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Taming Ares: War, Interstate Law, and Humanitarian Discourse in Classical Greece

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In Taming Ares Emiliano J. Buis examines the sources of classical Greece to challenge both the state-centeredness of mainstream international legal history and the omnipresence of war and excessive...
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  • 09 May 2018
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In Taming Ares Emiliano J. Buis examines the sources of classical Greece to challenge both the state-centeredness of mainstream international legal history and the omnipresence of war and excessive violence in ancient times. Making ample use of epigraphic as well as literary, rhetorical, and historiographical sources, the book offers the first widespread account of the narrative foundations of the (il)legality of warfare in the classical Hellenic world. In a clear yet sophisticated manner, Buis convincingly proves that the traditionally neglected study of the performance of ancient Greek poleis can contribute to a better historical understanding of those principles of international law underlying the practices and applicable rules on the use of force and the conduct of hostilities.
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Price: $190.00
Pages: 312
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill | Nijhoff
Series: Studies in the History of International Law
Publication Date: 09 May 2018
ISBN: 9789004359734
Format: Hardcover
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'Emiliano Buis’s book, Taming Ares: War, Interstate Law, and Humanitarian Discourse in Classical Greece, is one of the rare books to look at Classical Greece texts and norms from various religious, political, social, literary and artistic sources, through the prism of international humanitarian law (IHL), and offers a fascinating perspective on the historical roots of IHL.
This book allows readers to get an in-depth view into how norms, interpolity relations and laws common to the classical Greeks were conceived during the Peloponnesian War period (431–404 BCE), and provides an enlightening analysis of some of the precursory roots of what we know today as ius ad bellum and ius in bello. Not only is the book based on meticulous research, but each of its sections is also supported by numerous examples and quotations of the original texts used as reference sources, with their English translation, allowing readers to fully appreciate how the norms and ideas preceding modern-day IHL were expressed.' Marie-Louise Tougas, in: International Review of the Red Cross, p. 1-7. Published online 18 July 2019.
"The book’s greatest strength is Buis’ engagement both with the ancient evidence and with recent thinking in the field of International Law, a combination often allows for unexpected and stimulating insights. This monograph will be valuable both for students of international law seeking an introduction to Greek thinking and practices, and for classical Greek historians interested in the perspectives of the discipline of International Law". Peter Hunt, in H-Soz-Kult. Kommunikation und Fachinformation für die Geschichtswissenschaften (2019).
Emiliano Jerónimo Buis, PhD in Classics and Postdoctoral Degree in Law (Universidad de Buenos Aires) is Professor of International Law and Ancient Greek at that university and at UNICEN, as well as researcher at the CONICET in Argentina. He has widely published on the theory and history of international law, ancient Greek literature (especially drama) and Athenian law.