Cavanagh and Mee have provided a sorely-needed general account of prehistoric burials in Greece. Their chapters evaluate and summarize data from sites ranging in date from the Mesolithic to LHIIIC, and each chapter ends with a gazetteer that cross-references the excavation reports. Virtually the second half of the book is taken up with illustrations and plans reproduced (with permission and credit) from earlier publications; these are clear, informative, and sufficiently well-labeled that one does not necessarily have to return directly to the text to discover what one is looking at. The book's large bibliography, while non-exhaustive, is extensive and interesting.

The only points one might consider as detracting from the volume are the following:
1. The gazetteers are necessarily incomplete. Some sites (particularly those of earliest date) are listed with no publication references (it would have been useful to know how Cavanagh and Mee learned of them) and no descriptive information. The number of sites missing from the gazetteers will increase with every passing year of continued excavations in Greece, but it would have been something of a relief to those using this book to know that it was at least complete to publication acceptance date.
2. The analytical text, while sound and incisive, would be of even greater value were arguments presented in more detail and supported with reference to more of the sites. This, however, is probably not so much the fault of the authors as the result of constraint of the length of SIMA volumes (I have never seen one much more extensive than this one).

Overall, this is a superior and valuable book, and any problems I have experienced with it stem largely from wanting more of a good thing. It will be useful for specialists, researchers, and well-supervised and motivated students who already possess some conversance with the specialized terminology and problems of the field: introductory explanations, probably in the interest of economy, are kept to a minimum.

One of the most important sociocultural studies of (not only) New Comedy in recent years. Dr Omitowoju makes a valuable contribution towards the definite deconstruction of Murray's binary categorisation of Comedy as dealing with "res publica" (Old Comedy) and "res privata" (New Comedy). Omitowoju, on the lines of other contenporary (mostly female) scholars demonstrates how the "private" material Menander deals with, mainly questions of sexual relations and marriage, was institutionalised as a civic concern and highly politicised, as it touched sensitive issues like citizenship, inheritance, enfranchisement and the legitimate reproduction of the household. The book, intended for both the specialist and the general reader, is a must-read for everybody interested in contextualising Menander's New Comedy or in following the vexed history of such a sadly all-too-topical issue as rape.

This is a collection of essays by noted scholars about Euripides' great play about the mother who kills her own children to get back at her cheating husband. The editor has done an admirable job of organizing the book and introducing the essays. he also provides an excellent inroduction that gives background and context. I would recommend it highly for high school and college students, and for that matter anybody who has an interest in ancient Greek theater or literature.

This is a lovely piece of travel writing about the Island of Rhodes by a master observer of both the human character and the land- and seascapes with which Greece and its islands always delight us. It is a richly sensuous account of Durrell's years in the British civil service just after the end of WWII and just before the island is handed back to Greece. The eye is feted with descriptions of fields, hills, oranges and lemons, and flowers of every form and color. Sounds range from the rhythm of the sea (alternately savage and soothing) to Greek folk songs to sparkling conversation with Brit expatriates (including Gideon the half-sighted wonder). The author even offers a neat summation of a Greek picnic in tems of smells: petrol, garlic, wine and goat. Intermingled with these delicious attacks on the senses there is the play of light over the island as the sun moves across the sky and its rays are filtered through sea mist, mythology and the grim reality of having to rebuild a nation and an island after Nazi cruelty has left it a shambles. Like it or not, the reader is filled in on some mildly interesting points in the author's understanding of ancient history and the medieval Knights of St. John, who came into possession of the island for a time. The last section is about an enormous cookout in honor of a saint at whose shrine miracles have been know to occur, even raising the dead. It is a stroke of irony that during the festivities a young child is run over by a truck and dies the following day despite the best efforts of Mills, a good hearted but overextended British doctor. All in all, this is a delightful book, highly recommendable for those who enjoy travel writing. But Durrell is no Rebecca West, and this is not an example of the best Durrell. But it isn't bad Durrell, either.

