History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

fatal flaw in this book
Mythology for Visual Learners
Very well written

Images of Myths in Classical Antiquity
Susan Woodford
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521788099

Book Description

Stories take time to tell; Greek and Roman artists had to convey them in static images. How did they go about it? How could they ensure that their scenes would be recognized? What problems did they have? How did they solve them? This generously illustrated book explores the ways classical artists portrayed a variety of myths. It explains how formulas were devised for certain stories; how these inventions could be adapted, developed and even transferred to other myths; how one myth could be distinguished from another; what links there were with daily life and historical propaganda; the influence of changing tastes, and problems still outstanding. Examples are drawn from a wide range of media--vases, murals, mosaics, sarcophagi, sculpture--used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The myths are mostly those that are also easily recognized in later works of art. No previous knowledge of the subject is assumed, all examples are illustrated and all names, terms and concepts are fully explained. Susan Woodford teaches Greek and Roman art at the University of London and is engaged in research for the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum. A former Fullbright Scholar and Woodrow Wilson Fellow, she and is author of The Parthenon (Cambridge, 1981), The Art of Greece (Cornell, 1993), An Introduction to Greek Art (Cornell, 1986) and The Trojan War in Ancient Art (Cornell, 1993).

Customer Reviews:

fatal flaw in this book.......2007-07-28

The book is entitled "Images..." and here lies the fault. Regardless of how well written, the fact that these images are in black and white simply makes the book of little interest, particularly since it is the images that are the issue. What a very unfortunate choice.

Mythology for Visual Learners.......2006-02-24

I really love this book! Although my interest in Greek pottery inspired me to order it, I have discovered that it is also an excellent way to learn and remember the associated myths. The author, Susan Woodford, has wonderful academic and professional credentials, yet the text is written in clear English. I feel very lucky to have stumbled onto her work.

Very well written.......2005-04-26

The book is incredibly well written and fascinating to read. I read her entire book on Trojan war art after having only one chapter recommended. For an academic, the author's writing is fresh, jargon free, and easily understood.

Prometheus: Archetypal Image of Human Existence

Average customer rating:

An Exciting Study of an Important Mythological Figure

Prometheus: Archetypal Image of Human Existence
Carl Kerenyi
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 069101907X

Book Description

Prometheus the god stole fire from heaven and bestowed it on humans. In punishment, Zeus chained him to a rock, where an eagle clawed unceasingly at his liver, until Herakles freed him. For the Greeks, the myth of Prometheus's release reflected a primordial law of existence and the fate of humankind. Carl Kerényi examines the story of Prometheus and the very process of mythmaking as a reflection of the archetypal function and seeks to discover how this primitive tale was invested with a universal fatality, first in the Greek imagination, and then in the Western tradition of Romantic poetry. Kerényi traces the evolving myth from Hesiod and Aeschylus, and in its epic treatment by Goethe and Shelley; he moves on to consider the myth from the perspective of Jungian psychology, as the archetype of human daring signifying the transformation of suffering into the mystery of the sacrifice.

Customer Reviews:

An Exciting Study of an Important Mythological Figure.......2000-10-31

Kerenyi's book on Prometheus is among the most exciting monographs on a single mythological figure written since the mid-twentieth century. Kerenyi reviews the origins of the myth of Prometheus in early Greek poetry and the visual arts with thought-provoking references to other mythological, artistic, and literary traditions such as the Hittite, the Roman, and the German. Kerenyi worked closely with Carl Jung (see their jointly authored Introduction to a Science of Mythology) and the Jungian interest in archetypes is strongly refelcted in the present volume on Prometheus. This book is well-researched and well-written, worth reading not only for the information that it contains about the firebearer, but also for its method of analysis.

