JOHNSON, A.Ch., and L.C. WEST,
Byzantine Egypt: Economic Studies.
Hakkert, Amsterdam, 1967. VIII,344p. Photomechanical reprint ed.1949. Original green gilt titled cloth. Spine discoloured. Upper corners cover slightly bumped. A lot of pencil markings and strikes from TR. ‘This volume does for Byzantine Egypt what Prof. Johnson’s ‘Roman Egypt’ did for the earlier period, and the comparative neglect of the Byzantine age by papyrologists makes it even more welcome. It follows the same general plan as its predecessor. It falls into four main sections, land, people, defence, and taxation. As in the former volume, lists of documents are given under the various headings, e.g. sales and leases of land, besides such lists as those of building materials (…), pottery, drugs, prices, etc., and on pp.297-321 an alphabetical list of miscellaneous taxes. These are to the researcher perhaps the most valuable feature of the volume. The authors cover the ground with admirable thoroughness, giving evidence on every page of wide reading and acquaintance with all the sources, papyrological, legal, and literary. They write objectively, and treat with fairness views which they reject. There is no doubt that the volume will be of great utility, and with reservations it can be recommenced as an essential work of reference to every student of Byzantine Egypt. (…) Despite the evidence of extensive research the actual writing seems to have been too hasty. (…) Most of these flaws concern points of detail, but they arouse a feeling of uneasiness, and at times we find more serious blunders. (…) The utility (of the volume - ND) would have been increased by an index of the many papyri so usefully discussed; and, since the authors do not follow the standard method, there should have been a list of abbreviated references.’ (H.I. BELL in The Classical Review, 1950, pp.137-139). From the library of the late Prof. Dr. Tony Reekmans.
€ 115.00
(Antiquarian)