The Jewish War and Josephus: A Companion for Students by Raewyn Gilmour

ISBN 978 1 877332 87 6

Price: NZ$36.00

About the book:

This Companion for Classical Studies Students looks closely at Josephus’ text The Jewish War.  Josephus began as the governor of Galilee and the General responsible for resisting Vespasian’s invasion of the North.  He took part in the siege of Jotapata as the Jewish leader of the resistance.  Josephus eventually surrendered to Vespasian and prophesied that Vespasian would become the Emperor of the Roman Empire.
Vespasian was nominated as the emperor by his troops in Judaea after Nero’s death and the ‘year of the four emperors’.  His son, Titus, then became the commander of the campaign against the Jews and the siege of Jerusalem.  Josephus accompanied Titus at that time.
This companion is a realistic assessment of Josephus’ style of writing.  It considers his dual loyalties: to his homeland and his Jewish heritage and to his Roman patrons, Vespasian and Titus of the Flavian dynasty. 
The books is fully illustrated.  There are maps of the region, photographs of Jerusalem, plans of the Temple together with many photographs taken throughout modern Israel and the sites of the conflict. 
The seiges in Galilee are of interest and photographs of Gamala give a clear idea of the geographical sites where these events took place.  The siege of Jerusalem can also be closely followed with the material supplied. 
The most well known event in The Jewish War is from Book VII where Josephus gives a report of the siege of Masada which is situated in the Judaean Desert high above the Dead Sea.  At Masada the Jewish rebels, supplied with the resources laid down by Herod the Great many years earlier, resisted the Roman forces of Flavius Silva.  Josephus gives us a version where the Romans reinforced the western approach, brought up the siege engines and battered the wall of the fortress.  On entering the plateau they found that the Jews had died in a suicide pact.  Only two women remained to tell the story.
The Romans fought many wars to settle the populations in parts of the empire.  Josephus’ history of the Jewish War gives two aspects of the conflict.  The conflict within the Jewish community makes for sobering reading together with the conflict between the Jews and the Romans.
The author spent a year in Jerusalem and travelled extensively through the area covered by the Roman Province of Judaea.

To see more detail about this book, including the Contents page

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Aeneas Son of the Goddess: A Companion to the Aeneid by Raewyn Gilmour.

Price for schools: NZ$36.00 for single copies. For sets of 5 or more copies the price is NZ$33.00. Retail price for individual copies is NZ$41.00.

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ISBN 978 1 877332 61 6

About the Book:

The Aeneid is Virgil’s masterpiece. It is an intricate and complex epic which is to be read on several levels. This book is designed to assist students to read the whole work. It will help them to appreciate the way in which Virgil has structured his epic poem and how the repeating motifs add colour and interest for the reader.

The book will also assist students to extend their own study of the strengths and weaknesses of both the humans in the story and the gods on Mt Olympus and to form their own opinions and conclusions. They will gain an appreciation of Virgil’s version of the foundation story of Rome.

The geographic emphasis in the photographs and illustrations has been planned to encourage students to visualise the locations of the events and thus be assisted in their understanding of the material in Virgil’s story of ‘Aeneas, son of the goddess’ as he moves from east to west.

Raewyn Gilmour is an experienced teacher of Classical Studies in New Zealand schools.

For further information about the book, please follow this link to Aeneas, Son of the Goddess.

Alexander Text

Warrior King to Great King: The Story of Alexander the Great, by Raewyn Gilmour This book is designed as an affordable standard text for Alexander studies. It is readable and concise but covers the ground from the Macedonian background through the campaigns to the death of Alexander and its immediate aftermath. There are chapters on the sources, administration, logistics, Alexander's divinity. The book is well illustrated and has a good index. There are 8 maps. click here to see further information on Warrior King to Great King and the career of Alexander the Great.

The City of Athena: A Companion for Classical Studies Students, by Raewyn Gilmour. This book covers the history of Athens in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. It deals with the topics set for Years 12 and 13 in NZ secondary schools. This is a very comprehensive and thorough introduction. 374 pages; 75 pages in full colour; 15 maps; many diagrams and photographs, charts, plans and tasks for students to test themselves. To buy or to find out more, please click here to see The City of Athena and to go to the book's page and to see the full Contents.

NZ$41.00