Birds in Roman life and myth / Ashleigh Green.

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023.

©2023

xix, 227 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm.

"This book examines birds in Roman life and myth, focusing primarily on the transitional period of 100 BCE to 100 CE within the Italian peninsula. A diverse range of topics are considered to build a broad view of the role of birds in Roman life. It begins by examining birds in omens, augury, and auspices, with particular emphasis on the so-called sacred chickens consulted by magistrates and generals before important decisions. From there, it looks at how Romans hunted birds, farmed them, and kept them as pets. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, it draws on many evidence streams, including literary evidence alongside art, material culture, zooarchaeology, and modern ornithological knowledge to reconstruct fully how Romans lived with, thought about, and exploited birds. The incorporation of zooarchaeological knowledge adds another dimension to the evidence and highlights how animals and animal remains can be used to interpret the past and reconstruct cultural, religious, and social beliefs. Using a blend of evidence to examine birds as divine messengers, heralds, hunted quarry, domestic flocks, companion animals and more, this book is an important reference for researchers interested in human-animal relations and animals in the ancient world"-- Provided by publisher.

Online version: Green, Ashleigh. Birds in Roman life and myth Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Routledge, 2023

English

August 09, 2023

Global perspectives on ancient Mediterranean archaeology

Includes bibliographical references and index.