Ancient Literacy by William V. Harris (PDF)

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How many people could read and write in the ancient world of the Greeks and Romans? No one has previously tried to give a systematic answer to this question. Most historians who have considered the problem at all have given optimistic assessments, since they have been impressed by large bodies of ancient written material such as the graffiti at Pompeii. They have also been influenced by a tendency to idealize the Greek and Roman world and its educational system. In Ancient Literacy W. V. Harris provides the first thorough exploration of the levels, types, and functions of literacy in the classical world, from the invention of the Greek alphabet about 800 B.C. down to the fifth century A.D. Investigations of other societies show that literacy ceases to be the accomplishment of a small elite only in specific circumstances. Harris argues that the social and technological conditions of the ancient world were such as to make mass literacy unthinkable. Noting that a society on the verge of mass literacy always possesses an elaborate school system, Harris stresses the limitations of Greek and Roman schooling, pointing out the meagerness of funding for elementary education.Neither the Greeks nor the Romans came anywhere near to completing the transition to a modern kind of written culture. They relied more heavily on oral communication than has generally been imagined. Harris examines the partial transition to written culture, taking into consideration the economic sphere and everyday life, as well as law, politics, administration, and religion. He has much to say also about the circulation of literary texts throughout classical antiquity.The limited spread of literacy in the classical world had diverse effects. It gave some stimulus to critical thought and assisted the accumulation of knowledge, and the minority that did learn to read and write was to some extent able to assert itself politically. The written word was also an instrument of power, and its use was indispensable for the construction and maintenance of empires. Most intriguing is the role of writing in the new religious culture of the late Roman Empire, in which it was more and more revered but less and less practiced.Harris explores these and related themes in this highly original work of social and cultural history. Ancient Literacy is important reading for anyone interested in the classical world, the problem of literacy, or the history of the written word.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: From the Back Cover The subject of this study is in any case the literacy of the Greeks and Romans from the time when the former were first provably able to write a non-syllabic script, in the eighth century B.C., until the fifth century A.D. About the Author William V. Harris is Shepherd Professor of History at Columbia University and Director of the Center for the Ancient Mediterranean.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐The paperback edition is a very cheap reprint of the hardcover edition, probably after a simple digital scan of the original, and apparently hastily made by a print worker or editor without any previous experience in book printing: the pagination differs from any other published book I have ever seen: you will find all even numbered pages on the right side (rather than to the left), while all odd numbered pages – including the title page! – are placed to the left. Certainly not worth $38.

⭐Full of interesting detail.

⭐This book cites and discusses many interesting sources to support the author’s thesis that almost no one in antiquity could read. Unfortunately, Professor Harris isn’t fair to other points of view. For instance, in the Second Philippic Cicero says that it was customary for people to sell written programmes of gladiatorial matches at gladiatorial exhibitions. This amazing story clearly suggests a high level of literacy in First Century BC Rome, yet Professor Harris never even alludes to it, presumably because it flies in the face of his claim that almost no one could read. It just shows that this book is not a fair and balanced assessment of ALL the evidence.

⭐This is probably the definitive study of literacy in the classical world. The emphasis is on the Latin and Greek speaking world, though other languages spoken within the boundaries of the Roman Empire are not ignored.Although this is a scholarly work, with extensive footnotes and exhaustive references, it is surprisingly easy to read. The topic will be of interest both to classical scholars and to sociologists interested in the place and function of literacy in societies. However, the book is also accessible to the educated general reader who (like me) is not a expert in either of those fields. Some knowledge of the classical world is helpful but not essential. (Likewise for some knowledge of Latin and Greek.)It got me thinking a lot about the functions of literacy – a line of thought that I had never pursued before.

⭐One to wade through

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