The Great God Pan: The Survival of an Image (Walter Neurath Memorial Lectures)

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The Great God Pan: The Survival of an Image (Walter Neurath Memorial Lectures)
John Boardman
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0500550301

Book Description

Among the gods of classical antiquity, Pan--that distinctive figure combining the physical characteristics of man and goat--is one of the few to have retained a special place in the imaginations of writers and artists, even into modern times. In this, the twenty-ninth Walter Neurath Memorial Lecture, classical scholar Sir John Boardman describes how the concept of Pan--originally a rustic deity associated with herdsmen in southern Greece--and his familiar pipes developed and was adapted in later times. Whether viewed as a personification of country ways, equated with the excesses of Bacchic revels, or treated as a demon figure, the presence of Pan was felt in the literature and art of antiquity, of the medieval period, and notably in Renaissance and later paintings. Although the ideals that Pan represented in ancient Greece and Rome may have passed into history, the image associated with his name remains as vivid as ever in the minds of modern man.

Classical Mythology: Images and Insights

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Editing
Wordy, but interesting
Lots of primary texts to go with the images & insights
good, but at times maddening
The best of the best!

Classical Mythology: Images and Insights
Stephen Harris , and Gloria Platzner
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767415493

Book Description

Comprehensive and beautifully illustrated, this is the only classical mythology text that combines thorough coverage of theoretical approaches to myth with a substantial anthology of primary works. More than 700 pages of primary selections, many of them complete works, include major hymns, epics, and plays of classical myth, while more than 200 photographs of classical works of art illustrate how the Greeks and Romans envisioned gods.

Customer Reviews:

Editing.......2007-01-12

This book could have been edited better before being published, as I have found several typos, misspelled and misused words in just the first two chapters.

Wordy, but interesting.......2006-02-08

We used this book in my 300-level college class and even though I found the authors to be frustratingingly wordy at times, it was still an intersting book with thought-provoking insights.

As a child, I used to read about the myths of Rome and Greece in the same light that I read fairytales. For a long time, although I knew much more about Greece and Rome than the average person, it wasn't until I started reading this book that I began to look at these myths as more than just entertaining "stories."

The secondary text (nicely supported by selections of well-known and obscure primary texts) highlight the fact that these were true beliefs and religion in their time.

Even better, the text branches out and provides commentary on mythology from a wide variety of cultures besides Greece and Rome, which helps to illuminate parrallels and points of diversion in the history of man and religion.

Cultural insights help point out the societal factors that created the gods, monsters and myths. Imagine reading that Medusa's phallic-like snake-hair and her beheading may have been a representation of unconscious male fears about castration!

Or having the striking similarities between the wild, wine god, Dionysus set up in blatant comparison to the life and works of Jesus Christ.

While much of the text is the opinion of the authors and one would do well to remember that you don't HAVE to accept every one of their interpretations, this text does a good job of showing the human, psychological side to mythology.

Lots of primary texts to go with the images & insights.......2004-01-01

I managed to make it all the way to the 21st century before I actually made my students buy a single textbook that cost this much, but after my first semester of using the Fourth Edition of "Classical Mythology: Images & Insights" by Stephen L. Harris and Gloria Platzner I do not have any major regrets. In the past I have liked to rely mainly on primary texts, such as Homer's "Iliad" and a collection of Greek tragedies, supplemented by handouts, because I prefer that my students come up with their own interpretations. However, teaching a Classical Mythology course on line changes the dynamics of the teacher-student interaction, which made the switch to this textbook a viable option.

"Classical Mythology" is divided into five sections: (1) The Nature and Function of Myth, which introduces students to the Greek myths and ways of interpreting them; (2) Epic Myths and the Heroic Quest, which covers creation stories, the gods and goddesses, and the epic heroes from Perseus and Hercules to the Trojan War and the quest for Odysseus; (3) Tragic Heroes and Heroines looks at the tragic vision and the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; (4) The World of Roman Myth explores the differences between Greek myths and Roman realities with an emphasis on Virgil's "Aeneid" and Ovid's "Metamorphoses"; and (5) The Western World's Transformations of Myth" is a single chapter section that explores the persistence of myth in terms of modern transmissions of classical myths. I found it necessary to break up Part II of the textbook so that the deities and the heroes were dealt with separately. This is a natural division that is certainly reflected in the organization of the chapters in that part.