This text is a specialist work treating the specific issue of the rights of Christians to present the gospel to non-Christians in countries where anti-proselytising legislation exists. It will be of use to students of international law who are examining cases dealing with religious liberty. Christians interested in the political and juridical issues of religious freedom (and here I might add those interested in legal cases concerning cults) ought to profit from reading the book.

Montgomery is a Christian lawyer who has a special interest in human rights law - he previously composed Human Rights & Human Dignity a book devoted to a Christian approach to human rights law generally.

In this new book Montgomery deals with certain cases involving Protestants who have been prosecuted in Greece for evangelism. In Greece there is an anti-proselytising law that ostensibly protects the interests of the Greek Orthodox Church. Montgomery represented three evangelists in a case in Athens in 1985 and again in a different case that went all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.

Montgomery lays down the groundwork by discussing the issue of evangelism and human rights generally. He then devotes a chapter to the 1985 case which he successfully won in the Athens Court of Appeal. Then the central focus of the book comes with the case that went to the European Court of Human Rights. He includes summaries of his legal briefs submitted to the courts. Finally Montgomery discusses the question of whether a state approved church must necessarily translate into prejudice against other minority churches. The book concludes with the legal documents containing the decisions reached by the judges at the European Court.

Montgomery indicates that the Greek anti-proseltying law is in tension with the European Convention on Human Rights which guarantees religious freedom. Greece as a full member of the European Union has ratified this Convention and is supposed to ensure that its constitutional law reflects the laws of the Convention.

Montgomery points out that there is a vagueness in the Greek legislation that makes it nigh on impossible for prospective evangelists to "know" whether they are obeying or violating the law. Montgomery shows that a state established church in itself is not the real problem, but rather the way the state church in Greece views its own reason-of-being.

The book is lucid and readable, and for those who are interested in the issues the text repays careful studying.

Retrieving Political Emotion is a wonderfully written book, elegant and thoughtful. Koziak is a feminist theorist who understands and appreciates Aristotle. Afer reading this book, I understood the role political emotion plays in creating and sustaining political community. I hope it comes out in paperback soon -- so much the better to use in classes.

Ce livre parle de l'intérêt qu'ont porté les sabataïstes au mouvement mystique musulmane. Un livre très important pour les chercheurs qui veulent comprendre l'histoire de la Turquie de la fin de l'empire ottoman et du début de la période républicaine.

This book offers a lively and detailed reading of Homer's "The Odyssey", episode by episode, with particular attention paid to the manipulative power of its language and homer's skill in using that power. The author explores how myth is shaped for specific, rhetorical reasons and suggest ways in which the epic uses its audience's awareness of the varied pool of mythic traditions to give "The Odyssey" remarkable and subtle resonances that have profound power. This book is a perfect introduction for non-specialist general readers, as well as very pertinent for the serious student of Hellenic literature

In this book, Dr. Davis and his contributors bring to the general public the cultural omplexities of a region in Greece in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand format. From the introduction and discussion of archaeological methods to the individual chapters outlining particular facets of research or particular chronological periods, the reader is taken on a journey into the world of modern regional studies. As opposed to other books that deal with archaeological subjects, Dr. Davis et al. treat the region of Messenia as a continuum, giving no shrift to any period of history, treating all equally well. The book is well illustrated and photographed. Overall, this is an excellent book for the avocational archaeologist, for classroom use and for those archaeologists for whom Greek archaeology is not their forte.

Sappho takes a special place among the poets of Antiquity.Plato already said that she was the tenth Muse.It's really refreshing to read her poems. They are vivid and she needs only a few words to describe human feelings. She calls solitude:'this icy numbness of being alone'.
One of my favorite poems is 'The wedding of Hektor and Andromache'.In this translation (the poems have no titles) it starts with 'A messenger came running... '. I find this poem one of the most vivid descriptions in ancient poetry. It gives an almost journalistic account of the homecoming of Hektor and Andromache:'At once, the young men of the town hitched the mules up to the big-wheeled carriages ... In the streets people offered
bowls spiced with cinnamon and jars of myrrh and incense'.
(It's a pitty there are only a few rather poor illustrations).