Arnaldo Momigliano Knihy

An analysis of the relationships between pagan Greece, imperial Rome, Judaism, and Christianity.Arnaldo Momigliano is the greatest contemporary scholar of the history and historiography of classical civilization. M.I. Finley has written in the New Statesman that "there is no one alive today who knows the subject as he does."On Pagans, Jews, and Christians is an important addition to his masterly work, bringing together nineteen essays written in the past five years from sources such as The New York Review of Books, The American Scholar, and the Annali della Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. It is written with literate clarity and elegance, humane wisdom, and breadth of intellect.The focus of this book is the secular cultures of pagan Greece and imperial Rome, and the religious cultures of Judaism and Christianity which, in turn, grew from and influenced them and the modern world. For Momigliano, religion, secular ideology, and politics live in and illuminate the present. Chapters include "The Jews of Italy" (history viewed in the autobiographical perspective of the Momigliano family), "The Disadvantages of Monotheism for a Universal State," "How to Reconcile Greeks and Trojans," and "The Theological Efforts of the Roman Upper Classes in the First Century B.C."A new book by Arnaldo Momigliano is always a scholarly event.

Arnaldo Momigliano's scholarship, deeply rooted in his Jewish identity, is explored through twenty-six essays that cover both ancient and modern themes. The first part focuses on ancient and medieval Judaism, discussing topics like Hellenism's interaction with Judaism and the historical figure Flavius Josephus. The second part highlights modern Jewish scholars and thinkers, alongside reflections on Italian Jewry. Silvia Berti's introduction contextualizes Momigliano's life and intellectual journey, while his preface offers personal insights into his Jewish heritage, making this collection a significant resource for English readers.

Arnaldo Momigliano (1908–1987) ist einer der bedeutendsten Althistoriker des 20. Jahrhunderts. Aufgewachsen in einer bürgerlich-liberalen Familie, studierte er Klassische Philologie und Geschichte, unter anderem bei dem großen Gelehrten Gaetano De Sanctis. Als Jude verlor er 1938 seinen Lehrstuhl in Turin und musste nach England emigrieren. Dort baute er sich eine zweite Karriere auf. Von 1951 bis 1975 war er Professor für Alte Geschichte an der Universität London, daneben hatte er zahlreiche Gastprofessuren in Europa und Amerika inne. Das zentrale Arbeits- und Forschungsgebiet Momiglianos war die Geschichte der antiken griechischen, römischen und jüdischen Welt und ihrer Wechselwirkungen. Die Frage nach den historischen, ideologischen und politischen Voraussetzungen, unter denen Historiker Geschichte schreiben, hat ihn zeitlebens beschäftigt – mit Recht gilt er daher als Pionier der Geschichte der Historiographie.