Rutgers University Libraries Ancient History
The Basics: "Restricted Access;" Off-Campus Links; Finding Books: IRIS; Book Delivery; Finding Articles; Becoming an 'Expert' User Citing Your Sources
Getting Started: Basic Resources Finding Articles: Indexes Digital Libraries Economic History Law & Government
Military History Science & Technology The Arts Sports Related History Guides
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The Basics

Restricted Access

Many of the resources listed in the sections below are marked Restricted Access. You should have no problem connecting to these from any networked computer on campus. However, by contract, remote access to the Rutgers University Library's indexes, electronic journals, and electronic reserve articles is available only to current Rutgers students, faculty and staff. In order to use these from off-campus, you must log in with your Rutgers NetID. For instructions see the Libraries' Remote Access to Library Resources.

Off-Campus Links

Once you have gone to a Rutgers Libraries page and logged in with your NetID [your pegasus username and password] you can use the "Off-Campus Link" provided for each Rutgers-restricted resource below to connect to that database or article. These links will not work from a networked computer on-campus. Use the link embedded in the citation to access these resources on campus.

IRIS: Find Books

IRIS is the online catalog for all the Rutgers University Libraries except the Newark and Camden Law Libraries. Use IRIS to find out if the Rutgers Libraries have the specific books or journals that you need, or to locate books on topics that you're researching. Show Me How

Getting Books From Other Rutgers Libraries

If a book that you need is not available (not owned/checked out) at the Dana Library, but is available from another Rutgers Library, you can request delivery of that book to Dana by bringing up the record for the book in IRIS and clicking on tbe Deliver/Recall button. Show Me

Book Not Available/Not Owned by the Rutgers Libraries?

The fastest way to get a copy of a book that is not owned or not available (checked out/on Reserve/missing etc.) at the Rutgers Libraries is to request it through E-Z Borrow. E-Z Borrow books are normally received within about five working days. Tell Me More

If a book is not owned by the Rutgers Libraries and is not available via E-Z Borrow, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request. Tell Me More

Finding Articles plus

Humanities Full Text
Humanities Full Text is the basic index for finding articles in the humanities disciplines, including history. It indexes over 550 of the core, English language journals in history, literature, art and music, philosophy and religion. It indexes many journals back to 1984 and, beginning with 1995, includes many full-text articles.
Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

Need More?

While Humanities Full Text will usually give you what you need for a basic research paper, if you're working on a more extensive project, or a more specialized topic, you will probably need to use one or more indexes that focus specifically on classics and ancient history. You'll find links to most of these in the Finding Articles section below.

Becoming an 'Expert' User

Want to maximize your use of Library resources? Check out Searchpath, the Libraries' interactive tutorial.

Citing Your Sources

You will probably be asked to use Chicago/Turabian style when citing the sources that you use in your research papers. The Chicago Manual of Style and Turabian's Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations are both available at the Dana Library Reference Desk. The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison also has a nice introduction to Chicago/Turabian Documentation that will give you the basic information you need to create bibliographic citations.

The above site does not, however, cover citing online resources. The Library of Congress has a guide on How to Cite Electronic Sources that show Turabian-style examples; the Bedford/St. Martin's site also offers useful information on Using Chicago Style to Cite and Document Sources

Not sure when you need to cite something? Check out the Plagiarism Guide

Getting Started

Civilization of the Ancient Mediterranean: Greece and Rome. Edited by Michael Grant and Rachel Kitzinger. New York, 1988. 3 volumes.
97 signed essays on topics relating to Greece and Rome from prehistory to the fall of Rome. Arranged by broad catagories , e.g., government, technology, economics, religion, social and family life, the arts, etc. Extensive bibliographies. A good place to find background materials as well as references for your topic.
Dana Call Number: Ref. DE59 .C55 1988.

The Oxford Classical Dictionary. Edited by Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. 3rd edition. New York, Oxford University Press, 1996.
The best one-volume guide to the Greco-Roman world. Over 6000 signed entries and thematic essays with bibliographies.
Dana Call Number: Ref. DE5 .O9 1996

Who Was Who in the Greek world, 776 BC-30 BC. Edited by Diana Bowder. Ithaca, 1982.
Scholarly entries on notable figures; bibliographic notes at the end of each entry.
Dana Call Number: Ref. DF208 .W48 1982.

Ancient Greece and Rome: A Bibliographic Guide. Compiled by Keith Hopwood. New York, 1995.
Selective, classified listing of some 8,000 English-language books and articles relating to the history of the ancient world from c. 950 BC to AD 565.
Dana Call Number: Ref. DE86 .A67 1995.

