In this book, Christopher S. Mackay recounts the last century of the Roman Republic in a readable narrative treatment. Within this narrative he analyzes the breakdown of the traditional Republican form of government as a result of the administrative and political crises brought about by the Roman conquest of the Mediterranean basin in the Middle Republic. He also shows how the many reforms instituted by Augustus, which effectively created the new imperial form of government, were a reaction to the failings of the Republic. Illustrated with an extensive collection of coin images that document the changes in contemporary political ideology, this volume also focuses on the political significance of the key personalities, including Marius, Sulla and Caesar, who played a large role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic.
A short and comprehensive political and military history of ancient Rome, from the origins of the city in the Italian Iron Age, until the deposition of the last emperor in 476 AD. Outlining Rome's absorption of the Italian peninsula, Christopher Mackay explains how this conquest provided the Romans with the man power that allowed them to conquer the Mediterranean in a mere half-century. Mackay details how the military responsibilities of empire undermined the political institutions of the Republic and how the Imperial adoption of Christianity as the state religion, as well as the military and economic pressures of the third and fourth centuries, eventually led to the downfall of the western empire through invasion. Illustrated with the relevant art works from Rome's long history, this volume will serve as a timely and up to date overview of one of the most extraordinary civilizations of human history.
In this book, Christopher S. Mackay recounts the last century of the Roman Republic in a readable narrative treatment. Within this narrative he analyzes the breakdown of the traditional Republican form of government as a result of the administrative and political crises brought about by the Roman conquest of the Mediterranean basin in the Middle Republic. He also shows how the many reforms instituted by Augustus, which effectively created the new imperial form of government, were a reaction to the failings of the Republic. Illustrated with an extensive collection of coin images that document the changes in contemporary political ideology, this volume also focuses on the political significance of the key personalities, including Marius, Sulla and Caesar, who played a large role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic.
The Malleus Maleficarum is the most famous early modern text on witches and witch hunting. Often known as the 'Hammer of Witches', the Malleus consists of a demonstration of the existence of witchcraft and a discussion of both the practice of witchcraft and cures for the injuries caused by it, together with a recommended method of exterminating it judicially. It was republished twenty-six times in the early modern period, and remained a standard text on witchcraft for centuries. This fully annotated edition is based on the first edition of 1486–7 and presents the Latin text together with a full textual apparatus. The extensive introduction discusses the authorship, method of composition, and intellectual background of the work. The second volume provides an accurate English translation, together with detailed explanatory notes. This important edition makes this vital text accessible to historians of the period and offers extraordinary insights into the attitudes and prejudices inspired
The Malleus Maleficarum, first published in 1486–7, is the standard medieval text on witchcraft and it remained in print throughout the early modern period. Its descriptions of the evil acts of witches and the ways to exterminate them continue to contribute to our knowledge of early modern law, religion and society. Mackay's highly acclaimed translation, based on his extensive research and detailed analysis of the Latin text, is the only complete English version available, and the most reliable. Now available in a single volume, this key text is at last accessible to students and scholars of medieval history and literature. With detailed explanatory notes and a guide to further reading, this volume offers a unique insight into the fifteenth-century mind and its sense of sin, punishment and retribution.
A short and comprehensive political and military history of ancient Rome, from the origins of the city in the Italian Iron Age, until the deposition of the last emperor in 476 AD. Outlining Rome's absorption of the Italian peninsula, Christopher Mackay explains how this conquest provided the Romans with the man power that allowed them to conquer the Mediterranean in a mere half-century. Mackay details how the military responsibilities of empire undermined the political institutions of the Republic and how the Imperial adoption of Christianity as the state religion, as well as the military and economic pressures of the third and fourth centuries, eventually led to the downfall of the western empire through invasion. Illustrated with the relevant art works from Rome's long history, this volume will serve as a timely and up to date overview of one of the most extraordinary civilizations of human history.
In 1534, a variety of Anabaptists took over the German city of Munster, instituted polygamy and a form of collective ownership, elected a Dutch tailor as king, and held out against siege and attacks f
