Papers by Edward Dabrowa (Edward Dąbrowa)
His bond with the history of Rome and its provinces went back to his childhood. He was born on 8 ... more His bond with the history of Rome and its provinces went back to his childhood. He was born on 8 October 1937 in Chesterholm, Northumberland, the ancient auxiliary fort of Vindolanda, just miles to the west. His father Eric had bought the house where the Vindolanda Museum now is. Tony grew up there together with his older brother Robin. That ancient place was to shape both their lives. At Clifton College in Bristol, where his father had been educated decades earlier, Tony's interest in, and talent for the classical languages soon became apparent, and he absorbed them with an energy and depth almost unimaginable today. Anyone who came into contact with him later could feel the self-evident familiarity with which he approached the lived historical experience of the Greek and Roman world. He then went up to Oxford, where he studied Classics from 1956 onwards, in the years 1960-1962 as a Craven Fellow; during that time, he not only completed his MA, but also had the chance to study for several months in Paris with Hans-Georg Pflaum at the École des Hautes Études. Pflaum had been in close contact with Tony's father Eric since the end of the Second World War, just like Sir Ronald Syme. Those three great scholars were bound by many common interests, including their efforts to revive the Prosopographia Imperii Romani at the Berlin Academy in 1952. In light of that family and intellectual background, the topic Tony worked on in his dissertation (begun in 1963) was not such a surprise: 'The Roman High Command from the Death of Hadrian to the Death of Caracalla, with Particular Attention to the Danubian Wars of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus'. His supervisor was Ronald Syme, with whom he retained a very close connection throughout his life; his last major publication was an edition of Syme's select correspondence. After holding positions at Birmingham and Leeds and a visiting professorship at Duke University in North Carolina, he was appointed Professor of Ancient History at Manchester University (1974-1990). He was later elected to the Ancient History Chair at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, succeeding Dietmar Kienast (1990-2002). After his retirement he was Visiting Professor at Newcastle and Durham. His integration into the German academic world was considerably facilitated by his longstanding and close connection with several colleagues, such as the archaeologist and director of the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn, Harald von Petrikovits, an old friend of his father's, Géza Alföldy, who worked first in Bonn and Bochum and later in Heidelberg, and Johannes Straub, the Bonn ancient historian, in whose Historia Augusta Colloquia Tony took part early on. His second wife, Heide Birley (1938-2022), was a Roman archaeologist, with a strong expertise in the material
The aim of this paper is to present Parthian-Armenian relations from the end of the 2nd century B... more The aim of this paper is to present Parthian-Armenian relations from the end of the 2nd century BCE to the so-called Treaty of Rhandeia (63 CE). This covers the period from the first contact of both states to the final conclusion of long-drawn-out military conflicts over Armenia between the Arsacids ruling the Parthian Empire and Rome. The author discusses reasons for the Parthian involvement in Armenia during the rule of Mithradates II and various efforts of the Arsacids to win control over this area. He also identifies three phases of their politics towards Armenia in the discussed period.
The aim of this paper is to present a few observations on the influence of Hellenistic political ... more The aim of this paper is to present a few observations on the influence of Hellenistic political patterns on Parthian kingship.
Andrik Ab ra m e n k 0 (Frankfurt/M.), Die Verschwörung des Alexander Lyncestes und die "f!T)1:rt... more Andrik Ab ra m e n k 0 (Frankfurt/M.), Die Verschwörung des Alexander Lyncestes und die "f!T)1:rtp 'tOU ßa(J'tA.i(O~".
The phenomenon of rewritten history, meaning an author’s (verbatim or otherwise) use of the conte... more The phenomenon of rewritten history, meaning an author’s (verbatim or otherwise) use of the contents of an existing work(s) and including them in his or her own, rightly attracts scholars’ interest. When analyzing the practice, it is important to remember that the contents of one work used in another might not only paint a different picture of evens from the original. But also have a different ideological import. There is no doubt that certain parts of Antiquitates Judaicae are excellent illustration of Josephus’ use of this practice. The relationship between the content of Antiquitates Judaicae and that of 1 Maccabees has long been subject of analyses, mostly in terms of the amount of use the historian makes of the work as well as the extent and aim of his own additions.
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The foundation of cities (poleis) was one of the governing principles of most Hellenistic
rulers.... more The foundation of cities (poleis) was one of the governing principles of most Hellenistic
rulers. However, the Hasmoneans presented the opposite approach to this matter
when ruling over Judea. Not only did they not found any new cities, but they also
deliberately caused the fall of the Greek cities that had found themselves within the
borders of their state due to their conquests of Samaria, Galilee and the Decapolis.
The author tries to identify the reason for such an attitude of the rulers of Judea.
Pdf available on demand
"Electrum" 25, 2018, 73 - 83, 2018
Dynastic marriages in the Hellenistic world were an important diplomatic tool that provided dist... more Dynastic marriages in the Hellenistic world were an important diplomatic tool that provided distinct political benefi ts to one or both of the parties involved. The Parthian rulers from the Arsacid dynasty also engaged in such unions with other ruling houses. Surviving sources contain information on such marriages with the members of the Seleucid family, the Artaxiad dynasty, which ruled in Armenia, but also ruling houses in Commagene and Media Atropatene. Not all of these links resulted from a bilateral agreement, however; some were the result of imposition of the Arsacids’ will. The author attempts to demonstrate the circumstances in which each of the known dynastic marriages of the rulers of Parthia came about, as well as the objectives they hoped to
achieve as a result.
The aim of this paper is to reflect upon the sacral kingship of the Arsacids. The subject had bee... more The aim of this paper is to reflect upon the sacral kingship of the Arsacids. The subject had been discussed by the author on different occasions in his earlier published works. The paper offers further observations and some general conclusions.
Pdf of the paper is available only on the individual demand.
Tacitus is the only Roman historian who devoted his works to such an extent to Rome's eastern nei... more Tacitus is the only Roman historian who devoted his works to such an extent to Rome's eastern neighbor – the Parthian Empire. Scholars have researched the problem of Taci-tus' attitude towards the Parthians on many occasions. It seems that what is the most important question is not Tacitus' opinion, but the perspective from which he looked at this topic combined with the source he used when describing the Parthians and their history. Another interesting question is also how deep Tacitus' knowledge was of the past of the Parthian Empire and the history of Roman-Parthian relations. The aim of this paper is to verify what Tacitus wrote about the Parthians throughout his works. Without taking into account all this evidence, it is not possible to propose a proper evaluation or balanced observations concerning his presentation of the Roman-Parthian relations and internal history, society and customs of the Arsacid state in the first century CE.
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Papers by Edward Dabrowa (Edward Dąbrowa)
pdf available on demand
rulers. However, the Hasmoneans presented the opposite approach to this matter
when ruling over Judea. Not only did they not found any new cities, but they also
deliberately caused the fall of the Greek cities that had found themselves within the
borders of their state due to their conquests of Samaria, Galilee and the Decapolis.
The author tries to identify the reason for such an attitude of the rulers of Judea.
Pdf available on demand
achieve as a result.
Pdf of the paper is available only on the individual demand.