List of Publications by Fritz-Heiner Mutschler
Books by Fritz-Heiner Mutschler
List of Abbreviations-Note on Romanization and Citation viii List of Illustrations and Tables ix ... more List of Abbreviations-Note on Romanization and Citation viii List of Illustrations and Tables ix Notes on Contributors xi Preface xiii PART I. THE BIRTH OF THE IMPERIAL ORDER A. The Idea of 'Empire': Its Genesis before and its Unfolding after the Emergence of the Empire City and Empire 3 Albrecht Dihle (Cologne) Interlude: Kingship and Empire 27 Zhu Weizheng (Shanghai) The Rhetoric of 'Empire' in the Classical Era in China 36 Michael Nylan (Berkeley) B. Historiography and the Emerging Empire Imagining the Empire? Concepts of 'Primeval Unity' 65 in Pre-imperial Historiographic Tradition Yuri Pines (Jerusalem)
Papers by Fritz-Heiner Mutschler
Museum Sinicum, 2023
Sino-Roman studies have emerged as a distinct branch of research within the growing body of work ... more Sino-Roman studies have emerged as a distinct branch of research within the growing body of work concerned with the comparison of Chinese and Western antiquity. It arose after the related branch of Sino-Hellenic studies had already become established and has a different orientation from it in terms of subject matter. Comparative observations concerning the development of Chinese and Greek civilization began to be presented on a larger scale in the middle of the last century with the work of Joseph Needham 1. They were the explicit purpose of the common endeavor of Jean-Pierre Vernant and Jacques Gernet in the sixties 2 , and they have been the focus of the multiyear investigative program by Geoffrey Lloyd, partly in cooperation with Nathan Sivin, since the nineties 3. The subject of most of these studies was intellectual history, at first in particular science and philosophy, then also religion, myth, and literature. Sino-Roman studies developed later. Stimulated by China's continuous ascent to the rank of a superpower-first economically and then also politically, second only to the USA, ancient historians started 比较研究 polities: of the conditions of their coming into being, of the ways in which they functioned, and of the reasons for their downfall. The book met with as much acclaim for its choice of topic and its comprehensive approach as criticism concerning its argumentative validity and its language. As for our subject, the Chinese and Roman empires were, of course, among the HBS studied, but without receiving particular attention or being directly juxtaposed to each other. This holds similarly for the great majority of trans-regional empire studies that have been published in the subsequent decades, most of them in the form of collective volumes 6 , and it also holds for the two monumental works that can be said to represent the present state of the 6 I restrict myself to short remarks concerning some of the works that appeared after the turn of the millennium. The volume edited by Susan Alcock et al., Empires: Perspectives from Archeology and History (2001), deals with the empires of the ancient Near East, of Rome and China, of India, of South-and Middle America and others. In spite of thein principlecomparative approach of the undertaking, no real comparison takes place, and since there are no guiding questions structuring the volume as a whole the individual articles stand side by side more or less unconnected. In the first of two collections of essays edited by P.F. Bang and C.A. Bayly (2003), the one contribution (out of seven) that compares the Roman, the Mughal, and the Chinese empires deals with Tang (!) China. In the second collection (2011), the one comparative essay (out of fifteen) on the Roman empire and Qin/Han China discusses the problem of taxation (Scheidel [2011]). A volume on "War and Peace in the Ancient World" edited by K.A. Raaflaub (2007) contains, of course, articles on ancient China, Greece and Rome, and the editor's introduction offers comparative considerations, understandably however without attempting a direct juxtaposition of ancient China and Rome. Only in passing does China appear in P.F. Bang's monograph on "The Roman Bazaar" (2008), which in terms of comparison concentrates on the Roman and the Mughal empires. China is not taken into account in the volume edited by F. Hurlet (2008) Les Empires: Antiquité et Moyen Age or in the collection of essays The Dynamics of Ancient Empires, edited by I. Morris and W. Scheidel (2009). The volume The Roman Empire in Context. Historical and Comparative Perspectives, edited by the sociologist J.P. Arnason and the historian K.A. Raaflaub (2011), does contain a paper on early China, but explicitly comparative considerations about China and Rome are only found in Arnason's introduction. The idea of "Universal Empire" from the 10th century BCE to the 18th and 19th centuries CE in Eurasia as well as in the New World is the subject of a volume edited by P.F. Bang and D. Kołodziejczyk (2012) in which the (archaeological) article dedicated to ancient Rome discusses a relatively specific topic, and the article on China deals not with ancient China but with the Qing dynasty. In the volume Cosmopolitism and Empire, edited by M. Lavan, R.E. Payne and J. Weisweiler (2016), which opens a discussion on an interesting and potentially fruitful subject for the comparison of China and Rome, China is mentioned but not substantially dealt with.
