Making Peace in the Ancient World

Proceedings of the 7th Melammu Workshop, Padova, 5-7 November 2018

edited by Giovanni B. Lanfranchi, Simonetta Ponchia and Robert Rollinger

Book cover: Making Peace in the Ancient World

Extent: 365 pages

Publisher: Zaphon

Subjects: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Near East, Classical Studies

Series: Melammu Workshops and Monographs

Series volume number: 5

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(August 2022)

ISBN: 9783963271809

6.65 x 9.41 inches

Price: $124.00

In stock

PDF (Published)

(August 2022)

ISBN: 9783963271816

Price: $124.00

Making Peace in Antiquity points to two intertwined aims. The first consists in the analysis of the events, conditions, decisions and rules that led to and/or contributed to building and maintaining peace in particular periods and circumstances of the ancient world. The second consists in considering the idea and instruments of peace and making peace as evolving over time in a process that has distant roots. For instance, it is possible to trace this path, which certainly was not linear, in the stipulation of treaties, a practice which is attested since the 25th century BC, and in the formulation of international law 4,500 years ago. Moreover, it is worth considering the expectations and the meanings attributed to peace in their historical development and change.


The title of the Melammu Workshop “Making Peace in Antiquity” points to two intertwined aims. The first consists in the analysis of the events, conditions, decisions and rules that led to and/or contributed to building and maintaining peace in particular periods and circumstances of the ancient world. The second consists in considering the idea and instruments of peace and making peace as evolving over time in a process that has distant roots. For instance, it is possible to trace this path, which certainly was not linear, in the stipulation of treaties, a practice which is attested since the 25th century BC, and in the formulation of international law 4,500 years ago. Moreover, it is worth considering the expectations and the meanings attributed to peace in their historical development and change. Section I presents “Key Note Lectures” by Paolo Matthiae, Marc Van De Mieroop and Kurt A. Raaflaub. Section II is devoted to “Ancient Near East and Egypt” encompassing the histories of peace in Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite, Biblical and Achaemenid realms. Section III, “The Mediterranean Worlds and Beyond” focusses on making peace from Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods.

Giovanni B. Lanfranchi / Simonetta Ponchia / Robert Rollinger: Introduction Antonio Daniele: Saluto dell'Accademia Galileiana di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti in Padova I Key Note Lectures Paolo Matthiae: The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Syria and Iraq and the Perspective of a Rebirth Marc Van De Mieroop: Making Peace in the Ancient Near East Kurt A. Raaflaub: Making and Experiencing Peace in the Ancient World II Ancient Near East and Egypt Manfred Bietak: The Antagonism between Animosity and Peace-making in Ancient Egypt: Between Ideology and Practical Foreign Policy: An Extended Synopsis Seth Richardson: Raiders, Neighbours, and Night-time: "Hybrid Peace" in Babylonia Stefano de Martino: Making Peace in the Hittite Kingdom Salvatore Gaspa: Making Peace in the Ancient Near East of the First Millennium BCE: The Case of the Assyrian Empire Martti Nissinen: Peace and Peacemaking in the Hebrew Bible Ann C. Gunter: Commemorating the End of Conflict in the Ancient Near East: Material Perspectives Matthew Waters: Peace in Pieces: Making Peace in Elam Josef Wiesehofer: Peace and Views of Peace in Achaemenid Iran III The Mediterranean Worlds and Beyond Christoph Schafer: Making Peace in the Hellenistic World Wolfgang Spickermann: Problems of Making Peace in the Roman Republic: The Case of Appius Claudius Caecus and King Pyrrhus Sven Gunther: Frames of Making Peace and Treaties in the Roman Empire Umberto Roberto: Making Peace with the Goths and the Burial of Athanaric in Constantinople (January 381): A Note on Jordanes, Getica 28, 142-145 Johannes Preiser-Kapeller: Many Eyes of the World? Making Peace between Byzantium and Other Empires, 600-1200 CE Index

  • Edited by Giovanni B. Lanfranchi
  • Edited by Simonetta Ponchia
  • Edited by Robert Rollinger