patronage operated. Institutional reforms and state subsidies did not abolish the market for powerful protectors but changed the rates of exchange between patrons and clients in favor of the latter. The pursuit of gratitude did not result in packed assemblies, in either Rome or Athens, but created for the patron a core group of loyal helpers in the sociopolitical game for honor.
RELIGION AND SOCIETY - Rituals, Ressources and Identity in the Ancient Greco-Roman World, 2008
Book Reviews by Ingvar B . Mæhle
Historisk tidsskrift , 2011
Salongen - Nettidskrift for filosofi og idehistorie, 2014
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Books by Ingvar B . Mæhle
The essays in this volume on the one hand reflect Meyer’s wide scholarly interest and evolving research focus in addressing periods from the Bronze Age to 20th century reception and geographical areas from China to the western Mediterranean, but are brought together by his openness to different and novel approaches to ancient history, combined with his insistence on methodological stringency. For Meyer, history is social science applied to the past. His scholarship and teaching are consistent in being theoretically and methodologically informed by the social sciences. This is an approach that he has also advocated among colleagues and passed on to his students. It is thus only fitting that methods and models serve as the common denominator for this volume in his honor. The following essays fall within either of two categories: the first group explicitly discusses how different methods, models and theoretical approaches unlock new insight into the ancient world and exemplifies this through empirical studies; the other starts with empirical case studies in order to demonstrate the potential of different methodological approaches.
The first three papers address possibilities opened by advances in archaeological methodology. Knut Krzywinski, Gidske L. Andersen and Richard H. Pierce describe how RPAS mapping may help unlock the history of the likely ancient Beja capital of Nubt in the Red Sea Hills of present-day Sudan. Jørgen Bakke and Hege Bakke-Alisøy consider the use of existing road networks as a point of departure for the investigation of past communication patterns in the Greek landscape of Arcadia, while Andreas Colinet-Schmidt demonstrates how the evidence of stones quarried in Palmyra can be used to date the monuments of the ancient Syrian city.
The second group contains three studies addressing the potential of theoretical modelling to shed light on historical problems. Tomas Larsen Høisæter shows the applicability of network models to the study of trade along central Asian segments of the so-called Silk Road in Late Antiquity. Tønnes Bekker-Nielsen argues the continued relevance of central place theory, much challenged by such network approaches, to the study of urban structures in hierarchical systems like the Roman Empire, while Eivind Heldaas Seland applies formal GIS modelling in combination with so-called common-sense geography in order to approach sailing patterns in the Roman-period Red Sea.
Three contributors take iconography as their point of access to ancient society. Reinert Skumsnes is directly inspired by Meyer’s ethnographic work in Turkey in his approach to the feminine element in Egyptian New Kingdom tomb paintings. Rubina Raja addresses depictions of men with camels in Palmyra, while Eleonora Cussini investigates food and drink in Palmyrene iconographic and epigraphic sources. The latter paper connects with the next two, which also address epigraphy. Michael Gawlikowski investigates the kinship relations of a Palmyrene elite family while Aleksander Engeskaug explores the potential of a quantitative approach to Middle Persian inscriptions.
Synnøve des Bouvrie and Leonardo Gregoratti investigates the ancient world through the lens of social anthropology. Des Bouvrie demonstrates the potential of anthropological theory and method for the study of Greek tragedy, while Gregoratti outlines how the concept of the Third Space can help us better understand dynamics between states, empires, cities and nomads in the Roman-period Near East. Ingvar B. Mæhle uses comparative method in order to reconstruct the political history of the Greek city state of Tegea within the frame of political variation within the Greek and Roman worlds, and Lise Hannestad studies Seleukos I’s use of the epithet ‘Macedonian’ through a methodical use of historical source criticism.
The final group of papers explores the relationship between past, posterity and present. Per Bjarne Ravnå discusses the challenges that modern scholars encounter when using religious text, in this case the New Testament, as historical sources. Kiyohide Saito recounts the chance finding of evidence relating to the first modern Western visitors to Palmyra during the excavation of an ancient monument. Gullög Nordquist and Michael Lindblom report on the experiences encountered during the recent digitalization and online publication of the Swedish excavations in Asine (Greece) in 1926. Finally, Eva Maria Lassen brings past into dialogue with current debates in her inquiry into the use of Antiquity in discourse on human rights after 1948. The volume closes with a bibliography of Jørgen Christian Meyer’s scholarship compiled by Pål Steiner and a tabula gratulatoria.