Confucius and Cicero, 2019
As author of this contribution, Ihavetostart with some clarifications. Iamnot a Cicerospecialist.... more As author of this contribution, Ihavetostart with some clarifications. Iamnot a Cicerospecialist.Iam aLatinist and as such have read quite abit of Cicero, and I have taught Cicero, but Ia mn ot aC iceros pecialist.A nd it is worse concerning 'the otherside'.Because my professional life developedasitdid, at some point I came to China, learned,t oacertain-limited-extent,C hinese, and-many years ago-read the Lunyu in the original. But Ia mn ot as inologist,l et alone aC onfucius specialist.S ow hat could have induced the organizers of this comparative enterprise to invite me to participate?I tm ust have been the fact that Ih aved one some work in the field of comparative studies between the Greco-Roman world and China: on Greek, Roman, and Chinese historiography,¹ on the concept of empire in China and Rome,² and on the Homeric epics and the Chinese Book of Songs as foundational texts.³ Thus, Iassumethat Iamexpected to comment on the comparison of Confucius and Cicerofrom arelatively general perspective,d iscussing bothp roblems and possibilities that come into view when approaching this task.
Receptions of Greek and Roman Antiquity in East Asia, 2019
The Homeric Epics and the Chinese Book of Songs, 2018
The Homeric Epics and the Chinese Book of Songs, 2018
The subject of this paper is the characteristic formal elements and structural principles of Home... more The subject of this paper is the characteristic formal elements and structural principles of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. By the Iliad and the Odyssey we mean the two works as we have them now, i.e. in the literary form in which they have become foundational texts of Western culture. The conjecture that these texts-or rather their predecessors-were originally created and recreated as ever-changing pieces of oral poetry is a conjecture nowadays shared by the majority of scholars, as is the conviction that this provenance has left its traces in the Homeric texts we have. We agree with these assumptions, but are not here interested in reconstructing the coming into being of the Iliad and the Odyssey. 1 Instead, we will focus on describing and interpreting the shape of the two poems after they had become literature (i.e. texts fixed and transmitted in a written form), whenever this might have happened. In terms of contents, the two epics are concerned with the Trojan War and its aftermath. The Iliad tells the story of the "wrath of Achilles". The greatest Greek hero is offended by King Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek army. He withdraws from fighting until the Trojans gain the upper hand, break into the Greek camp, and start burning the Greek ships. At this moment, Achilles agrees for his friend Patroclus to join the battle. Patroclus pushes the Trojans back, but in the end is killed by Hector, the son of King Priam and strongest defender of Troy. Achilles settles his dispute with Agamemnon, resumes fighting, and takes revenge for Patroclus. By killing Hector, he seals both the fall of 1 On this topic, see Finkelberg in this volume.
The Homeric Epics and the Chinese Book of Songs, 2018
The two papers to be commented on differ in approach and design. Indeed, they are so different th... more The two papers to be commented on differ in approach and design. Indeed, they are so different that it seems difficult to compare what they are discussing, i.e. the contents of the Homeric poems and the Book of Songs. This situation derives less from the idiosyncrasies of the authors than from the difference in the formal structure of the texts under discussion: On the one hand, we have two grand narratives, on the other, a collection of 305 relatively short poems. Thus, it is natural that when presenting the contents of the Iliad and the Odyssey, Øivind Andersen talks in each case first about the plot and then about a few particularly important themes, whereas Wai-yee Li immediately turns to the plurality of concerns and scenes we encounter in the Book of Songs. Later on, we will see whether there is a connection between the specific form and the specific contents of the texts. First, however, I shall start my comparative discussion by turning to the subject matter with which they are concerned. 1 Subject Matter: War and Peace-the Extraordinary and the Quotidian If one looks at the contents of the texts, the first thing one observes is a difference: on the one hand, the preponderance of war and fighting and life-threatening adventure in the Homeric epics and, on the other hand, the much broader spectrum of human affairs, many of them concerning day-today life, in the Shijing.
The Homeric Epics and the Chinese Book of Songs, 2018
Horizons, 2014
This essay attempts a comparison between Greek, Roman, and ancient Chinese historiography by look... more This essay attempts a comparison between Greek, Roman, and ancient Chinese historiography by looking at the classics of each of the three traditions. In Greece these are the works of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Polybius; in Rome those of Sallust, Livy, and Tacitus; in China the Book of Documents, the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Zuozhuan (Commentary of Zuo), and Sima Qian's Shiji (Records of the Historian). These texts are subjected to two lines of inquiry. First it will be asked: What is the extent and what is the structure of the field of historical events that each text brings into vision? What is meant here is not simply the set of events treated directly by a certain work but the whole range of historical developments that is evoked by it and in front of which the particular events presented in the foreground are seen and understood. The first part of the essay characterizes the works according to the different forms the "horizon of perception" takes in each of them. The second line of inquiry is concerned with the intended function of each work. In this case, too, a kind of typology comes to the fore, provoking the question as to what extent the horizon of perception and the intended function of these works can be seen as relating to each other. The preoccupation with past events and conditions is a phenomenon found in many societies, possibly forming an anthropological constant. 1 1 This essay is a slightly revised version of my article "Zu Sinnhorizont und Funktion griechischer, römischer und altchinesischer Geschichtsschreibung," published a decade ago in German language. I am grateful for the opportunity of republication in a language more easily accessible to those interested in comparative studies. For help with this language I, once again, have to thank my friend John Drinkwater. The footnotes are limited to references to the primary texts and to more recent English-language secondary literature. For fuller documentation, see the original German article.
