Guides and aids to ancient history

Self-study course in Ancient History

The self-study course in Ancient History - accessible via StudIP - serves to deepen your academic work. In self-study, you will work on content from the areas of auxiliary sciences, research strategies and citation rules for literature and sources, writing a term paper, etc., usually in addition to the proseminar. In addition to information, further links and downloads, quizzes and tasks are available in the individual courseware units to consolidate your knowledge. You will also have the opportunity to communicate and discuss the content of the course with other students.

To attend this course, please register with Nicole Diersen by e-mail:
 nicole.diersen@uni-osnabrueck.de

  • Gnomon is a review magazine with a bibliographic section on new publications.  Gnomon online is now also suitable for research. Complete research instructions can be found under the following  link. We also recommend two videos on  YouTube as an introduction to its use.
  • APh = L'Année philologique is the most important bibliographical journal for classical studies (printed in the University Library).  Internet access is only possible via the university server. All journals for classical studies are abbreviated according to APh. Each volume therefore contains a corresponding abbreviation.
  •  Here you will find the list of abbreviations of the Neuer Pauly, which you can use to resolve or form the abbreviations of journals when researching and bibliographizing.

Chronology and overview

  •  Chronology - Basilissa: The Queen in Hellenism: (PDF, 768 kB) A chronological table of the event history of Hellenism as well as the history of Hellenistic queens
  • Deißmann, M., Daten zur antiken Chronologie und Geschichte, Stuttgart 1990 (here you can look up calendars, regnal years, consul lists etc. and important events from antiquity. Extremely important for dating beyond the imperial period and not expensive as a Reclam book).
  • Kienast, D., Römische Kaisertabelle, Darmstadt 1990 (all the important dates for the rulers and their families are compiled here, as well as information on the offices and powers held). An indispensable aid! There is no comparable work for Hellenism. A substitute is offered by Schmitt, H.H., Lexikon des Hellenismus, Wiesbaden 2005.
  • Günther, L.-M., Griechische Antike, Paderborn ²2011 (in my view the best introduction to Greek history).
  • Heuß, A., Römische Geschichte, Paderborn 11th edition 2016 (1st ed. Braunschweig 1960).
  • The appropriate volumes in the "Oldenbourg Grundriss der Geschichte" series are highly recommended as introductions, as they not only provide an overview of the course of history, but also introduce the fundamental problems and trends in research. They also contain an overview of the most important sources as well as a bibliography organized by topic for more in-depth study of individual aspects. The works can be easily researched via the University Library catalog and then  downloaded free of charge as a digital copy from the publisher (only works from the university network). Special mention should be made here: Gehrke, Hans-Joachim (⁴2010),  Geschichte des Hellenismus (Classics on Hellenism).
  • In a parallel series, similarly structured works are published specifically on antiquity, in which the focus is not on an epoch, but on a systematic aspect. They are available on the  university network. For example:
  • Von Reden, Sitta, Antike Wirtschaft, Munich 2015 (Enzyklopädie der griechisch-römischen Antike 10).
  • Useful systematic introductions: Gehrke, H.-J. - Schneider, H. (eds.), Geschichte der Antike. Ein Studienbuch, Stuttgart/Weimar ¹⁰2006, for which there is also a source volume.
  • Wirbelauer, E., Antiquity, Munich 2004.

  • DNP = The New Pauly. Encyclopedia of Antiquity. (22 volumes to date), Stuttgart 1996- (Internet research is possible to a limited extent, but is only suitable for the purpose of initial orientation, as the articles are abridged in the  online edition. When citing, it is essential to check the corresponding columns in the book in the University Library;  ancient source abbreviations are usually made or resolved according to DNP).
  • RE = Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft, Berlin 1893 to 1978 (still the most comprehensive encyclopaedia of classical antiquity).

  • Traill, J.S., Persons of Ancient Athens, vols. 1-21,Toronto 1994-2012 largely replaced by Kirchner, J., Prosopographia Attica, Berlin 1901-1903 with a supplement by Sundwall, J.,Chicago 1981.
  • Poralla, P., Prosopographie der Lakedaimonier bis auf die Zeit Alexanders des Grossen, Breslau, 1913 2nd edition with corrections by A.S. Bradford, A prosopography of Lacedaemonians from the earliest times to the death of Alexander the Great, Chicago 1985.
  • Bradford, A.S., A prosopography of Lacedaemonians from the death of Alexander the Great 323 B.C., to the sack of Sparta by Alaric, A.D. 396, Munich 1977 (Vestigia 27).
  • Berve, H., Das Alexanderreich auf prosopographischer Grundlage, 2 vols, Munich 1926.
  • Heckel, Waldemar, Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great, Oxford et al. 2006.
  • Grainger, J.D., A Seleucid Prosopography and Gazetter, Leiden 1997.
  • Kanatsoulis, D., Prosopographia Macedonica: From 148 B.C. until the Time of Constantine the Great, 1982.
  • PP = W. Peremans et al, Prosopographia Ptolemaica I-X, Leuven 1950-2002. Please also consult the  Leuven database.
  • MRR = T. R. S. Broughton, The magistrates of the Roman Republic, 2 vols., Cleveland 1951-1952, ND 1968 (with supplements), vol. 3 (Suppl.), Atlanta 1986.
  • PIR² = Prosopographia Imperii Romani (most important lexicon on the persons of the Principate; some material also  online.
  • PLRE = A.H.M. Jones - J.R. Martindale - J. Morris (eds.), The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire 3 vols. in 4 parts, 1971-1992.
  • PAC = Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire, I: Mandouze, A., Prosopographie de l'Afrique chrétiennne (303-533), Paris 1982.
  • A useful tool for searching for individuals is the  Biographical Archive of Antiquity (follow the link "Login via Institution"), which lists entries from over 1,000 reference works, including the RE. However, some important publications, e.g. the PIR², are not included, while completeness is not guaranteed for other works. Research in this archive is therefore no substitute for a search in the relevant publications.
  •  Pretres Civiques: Prosopographical database on epigraphic priests and priestesses of the Roman imperial cult in Greek inscriptions

