Attila und die Hunnen

[Publius Aelius Lucius]

unfortunately only into German D wink:

Herausgegeben vom Historischen Museum der Pfalz, Speyer
[size=150:1srptamy]Attila und die Hunnen [/size]

2007. 1. Auflage, 392 S. mit über 470 farb. Abb., Geb.
ISBN 978-3-8062-2114-5
Subskriptionspreis bis zum 31.03.2008:
EURO 34,90
danach: EURO 39,90

Das Begleitbuch zur Ausstellung im Historischen Museum der Pfalz, Speyer vom 17. Juni 2007 bis 6. Januar 2008
Blutrünstige und primitive Reiterhorden, die Tod und Zerstörung über das Abendland brachten – so schilderten römische Autoren Attila und sein Volk. Kein anderer Herrscher übte eine größere Faszination auf Zeitgenossen und Nachwelt aus als der gefürchtete Hunnenkönig, die „Geißel Gottes“.
Mit der historischen Wirklichkeit hat dieses klischeehafte Geschichtsbild jedoch herzlich wenig zu tun: Die Hunnen läuteten mit ihrem überraschenden Auftauchen in der ersten Hälfte des 5. Jahrhunderts und einer bis dahin im Westen völlig unbekannten Kampfesweise das Ende des Römischen Imperiums und den Beginn der Völkerwanderungszeit ein. Aber sie waren keineswegs kulturlose Barbaren, sondern Menschen, die sich perfekt an ein Leben in der Steppe unter widrigsten Lebensbedingungen angepasst hatten.
Ausstellung und Begleitbuch lassen uns das Leben der Reiternomaden spannend und lebendig erfahren.


www.theiss.de

[Simplex]

Hi Martin,
I'd like to add a little bit to your review, as I've been there and I'm in the process of reading the book.
So, let's put it that way: a book that's livin' up to what it's promotion slogans claim ?!
You bet !
So while it's pretty obvious as to why every "roman afficionado" should have his own piece of the "Constantine The Great" Catalogue or the Colloquial Book that's additionally available.
Even Dr. Grünewald's book about the roman graves that accompanies the "Die ersten Römer in Rheinhessen" exhibition are of a certain use to the above-average "afficionado".
But why should a book about the famed leader of the Huns ( no, not Emperor William II, dear Brits, I'm talking 'bout the Original, Attila !)
raise a bit more interest amongst the folks participating in in that forum ?
1. It's the language :wink: --- no I'm kiddin' a bit here, but it's written in German, not in Dutch . ( Dutchmen-- tick the appropriate, please !: lol: / :wink: / hock: / :oops: / roll: / :x )
No, ---- but really ---
1. It' s the CONTENTS ( O.K. , WHAT else ?! :wink: ):
VERY roughly translated:
-- After the introductionary words a extensive timetable:
The Introductionary (basic ?) Essays:
-- The Steppe as cultural and natural environment of nomad
-- Hunnic history after 375
-- Attila as a historic person
The Huns between Europe and Asia
-- Archeological traces of the Xiongnu
-- The huns in the north Caucasian area
-- Huns and Germans on the lower Danube
-- Eastern Germans in the middle and lower danubian area - The hunnic reign
-- Attila's kingdom and the germanic gentes in the middle danubian area
-- The Upper Rhine Valley between Strassbourg and Bingen during the 5th Century - Historical tradition and archaelogical evidence
-- Eastern elements amongst the finds of the 5th Century from the
right-bank area of Speyer.
-- Hunnic evidence in Xinjiang. Reflections on european-asian cultural exchange at the turn towards the middle ages.
Main Points of Research in History and Culture of the Huns
-- Continuity and discontinuity at the transition from late antiquity to the middle ages.
-- The Cernjachov culture of the Black Sea area after the hunnic Invasion
-- Early hunnic settlements between th eastern Carpathians and the Dnjestr.
-- Indications to contacs between the hunnic area of reign in south-eastern Europe and the North.
-- Byzantium And The Huns
-- The Late Roman Army
-- Late Roman frontier fortresses on the middle and lower Danube in the light of east-germanic and equestrian-nomadic finds.
-- The equestrian-nomadic warrior.
-- Entrusted to the earth. Depot-finds from the zone of the hunnic community of nations
-- A germanic female funeral from the legionary fortress of Turda, Romania.
-- Spangenhelme
-- On burial rites of the huns
-- Principal finds of the hunnic era from Szeged-Nagyszeksos, Hungary
-- Facial depictions in the equestrian nomad environment
-- On artificial formations of skulls
-- Alanic catacomb tombs in the northern caucasian area.
A contribution on nomadic burial rites
-- Excursion: Hunnic kettles
-- Map: Distribution of hunnic kettles
-- A principal tomb from the times of the huns in the caucasian area.
(Kurgan 2 from the burial field of Brut)
-- Ardarich and the Gepides
-- Huns vs. Bugunadians - Revenge or Fate ??
-- Thuringians and Huns
Reception:
-- The weeping king and his vanishing into the darkness of oblivion
( King Etzel in the Song of the Niblungs and the Lament)
-- Attila in the older nordic poetry
-- The virgin and the King of the Huns. Attila in the Legend of Ursula.
Appendix
Hunnic kings/glossary/list of literature/list of abbreviations/authors/list of lenders/crossreference of depictions

