Isaac, Benjamin H. The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity.(Book Review)

History: Review of New Books, June, 2004 by Evans, John Karl

Isaac, Benjamin H. The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity Princeton: Princeton University Press 563 pp., $45.00, ISBN 0-691-11691-1 Publication Date: March 2004

Well known for his work on Rome's eastern frontier, Bejamin Isaac focuses his new book, The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity on racism. As the title suggests, he concludes that certain features of modern racism may be traced back to the classical world. Part 1 follows general themes through Greek and Roman literature from Herodotus to the fourth century AD. In this period, environmental determinism is pronounced--the physical and mental traits of foreign peoples are fixed by climate and geography--mixed ancestry is a source of degeneration, and characteristics acquired by individuals...

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