Ancient Greece: Social and Historical Documents from Archaic Times to the Death of Socrates. Matthew Dillon and Lynda Garland. 2d edition. New York, 2000.
Intended for the use of undergraduate students in Greek history, the translated documents were "chosen to reflect contemporary views of the main issues of political and social history with that period."
Dana Call Number: Ref. DF75 .D55 2000.

Internet Ancient History Sourcebook
A collection of links to public domain translated primary sources related to the ancient world. Organized by region and topic. Part of Paul Halsall's outstanding "Internet History Sourcebooks Project."

Finding Articles: Indexes

Humanities Full Text
Humanities Full Text is the basic index for finding articles in the humanities disciplines, including history. It indexes over 550 of the core, English language journals in history, literature, art and music, philosophy and religion. It indexes many journals back to 1984 and, beginning with 1995, includes many full-text articles.
Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

L'Annee philologique
The primary database for classical studies. Indexes over 1500 journals, as well as articles in books, dissertations, and conference papers relating to the history, literature, philosophy, science and technology, etc., of Ancient Greece and Rome. 1959-
Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

TOCS-IN :Index to Table of Contents of Interest to Classisists
Searchable index to the tables of contents of over 185 journals (over 45,000 articles) in Classics, Near Eastern Studies, and Religion. 1992-

Gnomon Online: The Eichstatt Information System for Classical Studies
Searchable bibliographic database of articles in classical journals and series, as well as selected dissertations and books. Supplement to the Gnomon Bibliographische Datenbank on CD-ROM. Includes all entries from 1997 onward.

Philosophers Index
Comprehensive index to books and articles relating to philosophy and related areas, including ethics, aesthetics, social and political philosophy and epistemology, as well as the philosophy of law, religion, science, history, education and language. 1940-
Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

Digital Libraries

ABZU: Guide to Information Related to the Study of the Ancient Near East on the Web
Primary portal for the study of the ancient Near East. Searchable. Includes a collection of about 175 digitized Core Texts. A project of ETANA [Electronic Tools and Ancient Near Eastern Archives].

TLG: Thesaurus Linguae Graecae
Digital library of virtually all surviving Greek texts from the period between Homer (8th century B.C.) and A.D. 600, and the majority of surviving works up to the fall of Byzantium in A.D. 1453.
Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

Perseus Ditigal Library
The Perseus Classics Collection is an extensive digital library of resources for the study of Ancient Greece and Rome. The collection includes hundreds of searchable works by classical Greek and Roman authors, both in the original language and in translation, as well as thousands of images of architecture, sculpture, coins, vases, and sites, maps, and a number of important secondary sources including the Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, the full Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon of Classical Greek, and an on-line edition of the Lewis and Short Latin Dictionary.

Diotima: Women & Gender in the Ancient World
Wonderful searchable collection of online scholarly articles, bibliographies and images, plus De Feminis Romanis, an anthology of Latin readings on Roman women.

LacusCurtius
Bill Thayer's excellent resource for Roman history. Includes over 20 Greek and Latin texts, many classic reference works, a gazetteer and atlas, thousands of photographs of Roman, Etruscan and medieval remains, and a Roman Military History site.

Economic History

Meijer, Fik and Onno van Nijf. Trade, Transport, and Society in the Ancient World: A Sourcebook. New York, Routledge, 1992.
Translated excerpts from Greek and Roman literary works, inscriptions, and papyri concerning trade and transport. Arranged thematically with each section preceeded by an introduction.
Dana Call Number: HF373 .M45 1992

Rostovtzeff, Michael. " The Hellenistic World and Its Economic Development," American Historical Review 41(2), January 1936, 231-252.
A classic article.
Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

Lowry, S. Todd. "Recent Literature on Ancient Greek Economic Thought," Journal of Economic Literature 17 (1), March 1979, 65-86.
Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

The History of Money from Ancient Times to the Present Day
A series of thematic essays written by Roy Davies based on the Glyn Davies' book. Includes a detailed Comparative Chronology of Money.

Economics in Ancient Greece
William Harris (Middlebury) looks to Greek mythology for a reflection of Greek views on trade, barter, and commerce.

Bibliographies

  • Bibliography of the Late Antique Economy in the Eastern Roman Empire. April 2001.
  • Coinage of Greece and Rome: A Bibliography
  • Money, Weights and Measures in Antiquity: Bibliography

    • Need books on related topics?

