A Cultural History of Violence

Throughout history, violence has arguably played a central role in most events, movements and countries. This six volume set considers how violence can offer an insight into societies of the past. Tracing the culture of violence from the ancient world to the modern day, 54 experts explore nine themes in the history of violence to show how it has been understood, created, carried out and controlled through human history. Individual volume editors ensure the cohesion of the whole set, and the structure allows the reader to either focus on one particular period, or trace a specific theme across the ages through each of the volumes. The six volumes cover: 1. Antiquity (500 BCE to 800 CE); 2. The Middle Ages (800 to 1450); 3. The Renaissance (1450 to 1650); 4. Age of Enlightenment (1650 to 1800); 5. Age of Empire (1800 to 1920); 6. Modern Age (1920 to the present). Themes (and chapter titles) are: understanding and defining violence, sacred violence, spaces of violence, authority and