Peace and Reconciliation in the Classical World

<p>Warfare has long been central to a proper understanding of ancient Greece and Rome worlds where war was as the philosopher Heraclitus observed 'both king and father of all'. More recently however the understanding of Classical antiquity solely in such terms has been challenged; it is recognised that while war was pervasive and a key concern in the narratives of ancient historians a concomitant desire for peace was also constant. This volume places peace in the prime position as a panel of scholars stresses the importance of 'peace' as a positive concept in the ancient world (and not just the absence of or necessarily even related to war) and considers examples of conflict resolution conciliation and concession from Homer to Augustine. Comparing and contrasting theories and practice across different periods and regions this collection highlights first the open and dynamic nature of peace and then seeks to review a wide variety of initiatives from across the Classical world.</p>