    Check IRIS, the Rutgers Libraries online catalog. Some relevant subject searches you can try include:

    More on finding books in IRIS.

    Law and Government

    Ancient Near East

    Code of Hammurabi
    L.W. King translation. Introduction and commentary by Charles F.Horne(1915). From the Avalon Project at the Yale Law School.

    Ancient Near East Treaties and Contracts

    Greece

    Demos: Classical Athenian Democracy
    A digital encyclopedia which aims to "describe the history, institutions, and people of democratic Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE." Entries include links to texts being cited, dictionaries, maps, etc.

    Rhodes, Peter John. The Greek City States: A Sourcebook. Norman, Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma Press, 1986.
    Dana Call Number: JC71 .A1R46 1986

    Athenian Constitution
    Sir Frederic G. Kenyon translation.

    NOMOI: Bibliography on Ancient Greek Law
    Extensive classified bibliography.

    The Law Code of Gortyn (Crete) c.450 BCE
    The largest document of Greek law in existence; fragment of a much larger document. Deals primarily with family relations and inheritance.

    Rome

    Levick, Barbara. The Government of the Roman Empire: A Sourcebook. 2d edition. New York, Routledge, 2000.
    Looks at the administration of the Roman Empire (structure, law, financing, communications, the role of the Emperor, patronage, resistance, etc.) as illustrated by contemporary documents.
    Dana Call Number: DG83 .L62 2000

    Polybius' The Constitution of the Roman Republic
    Translated by John Porter.

    Roman Law Resources
    Source materials, full-text articles, and bibliographies. From the Civil Law Centre at the University of Aberdeen.

    Roman Law Library
    The most comprehensive collection of source materials on Roman law. Latin texts; English translations of some texts.

    Legal Status in the Roman World / Women's Life in Greece & Rome
    Collection of texts relating to the legal status of women in ancient Rome.

    Law of the Twelve Tables
    c. 450 BCE. From the Ancient History Sourcebook.

    Corpus Iuris Civilis / Prologue to The Digest
    6th century. From the Medieval Sourcebook.

    Corpus Iuris Civilis / Marriage Laws
    6th century. From the Medieval Sourcebook

    Need books on related topics?

    Check IRIS, the Rutgers Libraries online catalog. Some relevant subject searches you can try include:

    More on finding books in IRIS.

    Military History

    Smitha, Frank E. Greeks, Politics, and War. 1998

    Hanson, Victor Davis. " The Status of Ancient Military History: Traditional Work, Recent Research, and On-Going Controversies," The Journal of Military History 63(2), April 1999, 379-413.
    Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

    Warfare in the Ancient World
    Hugh Elton's excellent topical bibliography. [No longer updated; linked from the Internet Archive.]

    Warfare in the Classical World : An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons, Warriors, and Warfare in the Ancient Civilisations of Greece and Rome. John Warry. Norman, Oklahoma, 1995.
    Dana Call Number: Ref. U29.W37 1995.

    Imperial Battle Index
    Hugh Elton's links to imperial battle descriptions and maps. Part of the De Imperatoribus Romanus.

    The Peloponnesian War
    Links to source materials, articles, inscriptions, reviews, bibliographies, etc.

    Armamentarium: The Book of Roman Arms and Armour
    Includes a virtual book of Roman military equipment, a glossary, an extensive Bibliography of publications relating to Roman military equipment, and Subject Bibliographies.

    Need books on related topics?

    Check IRIS, the Rutgers Libraries online catalog. Some relevant subject searches you can try include:

    More on finding books in IRIS.

    Science and Technology

    Vallance, J.T. "Marshall Clagett's Greek Science in Antiquity: Thirty-Five Years Later," Isis 81(4), December 1990, 713-721.
    Looks at the changes in approach to Greek and Greco-Roman science since the publication of Clagett's Greek Science in Antiquity (New York, 1955).
    Off-Campus Access Restricted Access

    Bronze Age, Greek, and Roman Technology : A Select, Annotated Bibliography. John Peter Oleson. New York, 1986.
    Classified annotated bibliography. Major classifications include: Sources; General Surveys; Mining, Quarrying, and Metal Production; Food Production and Preparation; Energy, Power, and Mechanicl Devices; Construction and Civil Engineering; Manufacturing and Trade; Transportation; Record-Keeping and Standards; Military Technology; and Cultural Attitudes Towards Labor, Technology, and Innovation.
    Dana Call Number: Ref. T16.O42 1986.

