Keith Hopkins

Keith Hopkins was a sociologist and Professor of Ancient History at Cambridge from 1985 to 2001. He is widely recognised as one of the most radical, innovative and influential Roman historians of his generation. This volume presents fourteen of Hopkins' essays on an impressive range of subjects: contraception, demography, economic history, slavery, literacy, imperial power, Roman religion, Early Christianity, and the social and political structures of the ancient world. The papers have been re-edited and revised with accompanying essays by Hopkins' colleagues, friends and former students. This volume brings Hopkins' work up to date. It sets his distinctive and pioneering use of sociological approaches in a wider intellectual context and explores his lasting impact on the ways that ancient history is now written. This volume will interest all those fascinated by Rome and its empire, and particularly those eager to experience challenging and controversial ways of understanding the past.

A history of early Christianity considers its origins and surprising evolution from Jewish and pagan contexts, profiling the odds posed by a fierce Roman state against which Christian practices were s

This is a volume of studies concerned with death and its impact on the social order. The first topic considered is gladiatorial combat; not merely popular entertainment, it was also an important element in Roman politics. The book then investigates the composition of the political elite in the late Republic and Principate (249 BC – AD 235), showing that ideals of hereditary succession disguised high rates of social mobility. The final chapter ranges over aristocratic death rituals and tombs, funerals and ghost stories, to the search for immortality and the power of the Roman dead in distributing property by written wills.

The enormous size of the Roman empire and the length of time it endured call for an understanding of the institutions which sustained it. In this book, Keith Hopkins, who is both classicist and sociologist, uses various sociological concepts and methods to gain new insights into how traditional Roman institutions changed as the Romans acquired their empire. He examines the chain reactions resulting from increased wealth; various aspects of slavery, especially manumission and the cost of freedom; the curious phenomenon of the political power wielded by eunuchs at court; and in the final chapter he discusses the Roman emperor's divinity and the circulation of untrue stories, which were a currency of the political system. Professor Hopkins has developed an exciting approach to social questions in antiquity and his book should be of interest to all students of ancient history and of historical sociology.

Read the Bldg Blog interview with Mary Beard about the Wonders of the World series(Part I and Part II)Byron and Hitler were equally entranced by Rome's most famous monument, the Colosseum. Mid-Victori

The Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural Psychology presents a comprehensive collection of information relating to the fields of cross-cultural, cultural, and indigenous psychology contributed by scientists

Intellectual Disability: Ethics, Dehumanization, and a New Moral Community presents an interdisciplinary exploration of the roots and evolution of the dehumanization of people with intellectual disabi

This book situates the essential areas of psychology within a cultural perspective, exploring the relationship of culture to psychological phenomena, from introduction and research foundations to clin

Being able to work in groups is an important skill to master at university – especially when you’re assessed on it. Learn how to master this key professional and life skill to become an effective team

Lab reports are used across a range of subjects, and they require very different skills to writing essays or literature reviews. Get the know-how you need to avoid losing marks and write your report w

Untangle the web of fundraising regulations, with the latest updates for 2019 The Law of Fundraising is the definitive reference by the field's most respected authority, and the only bo

Tax-exempt law explained, for lawyers and nonlawyers alike The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations has, for decades, been the definitive single-volume source of legal information for nonprofit lawyers and

This is your complete guide to acing your assignments and getting the most out of your time at university. Packed with tips, tools and a digital companion loaded with real-life examples, this boo

This is your complete guide to acing your assignments and getting the most out of your time at university. Packed with tips, tools and a digital companion loaded with real-life examples, this boo

Make sense of the new regulatory requirements with expert clarification and practical tools for compliancePrivate Foundations: Tax Law and Compliance, 5th Edition provides clarification, expert insigh

Architects are facing a crisis of agency. For decades, they have seen their traditional role diminish in scope as more and more of their responsibilities have been taken over by other disciplines with

Everything you need to start and manage a non-profit Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization is written to help anyone who's just getting their toes wet in the sector get up to speed on the cri