--O.K. ?! I think THIS speaks for itself. And if not:
The essays on the upper rhine valley in the 5th century was written by Helmut Bernhard, one of the men who dug out Tabernae, the burgi od Ungstein and Eisenberg and the late roman houses at Speyer.
The essay on the late roman army was written by Jürgen Oldenstein.
Both are amongst the best introductions to the subjects that I've ever read.

2. The Appearance :
Good photographs, precisely arranged within the text.
BTW: all the exhibits there that were needed to clarify the subjects and topics.
The essays have been thoughtfully arranged.
My congrats to the makers/compilers and the likes !
Zero , yes, I repeat ZERO misspellings/misprints/false facts in the book.
(I've seen catalogues much worse in that aspect -- and from the same publisher !)

3. The stature/summary :
As an introduction to the history and culture of the huns as such, equestrain nomads in general and the era of late antiquity not only on the Balcan and even as a supplement to Istvan Bona's "The Realm Of The Huns/ Das Hunnenreich/A hunok és nagykiráliaik" it is a real good buy, if I may say so.

That's all for now.

Greez

Siggi K.

[Publius Aelius Lucius]

thanks for your elaboration siggi 8)
I can only follow your opinion

[Robert Vermaat]

It's the language :wink: --- no I'm kiddin' a bit here, but it's written in German, not in Dutch . ( Dutchmen-- tick the appropriate, please !: lol: / :wink: / hock: / :oops: / roll: / :x ) .

For that price? Sounds like a great buy!

[Simplex]

Hi Robert,
... so glad you appreciated "the lighter side" of my arguments for buying that book.
For bargains as such...
.... in a way the book may also be like these "japanese language courses" one got "for free" when you bought japanese pressings of LP and CD "in earlier times". :wink:
(I was especially fond of their english lyrics' transcriptions, -- nearly as entertaining as the guides that came with italian technical goods in the 70's and early 80's if I may say so. :roll: )
For the book: I just ran (literally speaking !) into an old book of mine:
Germanen, Hunen und Awaren -- Die Schätze der Völkerwanderung
(Germans,Huns [no pun intended!] and Avars - Treasures from the times of the Big Migration) , Germanic National MuseumNürnberg 1987, compiled by Wilfried Menghin ( the one with the Langobards, long-time chief archeologist of Bavaria -- now a big shot in the cultural "nomenclatura" of Berlin -- and rightfully so !)
The new book on Attila is not only a worthwile addition or update and even partly a substitute to Bonas book from 1991, but also stands in the same relation to the 1987 catalgogue.
Yes, it is a bargain under all circumstances. But you definitely should also go and visit "the show" at Speyer. :!:
Greez

Siggi

[Simplex]

...as "kinda" aftermath/update ......
My favourite blogspot "Archeonews" just gave me an interesting link :
[url:2c0tf6kh]http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/274002[/url]
Interesting enough, I think.

Greez

Simplex