This book explores how recent findings and research provide a richer understanding of religious activities in Republican Rome and contemporary central Italic societies; including the Etruscans; during the period of the Middle and Late Republic. While much recent research has focused on the Romanization of areas outside Italy in later periods; this volume investigates religious aspects of the Romanization of the Italian peninsula itself. The essays strive to integrate literary evidence with archaeological and epigraphic material as they consider the nexus of religion and politics in early Italy; the impact of Roman institutions and practices on Italic society; the reciprocal impact of non-Roman practices and institutions on Roman custom; and the nature of 'Roman'; as opposed to 'Latin'; 'Italic'; or 'Etruscan'; religion in the period in question. The resulting volume illuminates many facets of religious praxis in Republican Italy; while at the same time complicating the categories we use to discuss it.
#1285165 in Books Christopher R Browning 2000-02-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.98 x .47 x 5.98l; .50 #File Name: 052177490X200 pagesNazi Policy Jewish Workers German Killers
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Must-Read for Holocaust ScholarsBy Deborah Lazaroff AlpiChristopher Browning is one of the world's most respected Holocaust scholars in no small part due to his book Ordinary Men: Police Battalion 101 and the Holocaust. This collection of several lectures regarding the time line of Nazi policy; Jewish Labor and the German killers doesn't disappoint. An excellent volume for any Holocaust scholar's collection.31 of 33 people found the following review helpful. New insight into a perennial theme.By John Barry KenyonAs new written sources from the early 1940s continue to turn up regularly in Russia and in its former Soviet satellites; historians are able to refine the history of the Jewish holocaust. Christopher Browning is at the forefront of this academic work. In his latest book; based on a series of lectures; he has a close look at when senior nazidom actually determined on a policy of destruction. He convincingly argues it was October 1941. There is an excellent chapter on Starachowice labor camp in Poland in which survivor memories and new documentary evidence are shown to be complementary. For those who want a followup to Browning's previously published work; for example on reserve police batallion 101; there is a final chapter in which the author slightly modifies his previous conclusions on the mindset of the killers. I think it is fair to say that this scholarly book is meant for advanced students of the holocaust; or at least those with a fair knowledge of the historiography.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. based on Nazi documentsBy Michael LewynThis short book; unlike many books on the Holocaust; is based on internal Nazi documents; and tries to give readers a feel for how Nazi policy both evolved at the top and was implemented at the bottom.The beginning of the book seeks to answer the question: when did the Nazis settle upon genocide? The 1939-40 documents analyzed by Browning suggest that Nazis envisioned expelling Jews to Magadascar or the remotest reaches of Eastern Europe; by contrast; sometime in 1941 Hitler and Himmler apparently agreed on mass extermination.Then Browning seeks to address the question of how much leeway local authorities had to avoid these policies; often; local commanders were more interested in exploiting Jewish labor than in extermination. Browning concludes that local authorities could drag their feet; but could not affirmatively resist clear orders from above.The last essays focus on the role of individual German police battalions who participated in killing squads. Browning concludes that the majority of these men were not ideologically motivated to murder Jews- but that typically a few were; and the rest just followed orders and could even avoid participation themselves as long as they did not interfere with the murder going on around them.
