The Antiquities of Egypt: A Translation, with Notes of Book I of the Library of History of Diodorus Siculus (v. 1) [Hardcover]

Edwin Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1990 | ISBN-10: 0887383033 | ISBN-13: 978-0887383038 | Edition: Rev Exp

Diodorus Siculus, a prolific Greek historian of the first century B.C., wrote a detailed account of ancient Egypt for his contemporaries. Even then, Egyptian civilization was ancient, stretching back to eras far more remote to him than Greek civilization is to us. Egypt was a land of mystery to the Greeks. Its pyramids were inexplicable, its writings undecipherable, its religion unfathomable. Its strange laws and stranger customs, such as mummification, were perplexing. The very land itself was mysterious: no one knew the source of the Nile or why it overflowed its banks each year with never a drop of rain. The history and mysteries of Egypt were the sole subject of the Book I of the Library of History, Diodorus' encyclopedic attempt to gather all the historical knowledge of the world into one vast book.

The Antiquities of Egypt is the first translation of Diodorus' treatise prepared especially for the general reader but it will appeal to a wide range of scholars and specialists as well. The only other English version in print is a literal accompaniment to the edited Greek text, published over fifty years ago. This new translation is accurate and easy to read, while the notes and appendices amplify and elucidate the text setting the narrative in historical and cultural perspective for the nonspecialist. The illustrations add a graphic support to the text. Students and teachers of ancient history, Egyptology, archeology, and anthropology will find Antiquities of Egypt both accessible and valuable. Specialists in literature, mythology, and comparative religion will find it absorbing and useful introduction to early source material in their fields of study.

Edwin Murphy is an independent scholar specializing in ancient and medieval history. He is employed in the Treasury Department, Washington D.C. Murphy has also translated Book II of Diodorus' Library of History, The Antiquities of Asia, also published by Transaction.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek

Product Details

• Hardcover: 225 pages
• Publisher: Transaction Publishers; Rev Exp edition (January 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887383033
• ISBN-13: 978-0887383038
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,969,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By far the best modern traslation of this key work on Egypt., April 8, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Antiquities of Egypt: A Translation, with Notes of Book I of the Library of History of Diodorus Siculus (v. 1) (Hardcover)

This is a modern translation, expertly and interestingly annotated, and wonderfully illustrated, of the first volume of the Library of History by Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus was a Greek historian who visited Egypt in the time of Caesar and wrote about the wonderful things he saw and learned there...the history, laws, customs, geography, flora, and fauna, as well as myth and religion. This fine translation is meant to introduce the modern reader to a historian who equalled or excelled Herodotus in his researches. Volume II, The Antiquities of Asia, is also available from the same publisher, and Murphy has outdone himself in translating and commenting on this one as well. Both volumes have good indexes, glossaries, and bibliographies. They are excellent