In terms of primary sources "Classical Mythology" gives me more works that I have ever used in class before, including excerpts from Hesiod's "Theogony" and "Works and Days," along with some Homeric Hymns. I had used the "Orestia" of Aeschylus before, but the version I had included only a synopsis of "The Libation-Bearers" whereas Harris and Platzner include an abbreviated version of the middle play that includes what I think is the most powerful secene in the trilogy, where Clytemnestra begs her son for her life. I would have chosen a few different chapters from the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey," but that is offset by the fact that now I can have students read substantial parts of both works. Likewise, I would have liked to have had "Iphigenia at Aulis" and/or "The Trojan Women" in the volume because I really like the way the Euripides plays off the beginning and the end of the "Iliad," but again, this is a question of editorial discretion as you still have the "Orestia" and the Theban plays of "Sophocles," along with "Medea" and "Bacchae" by Euripides. I like my students to have a better idea of the dramatic structure and key concepts of Greek tragedy, but I already have that all worked out for my students.

As for the analysis of the classical myths provided by Harris and Platzner, I would say that it skews a bit higher than the undergraduate level. But whether you are using this textbook in the classroom or online you have amply opportunities to take issue with what in lecture or class notes. Then you also have the fact that this is richly illustrated volume with two sections of color plate photographs as well as dozens of black & white illustrations as well. The back of the book includes a lengthy glossary and a selected bibliography that will be of more interest to teachers than students. Overall, the key consideration here as far as I am concerned are the primary texts that are included, because there are a lot here for your students to read. I have not done an actual tally, but I would think that the primary texts account for half of this textbook, especially once you take all the illustrations out of the equation. "Classical Mythology: Images & Insights" is a challenging textbook for beginning mythology students, but I have found it to be worth the effort.

good, but at times maddening.......2002-11-27

Harris and Platzner's Classical Mythology is thorough and eloquently written. I particularly like the use of original sources (Hesiod, Homer, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, Virgil and Ovid)along with indepth analyses of the works themselves. Sometimes I think the authors' interpretations are a bit of a stretch, but nonetheless they are thoughtful and beautifully written.
However, I've decided NOT to use this as a textbbook for my introductory college level course, for a couple of reasons:

1) The organization: not infrequently myths are mentioned briefly in relation to something else before they are fully covered in their own right--a problem, I would think, for beginners. The book is arranged thematically--gods, male and female heroes, the view of after life, world in decline--rather than in a more straightforward myth-telling scheme (as in Barry Powell's book). All of this is quite interesting to someone who has a mid-level understanding of mythology, but I think it makes it a little harder for initiates to grasp the basic myths and their variants.

2) Practical usage: in some senses maddening. For example, simple chapter numerals at the top of each page would be incredibly helpful so that when the text refers to another chapter (which it does continually--because of the way the material is organized) you could find that particular chapter instead of having to rifle through the pages. Then there is the seemingly arbitrary way in which some names and terms are included in the glossary and some are not. Why? Even more arbitrary--and irritating!--is the decision to give helpful pronunciation guides to some terms but not others. Why Minos, for instance, but not moirae; or Aurora (really) but not Anaxagoras (where does the accent go?). Also, a more useful map would help.

But ultimtely, this book is beautiful and richly written--I enjoyed it immensely; furthermore, it offers solid insights into the ways myths might have developed (though Ken Dowden's book is more convincing) and the ways we interpret them today. The authors make quite clear the existence of variants for many if not most myths--which reflects the true complexity of classical mythology. And finally, the visuals are gorgeous, both the 4-color plates and the black & white photos.

The best of the best!.......2002-01-21

I am disappointed that some reviewer brought down the rating of this magnificent book with a review that is unbelievably off-target. As a mythology insructor and writer of books utilizing myth, and a psychotherapist who relates myth to the process of human transformation, I find this the most in-depth and meaningful guide to Greek mythology available - out of over 100 I have read. The questions and commentaries are particularly in-depth but above the level of junior high school and high school students. For those who wish to understand not only mythology but also its deeper implications and relevance.

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