Brill's Companion to Seneca, 2014
Brill's Companion to Seneca, 2014
Symbolae Osloenses, 2011
The paper has three parts. The first examines texts that sketch the model Roman life, i.e. that o... more The paper has three parts. The first examines texts that sketch the model Roman life, i.e. that of a member of the senatorial aristocracy. With its concentration on political and military achievement this life is by general consensus a (objectively) "good" life, the idea of (subjective) "happiness" remaining outside consideration. The second part of the paper looks at texts that favour alternative life choices, ones that give weight to the idea of "happiness": the Epicurean life (Lucretius), the individualistic life (Lucilius and Horace), and the amatory life (Tibullus and Propertius). The analysis shows that these texts contrast the lives advocated with the model elite life and engage at the same time in a discourse with each other. The third part of the paper reflects on the philosophical significance and the social setting of the texts examined.
Römische Werte und römische Literatur im frühen Prinzipat, 2011
Die Gesellschaft des alten Rom war eine traditionale Gesellschaft. Rationalität und Charisma konn... more Die Gesellschaft des alten Rom war eine traditionale Gesellschaft. Rationalität und Charisma konnten zur Legitimierung politischer Ordnungsarrangements oder der Machtstellung einer bestimmten Person beitragen, aber entscheidend war die Übereinstimmung mit dem Herkommen, der Sitte der Vorväter, dem mos maiorum. Für diejenigen, die sich anschickten, die römische Republik in eine Monarchie umzuformen, erwuchs hieraus ein Problem. Caesar ist dafür das bekannte Beispiel. Zwar ist man heute eher als früher geneigt, auch bei ihm die Orientierung am mos maiorum wahrzunehmen, 1 doch kann kaum ein Zweifel bestehen, daß er irgendwann den Glauben an die Vereinbarkeit der von ihm angestrebten Stellung mit dem Herkommen verlor und am Ende bereit war, der res publica, die ihm schließlich nur noch als eine appellatio sine corpore ac specie 2 erschien, mit der Diktatur auf Lebenszeit eine neue, dem Herkommen durchaus widersprechende Form aufzuzwingen. Die Folgen sind bekannt. Dementsprechend anders agierte Augustus. 3 Auf der einen Seite handelte er zwar vom Beginn bis zum Ende seiner Karriere nach dem Prinzip, daß die Kontrolle über ein hinreichendes Potential an physischer Gewalt die sicherste Grundlage politischer Macht sei, auf der anderen Seite aber war er sich bewußt, daß diese Art von Fundament sich als brüchig erweisen _____________
Journal of Chinese Philosopshy, 2010
The subject of this article is the development of universalistic ideas in the historical thinking... more The subject of this article is the development of universalistic ideas in the historical thinking of the Chinese and Roman empires. The questions we ask are: When did the world as a whole begin to play a role in the pertinent sources and how did these sources view the relationship between the respective polity and the world? The article represents an experiment in so far as its joint authors-a sinologist and a Western classicist-come from two quite different fields, and its material is presented under four headings, each dealing in turn with China and Rome. We are aware that this form may be criticized as complex, and that some readers may prefer more straightforward treatment in two separate articles. However, we hope that it offers more direct comparison, and thus will more readily stimulate discussion. We start with a brief look at the development and the sociopolitical context of historical consciousness and historiography in China and Rome (I). We then investigate how each polity and its relationship to the surrounding world are viewed in the texts, starting with the earlier (II) and then concentrating on those of the key periods for our endeavor, that is, the Han period in China and the early imperial period in Rome (III). Finally we focus on the question as to what role, within the context of universal thinking, is attributed to specific "Others," above all, but not exclusively, to the "barbarians" (IV).
"Wann ist die Frau eine Frau?" "Wann ist der Mann ein Mann?", 2009
Gender im alten Rom: Zur Konstruktion der Geschlechterrollen in lateinischen Texten vom Beginn de... more Gender im alten Rom: Zur Konstruktion der Geschlechterrollen in lateinischen Texten vom Beginn der römischen Literatur bis in die augusteische Zeit Die Beschäftigung mit Geschlechterrollen und Geschlechterdifferenzen hat im Zuge dessen, was man als cultural turn der Geisteswissenschaften zu bezeichnen pflegt, in vielen Fachdisziplinen einen Platz, nicht selten eine gewisse Prominenz gewonnen. 1 Vorstellungen wie die, daß das natürliche Geschlecht (sex) von der Geschlechterrolle (gender) zu unterscheiden und zumindest diese (wenn nicht sogar graduell auch jenes) kulturell geprägt und also geschichtlichen Veränderungen unterworfen ist und daß die Medien symbolischer Repräsentation wie Text, Bild und Ritual die entsprechen
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List of Publications by Fritz-Heiner Mutschler
Books by Fritz-Heiner Mutschler
Papers by Fritz-Heiner Mutschler