Greek-Roman History Textbook + Source Collection by Németh György & Hegyi W. György (2011) / Hardcover 

UPC: [Please provide if available]

MPN: ISBN 9789632762050 / 978-9632762050

Brand Name: Osiris Kiadó (Osiris Publishing)

Overview

This comprehensive 2011 academic textbook and source collection presents Greek and Roman history from the Bronze Age to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, specifically designed for modern BA-level university education in Hungary. Written by distinguished ELTE (Eötvös Loránd University) professors Németh György and Hegyi W. György, this 570-page volume addresses the practical needs of students studying ancient history within a single-semester framework, unlike the more extensive textbooks used in the previous five-year university system. The innovative approach combines narrative history with carefully selected primary source materials in one integrated volume, representing the most current scholarship in ancient history while focusing on pivotal questions and turning points rather than encyclopedic coverage. The book traces major historical developments from the Bronze Age civilizations through classical Greece and Republican Rome to the Roman Empire and its eventual dissolution, incorporating the latest archaeological discoveries and historical research. The accompanying source collection features translations of defining documents illuminating major events and significant personalities including Pericles, Caesar, Augustus, and Diocletian, with multiple sources providing multifaceted perspectives on crucial figures and developments. Hungarian readers will find exclusive first-time translations including Hittite ruler Muwattalli's letter mentioning Wilusa (Troy), alongside numerous inscriptions and papyri previously unavailable in Hungarian. This hardcover edition with sewn binding measures 24 x 17 cm and serves both university students and general readers interested in accessing cutting-edge ancient history scholarship in the Hungarian language.

Product Features

• Format: Hardcover with sewn binding (fűzött kemény papírkötés)
• Publication Year: 2011
• Publisher: Osiris Kiadó (Osiris Publishing)
• Publication Place: Budapest, Hungary
• ISBN: 9789632762050 / 978-9632762050
• Pages: 570 pages
• Dimensions: Width 24.00 cm, Height 17.00 cm
• Language: Hungarian (Magyar)
• Authors: Németh György, Hegyi W. György (ELTE professors)
• Subject Matter: Greek and Roman history (Greco-Roman antiquity)
• Historical Coverage: Bronze Age to fall of Western Roman Empire (c. 476 CE)
• Educational Level: BA-level university textbook
• Structure: Integrated textbook narrative + primary source collection
• Translation Feature: First Hungarian translations of select ancient sources
• Binding Quality: Durable sewn hardcover construction
• Target Audience: University students, scholars, general readers interested in ancient history
• Pedagogical Approach: Focused on pivotal questions and key turning points
• Research Foundation: Incorporates latest archaeological and historical scholarship
• Notable Inclusions: Muwattalli's Wilusa/Troy letter, various inscriptions and papyri

Interesting Facts

This textbook represents a significant pedagogical innovation in Hungarian higher education, responding directly to the structural changes brought by the Bologna Process, which transformed Hungarian universities from a traditional five-year degree system to the three-year BA / two-year MA structure adopted across the European Union. The authors, Németh György and Hegyi W. György, are both distinguished professors at ELTE (Eötvös Loránd University) in Budapest, Hungary's oldest and most prestigious university, founded in 1635. Their extensive experience in textbook writing and ancient history teaching enabled them to create a work specifically calibrated to the realities of modern semester-based learning, where students typically encounter ancient history in a single-semester survey rather than multiple years of specialized study.

The three years of BA-level teaching experience referenced in the introduction revealed that traditional textbooks designed for the five-year program were simply too extensive for students now studying ancient history within one semester's constraints. This practical observation drove the authors to create a more focused approach that emphasizes "nodal points" (csomóponti kérdések)—critical junctures and fundamental questions that illuminate broader historical patterns—rather than attempting comprehensive coverage of every event and detail. This methodology reflects contemporary trends in historical pedagogy that prioritize analytical thinking and understanding of historical causation over memorization of facts.

The decision to combine Greek and Roman history in a single volume represents the book's most significant innovation for Hungarian readers. Previously, Greek and Roman history were typically treated in separate textbooks, reflecting traditional disciplinary divisions. By integrating these interconnected civilizations into one coherent narrative, the authors enable students to understand the cultural, political, and military interactions between Hellenic and Roman worlds, the process of Hellenization that profoundly shaped Roman culture, and the continuities and transformations across the entire ancient Mediterranean world.

The incorporation of the latest research distinguishes this textbook from earlier Hungarian works on ancient history. The authors consulted recent archaeological discoveries, new epigraphic evidence, updated papyrological studies, and current scholarly debates about controversial issues in ancient history. This commitment to cutting-edge scholarship means the book reflects current understanding of topics like the Bronze Age collapse, the nature of Athenian democracy, the causes of the Roman Republic's fall, and the transformation (rather than simple "decline and fall") of the Roman Empire.

The source collection component represents particularly valuable scholarly work. Primary sources—the actual words and documents created by ancient peoples—are essential for understanding history, yet many important texts have never been translated into Hungarian. The authors' inclusion of Muwattalli's letter mentioning Wilusa (identified by scholars as Troy/Ilion) is especially significant. This Hittite diplomatic correspondence from the 13th century BCE provides external confirmation of Troy's historical existence beyond Homer's literary epic, connecting Bronze Age Anatolian geopolitics with Greek legendary traditions. Hungarian readers encountering this text for the first time gain access to evidence that revolutionized scholarly understanding of the Trojan War's historical context.

