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Knowing where to start isn't always easy, especially when you're dealing with an unfamiliar subject. Sometimes the best place to start is a subject specific dictionary or encyclopedia. Below is a selected list of print and online reference resources.
Available Online
- New Pauly This link opens in a new windowEncyclopaedic coverage of the second millennium BCE to early medieval Europe; with special emphasis on the interaction between Greco-Roman culture and Semitic, Celtic, Germanic, and Slavonic culture, and ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Also includes the aftermath of antiquity and the process of continuous reinterpretation and revaluation of ancient heritage, and the history of classical scholarship.
- Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new windowOxford’s art reference works: Grove Art Online, the Benezit Dictionary of Artists, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, The Oxford Companion to Western Art, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.
- Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new windowLiterary guide to significant sources on a variety of subjects. Works as an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia.
- WebLIMCThe wealth of ancient myths and legends which we call Classical Mythology is one of the major elements of our cultural heritage. A huge amount of documents and photographs were assembled in the course of the preparation of the Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC; 1981-1999 and 2009) and the Thesaurus Cultus et Rituum Antiquorum (ThesCRA; 2004-2014). This dataset is regularly updated and enhanced with new documents.
weblimc.org gives access to the digital ressources (ca. 50'000 ancient objects and photographs) provided by three components of the late Foundation for the LIMC: - Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC)The LIMC tries to present what we know of the iconography of Greek, Etruscan and Roman mythology as well as of the neighbouring Mediterranean cultures. Each of the illustrated figures of Greek, Etruscan and Roman mythology is discussed in alphabetic order, usually in an individual article of a uniform structure.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History by ISBN: 9781405179355
Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology by Call Number: Available OnlineISBN: 9781441904652Publication Date: 2014-02-25
The Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture by Call Number: Available OnlineISBN: 0195300823
Available in Print
- Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World
Central Library, Reference 6th-flr: ATLAS G1033 .B3 2000
In 99 full-color maps, the atlas recreates the entire world of the Greeks and Romans from the British Isles to the Indian subcontinent and deep into North Africa
- Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC)
Central Library, Reference 4th-flr: NX650 .M9 L494
The LIMC tries to present what we know of the iconography of Greek, Etruscan and Roman mythology as well as of the neighbouring Mediterranean cultures. Each of the illustrated figures of Greek, Etruscan and Roman mythology is discussed in alphabetic order, usually in an individual article of a uniform structure.
- Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae
Central Library, Stacks 3rd-flr: DG63 .L49 1993
Encyclopedia covering the physical fabric of ancient Rome, both as it survives in archeological remains and as it can be deduced from literary, numismatic, epigraphical, and other sources. Organized alphabetically.
Describing Greece: Landscape and Literature in the Periegesis of Pausanias
William Hutton provides the first exhaustive literary study of the Periegesis Hellados, the most important example of non-fictional travel literature in ancient Greek, to appear in nearly one hundred years. He examines Pausanias' arrangement and expression of his material and evaluates his authorial choices in light of the contemporary literary currents of the day and the cultural milieu of the Roman empire in the time of Hadrian and the Antonines. The descriptions offered in the Periegesis Hellados are also examined in the context of the archaeological evidence available for the places Pausanias visited.
Human Landscapes in Classical Antiquity
Human Landscapes in Classical Antiquity shows how today's environmental and ecological concerns can help illuminate our study of the ancient world. The contributors consider how the Greeks and Romans perceived their natural world, and how their perceptions affected society. The effects of human settlement and cultivation on the landscape are considered, as well as the representation of landscape in Attic drama. Various aspects of farming, such as the use of terraces and the significance of olive growing are examined. The uncultivated landscape was also important: hunting was a key social ritual for Greek and hellenistic elites, and 'wild' places were not wastelands but played an essential economic role. The Romans' attempts to control their environment are analyzed.
The Splendor of Roman Wall Painting
Following an introduction to the Roman domestic ideal that inspired these wall decorations and a discussion of the evolution in painting styles, the author conducts a tour of twenty-eight houses in Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, and the city of Rome. Here are painted scenes—rich with fabulous details of illusionistic architecture, lush gardens, exotic animals, and erotic adventures—impressive in their display of technical mastery and enduring in their visual impact.
Domus: Wall Painting in the Roman House
This is a major study of illusionistic wall painting in the Roman houses of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as those in Boscoreale, Oplontis, and Rome itself. Two essays precede a magnificently illustrated guide to twenty-eight important villas with 350 color illustrations.
Roman Landscape: Culture and Identity
This book tackles how and why 'landscape' (farms, gardens, countryside) set the scene in the first centuries BCE and CE for Romans keen to talk up and about (but also to scrutinize and understand) what it meant to be a citizen. It investigates what 'landscape' means now and reflects upon how contemporary approaches to 'landscape' can enrich our understanding of ancient experience of the interface between natural and artificial space. It encourages examination of 'landscape' from a range of angles, suggesting alternative ways of thinking about what landscape represents. These methodological approaches (presented initially via a set of key terms and definitions and then deployed thematically across four chapters), combined with a detailed interdisciplinary bibliography and a series of case studies of literary texts and material sites, enable readers to use this survey as a starting point for developing their own in-depth study.
Domestic Space in Classical Antiquity
Housing is shaped by culturally-specific expectations about the kinds of architecture and furnishings that are appropriate; about how and where different activities should be carried out; and by and with whom. It is those expectations, and the wider social and cultural systems of which they are a part, that are explored in this volume. At the same time, the book as a whole argues two larger points: first, that while houses, households and families have in recent years become increasingly important as objects of inquiry in Greek and Roman contexts, their potential as sources of information about broader social-historical issues has yet to be fully realised; and second, that greater weight and independence should be given to material culture as a source for studying ancient history. The book will be invaluable for upper-level undergraduates, graduate students and scholars.
Roman Architecture and Urbanism
Since antiquity, Roman architecture and planning have inspired architects and designers. In this volume, Diane Favro and Fikret Yegül offer a comprehensive history and analysis of the Roman built environment, emphasizing design and planning aspects of buildings and streetscapes. They explore the dynamic evolution and dissemination of architectural ideas, showing how local influences and technologies were incorporated across the vast Roman territory. They also consider how Roman construction and engineering expertise, as well as logistical proficiency, contributed to the making of bold and exceptional spaces and forms. Based on decades of first-hand examinations of ancient sites throughout the Roman world, from Britain to Syria, the authors give close accounts of many sites no longer extant or accessible. Written in a lively and accessible manner, Roman Architecture and Urbanism affirms the enduring attractions of Roman buildings and environments and their relevance to a global view of architecture. It will appeal to readers interested in the classical world and the history of architecture and urban design, as well as wide range of academic fields. With 835 illustrations including numerous new plans and drawings as well as digital renderings.
