Ancient Colonizations: Analogy, Similarity and Difference

In recent years the archaeological understanding of both Greek and Roman ‘colonisations’ has changed radically. One important element of that change has been the understanding that traditional loose analogy with Modern European Imperialism has been unproductive. However, while many scholars have pointed to the negative impact of such comparisons, there has as yet been no real attempt to understand the pervasiveness of the analogy. Nor has there been any attempt to assess the viability of analogy in general as a tool for understanding these ancient ‘colonisations’. In this book leading scholars in the field open the debate on this important issue. They expose the implicit comparisons that underlie some current interpretations and suggest ways in which modern analogies, rigorously constructed, can help to elucidate the processes of settlement and cultural interaction in the past.