  • BMC = Greek Coins in the British Museum. In the absence of a standard work on Greek numismatics, one resorts to this  catalog.
  • Houghton, A. et al, Seleucid Coins .A Comprehensive Catalogue, 4 vols, New York 2002-2008.
  • Noeske, H.C., The Coins of the Ptolemies. Historical Museum Frankfurt am Main 2000.
  • SNG = Sylloge Nummorum Gracorum. Organized by countries and collections partly  online.
  • RIC = H. Mattingly - E.A. Sydenham, The Roman Imperial Coinage 10 vols, 1923-94.
  • RPC = A. Burnett - M. Amandry, P.P. Ripollès (eds.), Roman Provincial Coinage, 1992ff.
  •  Ancient Coin Archives (very useful database of ancient coins sold and offered on the internet. Access to ProCoin Archives, which provides the complete database via login, in the library Schloßstraße 8 = C2).
  • Werz, Ulrich, Gegenstempel auf Aesprägungen der frühen römischen Kaiserzeit im Rheingebiet. Grundlagen, Systematik, Typologie, Winterthur 2009. The work and its catalog are freely available on the  internet.
  • Introduction: Christ, K., Antike Numismatik. Introduction and Bibliography, Darmstadt ³1991.

  • AE = l'Année Epigraphique. Revue des publications épigraphiques relatives à l'antiquité romaine (important for the publication of more recent inscriptions).
  • ILS = Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae (thematically organized selection of older inscriptions: very useful to get an overview, with various indices also for the abbreviations).
  • CIL = Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (most important geographically organized Latin inscription collection). Several volumes are now available  online.
  • A first introduction to epigraphy: Schumacher, L., Römische Inschriften, Stuttgart 1988 (here important types are presented with translations as examples).
  • Paasch Almar, K., Inscriptiones Latinae, Odense 1990 (very detailed, but requires some knowledge of Latin).
  • Schmidt, M.G., Einführung in die lateinische Epigraphik, Darmstadt 2004 (systematic introduction to the topic as a whole).
  • Most important journals: ZPE, AE, Tyche.

  • IG = Inscriptiones Graecae (some translations are also accessible on the  Internet ).
  • Pfohl, G. (ed.), Das Studium der griechischen Epigraphik. An introduction, Darmstadt 1977.

  • Papyri are often abbreviated according to where they are kept, e.g. P. Giss. = Greek papyri in the Museum of the Upper Hessian Historical Society of Giessen (today united with those of the University of Giessen [P. Giss. Univ.]).
  • BGU = Berlin Greek documents. (Papyri in the Berlin museums).
  • P. Oxy. = The Oxyrhynchus Payri. The most important collection of papyri from the city of Oxyrhynchus in Upper Egypt. There are 75 volumes to date.
  • A useful collection with translation is the three-volume edition: Select Papyri from the Loeb Library, edited by A.S. Hunt and C.C. Edgar. (  Volume II [Non Literary Papyri] is particularly suitable for us.
  • For an initial orientation to the field of papyrology  , see. A good search engine is available here.
  • Rupprecht, H.-A., Kleine Einführung in die Papyruskunde, Darmstadt 1994.
  • Turner, E. G. Greek Papyri. An Introduction, Princeton 1968 (online via UB).

  • Heumann, H.G., Heumanns Handlexikon zu den Quellen des römischen Rechts. 9th ed. newly edited by E. Seckel. 2nd unaltered reprint, Jena 1926 (here you will find all important terms with corresponding references).
  • Digest= a corpus of case law, decrees and legal commentaries compiled in the time of Iustinian according to the common legal system as part of the Corpus Iuris Civilis (CIC).
  • Cod. = Codex Iustinianus, also part of the CIC, which compiles the imperial laws in force.

 The Oxford Roman Economy Project

  • Der Große Historische Weltatlas des Bayerischen Schulbuch-Verlags, Munich 1953-95, vol. 1 Prehistory and Antiquity.
  • Talbert, Richard J. A. (ed.), Barrington atlas of the Greek and Roman world, Princeton 2000.
  • Wittke, Anne-Marie - Olshausen, Eckart et al. (ed.), Historischer Atlas der antiken Welt. Der Neue Pauly, vol. 3, Stuttgart et al. 2007.(Atlas volume of the Neue Pauly.)

  • Borbein, A.H. /Hölscher, T. / Zanker, P. (eds.), Classical Archaeology. An Introduction, Berlin 2000.
  •  Zenon: Database of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI)
  •  Arachne: Image database of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and the University of Cologne