Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC) 31 (2016)
The JOURNAL OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS (JAC) is published annually by the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China). Last year, we presented the 30th volume to the academic audience after the first issue in 1986, only two years after the foundation of IHAC.
The aim of JAC is to provide a forum for the discussion of various aspects of the cultural and historical processes in the Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean world, encompassing studies of individual civilizations as well as common elements, contacts and interactions among them (e.g. in such traditional fields as Assyriology, Hittitology, Egyptology, Classics, and Sinology among others). Hence, we publish the work of international scholars while also providing a showcase for the finest Chinese scholarship, and so welcome articles dealing with history, philology, art, archaeology and linguistics which are intended to illuminate the material culture and society of the ancient Near East, the Mediterranean region, and ancient China. Articles discussing other cultures will be considered for publication only if they are clearly relevant to the ancient Mediterranean world, the Near East and China. Information about new discoveries and current scholarly events is also welcome. Publishers are encouraged to send review copies of books in the relevant fields.
As announced in the last issue, from this volume on the articles are double blind peerreviewed. All submitted articles are first carefully read by at least two editors of JAC, who will give a feedback to the author. Articles (excluding book reviews or research reports) are afterwards reviewed anonymously by at least two referees in the specific field, appointed by the editorial board. In cases where the reviewers recommend changes in the manuscript, authors are requested to revise their articles. From time to time, we will publish a list of the referees to make the double blind peer-review process transparent and comprehensible.
We are very happy that we have received a lot of support in the last years from our reviewers, and contributors. In times of increasingly accelerated research-cycles, we will publish two fascicles of JAC from the next volume on instead of one issue per year. Thus, we invite all our readers and academic friends to submit their articles to contribute to JAC!
All communications, manuscripts, disks and books for review should be sent to the Assistant Editor, Journal of Ancient Civilizations, Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, Northeast Normal University, 130024 Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China (e-mail: jac@nenu.edu.cn), or to the Executive Director in Chief, Prof. Dr. Sven Günther, M.A. (e-mail: svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn or sveneca@aol.com).
TABLE OF CONTENTSVolume 31 (2016)
ARTICLES
LIU, CHANGYU: Aba-saga’s Activities during the Reign of Šulgi in the Ur III Dynasty S. 1–6
BRAND, PETER J.: Reconstructing the Royal Family of Ramesses II and ist Hierarchical Structure S. 7–44
YUE, MENGZHEN: Naming the Greeks in the Archaic Period: “Panhellenes,” “Hellenes,” “Hellas” and the Notion of Panhellenism S. 45–84
KÜTER, ALEXA: Imitatio Alexandri – the Image of Drusus Minor on Brass Tokens of the Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin S. 85–122
ABSTRACTSS. 123–124
Changyu LIU (Institute of East China Sea Rim and Borderland, Department of History, College of Humanities, Zhejiang Normal University) ABA-SAGA’S ACTIVITIES DURING THE REIGN OF ŠULGI IN THE UR III DYNASTY (pp. 1–6) Aba-saga (Ab-ba-sa6-ga) was a significant official in the Puzriš-Dagan organization during the Third Dynasty of Ur. Although his main administrative practices date to the reign of Amar-Suen, Aba-saga is also attested in texts dating to the reign of Šulgi. As his father Nasa’s auxiliary, Aba-saga played an important role in the Puzriš-Dagan organization during Šulgi’s second half of regnal years.
Peter J. BRAND (University of Memphis) RECONSTRUCTING THE ROYAL FAMILY OF RAMESSES II AND ITS HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE (pp. 7–44) A systematic examination of Ramesses II’s large family of over 100 children and at least a dozen wives reveals that the Great Royal Wives Nefertari and Isetnofret, along with their children, enjoyed a privileged status within the hierarchical structure of the royal family. Nefertari owed her supreme status to being mother of Ramessse II’s first born son Amunhirkhopeshef, while Ramesses II was still crown prince under Sety I. Isetnofret’s sons and daughters were also favored because she gave birth to the second born son Prince Ramesses Jr. Isetnofret herself did not enjoy prominence on the monuments until after the death of Nefertari, nor was she buried in the Valley of the Queens. The remaining offspring of these wives also benefited from the prestige of their mothers and eldest brothers. Other early wives gave birth to the majority of Ramesses II’s children, but these women are now completely anonymous. Other attested wives of the king include his five daughter-wives and two Hittite Princess-brides. No other Egyptian wives are known for Ramesses II. Monumental sources that privilege Queen Nefertari, and the children of both Nefertari and Isetnofret, reveal a hierarchical structure of the royal family.
Mengzhen YUE (University College Dublin) NAMING THE GREEKS IN THE ARCHAIC PERIOD: “PANHELLENES,” “HELLENES,” “HELLAS” AND THE NOTION OF PANHELLENISM (pp. 45–84) The labels “Hellenes” and “Hellas” are often considered to be collective names for the Greeks and have a close connection with the term “Panhellenes.” This article studies the process of naming the Greeks in the Archaic period and the relationship between these collective names and the notion of Panhellenism. By a literary and etymological examination of the relevant sources, it suggests that the designation “Hellenes” probably did not evolve from that of “Panhellenes” and that the terms “Hellenes” and “Hellas,” but not “Panhellenes,” probably have generic significance in the sixth century. Furthermore, with the Olympic Games and the Hellenion, a Greek sanctuary in Naucratis, as two study cases, the article shows the complexity of the development of Greek identification. On the one hand, collective names like “Hellenes” and “Hellas” have a centripetal force on trans-regional occasions, and on the other, those events also feature competition, privilege and express civic identities of both individual and community, which seems to be divisive.
Alexa KÜTER (Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) IMITATIO ALEXANDRI – THE IMAGE OF DRUSUS MINOR ON BRASS TOKENS OF THE MÜNZKABINETT, STAATLICHE MUSEEN ZU BERLIN (pp. 85–122) Within the group of Roman brass tokens with numerals on the reverse, one type depicting a youthful commander on the obverse stands out. Obviously, it depicts a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The young male is seen from the back, holding a spear. The paper not only discusses this peculiar iconography but also tries to give a new identification: while the commander is usually identified with Tiberius or Germanicus, there are strong reasons to connect the portrait to Drusus minor