The Oxford Handbook of
Engineering and Technology
in the Classical World
This handbook
of engineering and technology in the classical world is edited by Professor John
Peter Oleson from the Department of Greek & Roman Studies, University of Victoria , Canada
Following a
brief introduction by the editor, the main text is divided into eight sections
and 33 chapters written by 31 scholars from nine countries. Almost every aspect
of the general topic is presented here. A bibliography is appended to each
chapter.
Oleson got
some good reviews. On the back cover of the paperback version (2010)
there are excerpts from three very positive reviews of the hardcover version (2008). I agree with them. This is, in many ways, a great book. The range of
topics covered is impressive; most chapters are well-researched and well-written.
Since this
is a handbook, you are not expected to read it from cover to cover. You can
start anywhere you want and go forward or backwards, depending on your personal
interest or need. The handbook is intended for classical scholars, ancient
historians, and general readers, who want or need an introduction to the world
of engineering and technology in ancient Greece Rome
As a
handbook, it is successful. But this does not mean that there is nothing to
complain about.
First, I have two general objections:
(1) The
number of illustrations is too low. There are more than 150 illustrations
(drawings or photos). It sounds like a lot, but in a book like this, it is not
enough. The editor tries to defend the limited number of illustrations (on page
6). But he is not convincing. He should remember the old saying: one picture
says more than a thousand words.
(2) References
to ancient sources and modern works are placed in the text, which is
unfortunate: there are numerous clusters of references in the text. The editor
tries to defend this decision as well, but again he is not conving. He made a wrong choice here: references belong in footnotes at the bottom of the
pages.
Secondly, I
have to say the book is uneven: some chapters are better than others. Among the
many good chapters I will mention the following:
** 5: “Quarrying and Stoneworking” (J. C. Fant)
** 10: “Roman
Engineering and Construction” (L. Lancaster)
** 12: “Tunnels
and Canals” (K. Grewe)
** 25: “Sea
Transport, Part 2: Harbors” (D. J. Blackman)
** 28: “Information
Technologies” (W. Clarysse & K. Vandorpe)
[Chapter 12
includes the famous story of the Roman engineer Nonius Datus, pp. 329-333. For more information about this case see Serafina Cuomo, "A Roman Engineer's Tales," Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 101 (2011) pp. 143-165.]
Some
chapters do not live up to the high standard that we expect from Oxford
University Press. Here are five examples:
Chapter 22: “Land
Transport, Part 1: Roads and Bridges.” Lorenzo Quilici decided to focus on Italy
Chapter 23: “Land
Transport, Part 2: Riding, Harnesses, and Vehicles.” Georges Raepsaet mentions
(and rejects) the traditional view of the ancient harness system represented by
the French author Lefebvre des Noettes, whose book on this topic was published
in 1931.
[Noettes claims the ancient collar is unfortunate for the horse, because it is
placed on the throat and not the shoulders of the animal: the harder the pull,
the stronger the choking effect.]
Raepsaet
mentions (and supports) the French author Jean Spruytte, who tried to refute
the traditional view in a book, published in French, in 1977. An English
version, Early Harness Systems, appeared in 1983.
Raepsaet
claims the traditional view is based on evidence which is limited and
misunderstood. This claim is highly dubious, and in a funny twist he himself
delivers the evidence to refute it. One of the illustrations in his chapter is
a picture of a funerary monument at Gorsium in Pannonia Inferior, i.e. in
present-day Hungary
The caption
focuses on a relief in the central register: “Horses or mules pulling a
wagon.”
If you look
closely at the relief, you can see that the collar is placed on the throat and
not on the shoulders of the animals. In other words: this picture, taken by
Raepsaet himself, supports the view he wants to refute!
Chapter 24: “Sea
Transport, Part 1: Ships and Navigation.” Sean McGrail provides a list of ships
from the ancient world. There is almost no analysis, almost no interpretation,
even though the editor asked the contributors to avoid a purely descriptive
approach.
Chapter 27: “Roman
Warfare and Fortification.” Gwyn Davies decided to focus on warfare on land,
while naval warfare is completely ignored.
Davies
mentions the siege of Masada on page 704, but does not say when this event took place. A picture of
the remains of the Roman ramp appears on page 705 (figure 27.2). The caption
gives the year AD 73; i.e. the traditional date, which seems to be untenable in
the light of recent discoveries. Most modern scholars prefer the following
year, AD 74. If Davies did not want to discuss the chronology, she could just
have said: “AD 73 or 74.” For information about the modern debate
see Maurice Sartre, The Middle East under Rome
Chapter 29:
“Timekeeping.” Robert Hannah decided to focus on the hours of the day; on
sundials and water clocks. There is nothing about the months and the year;
nothing about Greek and Roman calendars, even though calendars are an important
element of timekeeping.
Finally, I
noticed some minor flaws:
(A) In the bibliography at the end of chapter 28 there are two misprints and two obvious omissions: John Bodel, Epigraphic Evidence (2001). Bodel is listed as the author of this book. In fact, he is the editor (page 736).
Greg Woolf,
“Monumental Writing…” an article in the Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 86,
1998. The volume is correct, but the year is false. Volume 86 was published in
1996 (page 739).
Supplement
# 3, Literacy in the Roman World, published by the Journal of Roman Archaeology in 1991, is listed
(under Keith Hopkins
Literacy
and Power in the Ancient World edited by A. K. Bowman and Greg Woolf
(hardcover 1994, paperback 1997) is not listed either.
(B) The words “Hypocaust”
and “hypocaustum” appear two times in the text (pp. 273 and 307) and the heating system is shown
in figure 10.3, on page 265, but this important concept is not listed in the
index.
(C) On page
291 Andrew Wilson writes: “Traces of what may be a comparable system were
recorded at Babylon
These items (A-B-C) are minor flaws. But I am disappointed to see that they are repeated in the paperback version published in 2010. Why were they not detected and corrected before the publisher ordered the paperback version to be printed?
In spite of
the critical remarks presented here I have to say this volume is a
great accomplishment. If you are interested in ancient Greece Rome
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