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Ctesias' 'History of Persia': Tales of the Orient (Routledge Classical Translations) 1st Edition

by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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Towards the end of the fifth century BC Ctesias of Cnidus wrote his 23 book History of Persia. Ctesias is a remarkable figure: he lived and worked in the Persian court and, as a doctor, tended to the world’s most powerful kings and queens. His position gave him special insight into the workings of Persian court life and access to the gossip and scandal surrounding Persian history and court politics, past and present. His History of Persia was completed at a time when the Greeks were fascinated by Persia and seems very much to cater to contemporary interest in Persian wealth and opulence, powerful Persian women, the institution of the harem, kings and queens, eunuchs and secret plots.

Presented here in English translation for the first time with commentaries, Ctesias offers a fascinating insight into Persia in the fifth century BC.

Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0415629470
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0415629478
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publication date
    August 30, 2012
  5. Part of series
    Routledge Classical Translations
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.43 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
  8. Print length
    264 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge; 1st edition (August 30, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0415629470
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0415629478
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.43 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

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  1. Ctesias

    Ctesias

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  2. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

    Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

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    Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is Professor of Ancient History at Cardiff University. He specializes in Achaemenid Persia and in Greek socio-cultural history, and in the reception of antiquity in popular culture. He is the general editor of Edinburgh Studies in Ancient Persia for Edinburgh University Press and co- general editor of Screening Antiquity, also for EUP. Born in South Wales and educated in Hull and Cardiff, Lloyd travels extensively throughout the Middle East, especially Iran, often leading cultural tours, and has acted as historical consultant for major Hollywood movies and for television documentaries. He loves theatre and opera.

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
14 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Stefano Nikolaou
5.0 out of 5 stars A Little Known Classical Source now in English
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
Translations of major classical texts have been done to death. Everyone who teaches Greek at a university level has a go at translating Plato or Sophocles or Plutarch. Between the Loeb Classical Library, Oxford World Classics and Penguin Classics most works have been translated multiple times. So if is a rare thing to find a fairly substantial classical text that has not received a modern translation. With this volume this what we have with Ctesias!

Ctesias (active in the late 5th/ early 4th century) was a doctor from Cnidus who entered into Persian service as the doctor to King Artaxerxes II around 405/404 BC. He wrote a Persica (on Persian history). The work was massive. According to ancient testimony it consisted of 23 'books' This work does not survive as a complete work but as a summary by the great Patriarch of Constantinople from the 9th century. Along with this summary are included a series of ancient testimonies from other ancient authors on the life and work of Ctesias. There are also quotes ('fragments') from other ancient authors who used Ctesias. All of this adds up to a fairly substantial volume. There are about 150 pages of translated texts (from pages 95 to 219).

Ctesias was seen as an expert on Persia and his subject matter was seen as exotic so he was widely used. I particularly found his account of how Darius seized the throne interesting when compared to Herodotus. Ctesias was selling the 'official' story that he heard at the Persian court.

The introduction is clear and informative but I don't particularly like their slant of viewing Ctesias as a peddler of 'oriental tales'. This volume is a self-contained that includes all there is to know about Ctesias. The paperback edition makes this book affordable.
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Sunshine
5.0 out of 5 stars Convenience
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2020
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Quick response, notification with picture at arrival time.
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NuriSami
5.0 out of 5 stars very good
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2020
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no comment
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Patryk Skupniewicz
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Stuff
Reviewed in Germany on September 6, 2019
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Well-written humanist study and compilation! Joy to read and magnificent source of information.
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anthony
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2015
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good
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José Luis
5.0 out of 5 stars una muy buena traducción
Reviewed in Spain on January 17, 2013
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De las pocas traducciones que hay de Ctesias, estamos ante la mejor de todas. Su introducción es magnífica y el orden de los fragmentos conservados estupendo.
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Gabriel Stein
3.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2016
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Part of the problem for anyone interested in and fascinated by Persian history, is that most of what we read about pre-Muslim Persia was written by its enemies. But Ctesias at least provides an alternative angle, in spite of being Greek. It is a pity so much of his history is lost.
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