    Greek and Roman Technology : A Sourcebook : Annotated Translations of Greek and Latin Texts and Documents. John W. Humphrey, John P. Oleson, and Andrew N. Sherwood. New York, 1998.
    Translated passages on topics such as energy, mechanical devices, agriculture, food processing and diet, mining and metallurgy, construction and hydraulic engineering, household industry, transportation and trade, and military technology.
    Dana Call Number: T16.G74 1998.

    History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
    Index to journal articles, conference proceedings, books, book reviews, and dissertations. Incorporates the Isis Current Bibliography of the History of Science, the Current Bibliography in the History of Technology, the Bibliografia Italiana di Storia della Scienza, and the Welcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine. 1975- .
    Off-Campus Link Restricted Access

    History of Timekeeping
    Evolution of time measurement from ancient calendars to the atomic clock. From the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

    MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
    From the School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at the University of St. Andrews. Biographies of over 1300 mathematicians, as well as a History Topics Index which includes sections on Ancient Babylonian, Ancient Egyptian, and Ancient Greek mathematics.

    Need books on related topics?

    Check IRIS, the Rutgers Libraries online catalog. Some relevant subject searches you can try include:

    More on finding books in IRIS.

    The Arts

    Literature

    TLG: Thesaurus Linguae Graecae
    Digital library of virtually all surviving Greek texts from the period between Homer (8th century B.C.) and A.D. 600, and the majority of surviving works up to the fall of Byzantium in A.D. 1453.
    Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

    Briggs, Ward W. Ancient Greek Authors. Dictionary of Literary Biography v. 176. Detroit, Gale Research, 1997.
    Dana Call Number: Ref. PA3064 .A63 1997

    Briggs, Ward W. Ancient Roman Writers. Dictionary of Literary Biography v. 211. Detroit, Gale Group, 1999.
    Dana Call Number: Ref. PA6013 .A53 1999

    Music

    Wellesz, Egon. Ancient and Oriental Music. New Oxford History of Music 1. New York, Oxford University Press, 1957.
    Dana Call Number: Ref. ML160 .N4 V.1

    Ancient Greek Music
    Audio files of "all published fragments of Ancient Greek music which consist of more than a few scattered notes." From the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

    Homeric Singing: An Approach to the Original Performance
    Description of epic singing in ancient Greece, audio file of Demodokos' song about Ares and Aphrodite, and bibliography on Homeric singing.

    Performing Arts

    Vince, Ronald W. Ancient and Medieval Theatre: A Historiographical Handbook. Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press, 1984.
    Dana Call Number: PN2131 .V5 1984

    Introduction to Greek Tragedy
    Roger Dunkle (Brooklyn College)

    Introduction to Greek and Roman Comedy
    Roger Dunkle (Brooklyn College)

    Drama in the Roman Republic: Getting Started
    Bibliography. Timothy J. Moore (University of Texas at Austin)

    Visual Arts

    Pollitt, Jerome Jordan. The Art of Rome, c.753 B.C.-337 A.D.: Sources and Documents. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall, 1966.
    The standard collection of translated ancient texts.
    Dana Call Number: N5760 .P57

    Coulson, William D.E. Greek and Roman Art, Architecture, and Archaeology: An Annotated Bibliography. 2nd edition, revised. New York, Garland, 1987.
    Dana Call Number: Ref. N5610 .C68 1987

    Need books on related topics?

    Check IRIS, the Rutgers Libraries online catalog. Some relevant subject searches you can try include:

    More on finding books in IRIS.

    Sports

    Miller, Stephen G. Arete: Greek Sports from Ancient Sources. 2nd expanded edition. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1991.
    192 annotated texts from ancient sources, arranged thematically. Deals with athletes, individual sports, equipment, festivals, women, and the connection with politics, society, and the arts.
    Dana Call Number: GV21 .A73 1991

    The Ancient Olympics
    Special virtual exhibit from the Perseus Digital Library. Links to objects and texts in the Perseus collection.

    Roman Gladiatorial Games
    From Prof. Roger Dunkle (Brooklyn College). Includes a bibliography.

    Need books on related topics?

    Check IRIS, the Rutgers Libraries online catalog. Some relevant subject searches you can try include:

    More on finding books in IRIS.

    Related Dana History Guides

    Aegean Archeology Medieval History
    Corrections?
    Natalie Borisovets (natalieb@andromeda.rutgers.edu)
    John Cotton Dana Library
    Revised October 25, 2005