The source collection's pedagogical design illuminates major events through at least one representative document while providing multiple sources for understanding pivotal figures like Pericles (the Athenian statesman who led Athens during its Golden Age), Julius Caesar (whose crossing of the Rubicon destroyed the Roman Republic), Augustus (Rome's first emperor who established the Principate), and Diocletian (whose reforms restructured the later Roman Empire). This multi-source approach teaches students that historical interpretation requires comparing different perspectives, recognizing bias, and synthesizing contradictory evidence—essential skills for historical thinking.

The authors also demonstrate how common historical topoi (recurring themes and literary conventions) evolved over time by presenting different versions of similar narratives. This sophisticated approach helps students recognize how ancient authors adapted traditional stories to their own purposes, understanding ancient historiography not as simple factual reporting but as complex literary and rhetorical performance with its own conventions and agendas.

Osiris Kiadó, the publisher, is one of Hungary's most respected academic publishing houses, founded in 1988 and specializing in humanities and social sciences. The press has published numerous important textbooks, scholarly monographs, and source collections that have become standard references in Hungarian universities. The durable sewn hardcover binding ensures this hefty 570-page volume will withstand years of intensive student use, while the generous 24 x 17 cm format provides comfortable reading and ample space for the book's numerous ancient sources, which often require careful translation notes and contextual explanation.

This textbook has become a standard reference for ancient history education in Hungarian universities since its 2011 publication, demonstrating how thoughtful adaptation of pedagogical materials to new educational structures can enhance rather than diminish learning outcomes.

Content Structure

Historical Narrative Sections:

• Bronze Age civilizations and early Mediterranean cultures
• Archaic and Classical Greece (city-states, democracy, Persian Wars, Peloponnesian War)
• Hellenistic period (Alexander the Great and successor kingdoms)
• Roman Republic (founding, expansion, political conflicts, civil wars)
• Roman Empire (Principate, High Empire, Crisis of Third Century, Later Empire)
• Fall of the Western Roman Empire and transformation of the ancient world

Primary Source Collection Features:

• Representative documents for major historical events
• Multiple sources illuminating key personalities (Pericles, Caesar, Augustus, Diocletian)
• Evolution of historical topoi and recurring themes
• First Hungarian translation of Muwattalli's Wilusa/Troy letter (Hittite)
• Previously untranslated inscriptions and papyri
• Contextual notes and scholarly commentary

Pedagogical Approach:

• Focus on pivotal questions and turning points
• Integration of latest archaeological and historical research
• Combined Greek and Roman history in unified narrative
• Analysis of historical causation and patterns
• Critical source evaluation methodology

Authors

Németh György - Distinguished professor at ELTE (Eötvös Loránd University), Budapest, specialist in ancient history with extensive textbook writing experience

Hegyi W. György - Professor at ELTE (Eötvös Loránd University), Budapest, expert in Greco-Roman history and classical studies, experienced academic author

Both authors are recognized authorities in Hungarian ancient history education and have adapted their teaching materials to the modern BA-level university system.

Publisher

Osiris Kiadó (Osiris Publishing)
Budapest, Hungary
Published: 2011

Osiris Kiadó is one of Hungary's leading academic publishers specializing in humanities and social sciences, known for producing high-quality scholarly textbooks and research monographs.

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Áttekintés (Hungarian Overview)

Ez az átfogó 2011-es akadémiai tankönyv és forrásgyűjtemény a görög és római történelmet mutatja be a bronzkortól a Nyugatrómai Birodalom bukásáig, kifejezetten a modern BA-szintű egyetemi oktatáshoz tervezve Magyarországon. Az ELTE (Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem) neves professzorainak, Németh Györgynek és Hegyi W. Györgynek munkája, ez az 570 oldalas kötet az ókortörténetet egy félévben tanuló diákok gyakorlati igényeire válaszol, ellentétben a korábbi ötéves képzésben használt terjedelmesebb tankönyvekkel. Az innovatív megközelítés egyetlen integrált kötetben kombinálja a történelmi narratívát és a gondosan válogatott elsődleges forrásanyagokat, képviselve az ókortörténet legkorszerűbb kutatásait, miközben a csomóponti kérdésekre és fordulópontokra összpontosít az enciklopédikus lefedettség helyett.

Érdekességek (Hungarian Interesting Facts)

Ez a tankönyv jelentős pedagógiai innovációt képvisel a magyar felsőoktatásban, közvetlenül reagálva a bolognai folyamat által hozott szerkezeti változásokra. A hároméves BA-szintű oktatás tapasztalatai bebizonyították, hogy a korábbi tankönyvek túlságosan terjedelmesek voltak az egy félévben ókortörténettel foglalkozó hallgatók számára. A legnagyobb újdonságot az jelenti, hogy a görög és római történelem bemutatása egy kötetbe került, lehetővé téve a diákok számára, hogy megértsék e két összekapcsolt civilizáció közötti kulturális, politikai és katonai kölcsönhatásokat. A forrásgyűjtemény különösen értékes tudományos munkát képvisel, magyar olvasók először olvashatják Muwattalli hettita uralkodó Wilusát (Trójat) megemlítő levelét, valamint több kisebb felirat és papirusz fordítását.

Hashtag-ek (Hungarian Hashtags)

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