Customer Reviews

Ancient State: The Rulers & the Ruled (The Collected works of Hugh Nibley)

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This book is fascinating in several respects, particularly the insights Dr. Nibley's knowledge of ancient history gives one on modern institutions such as universities, museums, etc.

The one article that impressed me most was "Victoriosa Loquacitas: The Rise of Rhetoric and the Decline of Everything Else" This was first published in 1956, but it has great import for our own day. Dr. Nibley discusses the development of rhetoric by the Sophists and others and the effects the techniques of persuasion and public relations had on politics, law, education and art. The present turmoil over impeachment shows how accurate he is in warning that the same pattern is repeating itself today.

Hugh Nibley is one of my favorite authors. His writing style is highly readable, infused with wit and the ability to put his finger on points in a way that is endearing and also moving. This particular book is one of his very best, consisting mostly of essays published in scholarly journals in the 1950's and 60's. He covers such interesting and unique aspects of ancient politics and statehood as: the role of marked arrows in the formation of the state; ancient tents and how they lent authority to rulers; ancient ritual; the ravages of rhetoric on classical civilizations; political polarization in fourth century Rome; and the practice of the sparsio (sort of the ancient equivalent of throwing candy at parades). Two chapters which are highly relevant to today's politically charged society are: "The Unsolved Loyalty Problem, Our Western Heritage" and "Victoriosa Loquacitas: The Rise of Rhetoric and the Decline of Everything Else" (my personal favorite). All in all, this book is pretty heavy reading at first, but repeated readings will be richly rewarded