Papers by Ingvar B . Mæhle
Book Reviews by Ingvar B . Mæhle
The essays in this volume on the one hand reflect Meyer’s wide scholarly interest and evolving research focus in addressing periods from the Bronze Age to 20th century reception and geographical areas from China to the western Mediterranean, but are brought together by his openness to different and novel approaches to ancient history, combined with his insistence on methodological stringency. For Meyer, history is social science applied to the past. His scholarship and teaching are consistent in being theoretically and methodologically informed by the social sciences. This is an approach that he has also advocated among colleagues and passed on to his students. It is thus only fitting that methods and models serve as the common denominator for this volume in his honor. The following essays fall within either of two categories: the first group explicitly discusses how different methods, models and theoretical approaches unlock new insight into the ancient world and exemplifies this through empirical studies; the other starts with empirical case studies in order to demonstrate the potential of different methodological approaches.
The first three papers address possibilities opened by advances in archaeological methodology. Knut Krzywinski, Gidske L. Andersen and Richard H. Pierce describe how RPAS mapping may help unlock the history of the likely ancient Beja capital of Nubt in the Red Sea Hills of present-day Sudan. Jørgen Bakke and Hege Bakke-Alisøy consider the use of existing road networks as a point of departure for the investigation of past communication patterns in the Greek landscape of Arcadia, while Andreas Colinet-Schmidt demonstrates how the evidence of stones quarried in Palmyra can be used to date the monuments of the ancient Syrian city.
The second group contains three studies addressing the potential of theoretical modelling to shed light on historical problems. Tomas Larsen Høisæter shows the applicability of network models to the study of trade along central Asian segments of the so-called Silk Road in Late Antiquity. Tønnes Bekker-Nielsen argues the continued relevance of central place theory, much challenged by such network approaches, to the study of urban structures in hierarchical systems like the Roman Empire, while Eivind Heldaas Seland applies formal GIS modelling in combination with so-called common-sense geography in order to approach sailing patterns in the Roman-period Red Sea.
Three contributors take iconography as their point of access to ancient society. Reinert Skumsnes is directly inspired by Meyer’s ethnographic work in Turkey in his approach to the feminine element in Egyptian New Kingdom tomb paintings. Rubina Raja addresses depictions of men with camels in Palmyra, while Eleonora Cussini investigates food and drink in Palmyrene iconographic and epigraphic sources. The latter paper connects with the next two, which also address epigraphy. Michael Gawlikowski investigates the kinship relations of a Palmyrene elite family while Aleksander Engeskaug explores the potential of a quantitative approach to Middle Persian inscriptions.
Synnøve des Bouvrie and Leonardo Gregoratti investigates the ancient world through the lens of social anthropology. Des Bouvrie demonstrates the potential of anthropological theory and method for the study of Greek tragedy, while Gregoratti outlines how the concept of the Third Space can help us better understand dynamics between states, empires, cities and nomads in the Roman-period Near East. Ingvar B. Mæhle uses comparative method in order to reconstruct the political history of the Greek city state of Tegea within the frame of political variation within the Greek and Roman worlds, and Lise Hannestad studies Seleukos I’s use of the epithet ‘Macedonian’ through a methodical use of historical source criticism.
The final group of papers explores the relationship between past, posterity and present. Per Bjarne Ravnå discusses the challenges that modern scholars encounter when using religious text, in this case the New Testament, as historical sources. Kiyohide Saito recounts the chance finding of evidence relating to the first modern Western visitors to Palmyra during the excavation of an ancient monument. Gullög Nordquist and Michael Lindblom report on the experiences encountered during the recent digitalization and online publication of the Swedish excavations in Asine (Greece) in 1926. Finally, Eva Maria Lassen brings past into dialogue with current debates in her inquiry into the use of Antiquity in discourse on human rights after 1948. The volume closes with a bibliography of Jørgen Christian Meyer’s scholarship compiled by Pål Steiner and a tabula gratulatoria.