The exploration delves into the enduring appeal of historical works like those of Herodotus and Gibbon, questioning why they resonate through generations. It analyzes the development of historical genres and scrutinizes the historiographical canon, offering innovative insights into how these classics have maintained their significance and captured the imagination of readers over time.
The book explores the historical practice of royal self-coronations, debunking the myth that Napoleon was the first to undertake such an act. It reveals that self-coronations have a rich tradition dating back to late antiquity, illustrating that the practice was more common and accepted than previously thought. Through a comprehensive analysis, the author sheds light on the cultural and political implications of self-coronations throughout history, challenging conventional narratives about this significant royal ritual.
Why do some historical works, such as those of Herodotus or Gibbon, capture the imaginations of readers across generations? This study explores the power of these so-called 'classics', investigating the construction and consolidation of historical genres while innovatively examining the historiographical canon.
This book presents a new look at the West by tracing the still-recognizable footprints of the past and reflecting on the present challenges is facing. It recalls the genealogies of the plural processes, ideas, and events that structure the West's tradition and identity, and their presence nowadays. It proposes to reach back to the foundations of the Western Civilization such as Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and the early Christianity. It explores the painful split between Rome, Constantinople and Mecca. It connects the great values of the Middle Ages - from the chivalrous spirit to the scholastic rationality - to the present. It shows the faces of the Modernity and its most relevant achievements - the state in politics, the capitalism in economics, the science in knowledge - and how they are being revised nowadays by Postmodernity. It examines the twentieth- and twenty-first century self-inflicted criticism of the West, which threatens the entire civilization to disappear. It invites the reader to not only brush up on knowledge of the past, but also to reflect on the present. This helps readers gain perspective, gives clues for understanding the complexities of the past, challenges some pre-assumed historical inaccuracies, identifies its weight and presence in the present, and projects these thoughts towards the future.