RUDN Journal of World History
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Current Issue
Vol 17, No 3 (2025): Antiquity in the Mediterranean Region and pre-Columbian America
- Year: 2025
- Articles: 9
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/2312-8127/issue/view/22500
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-8127-2025-17-3
Full Issue
LAW AND POWER IN ANCIENT ROME
The evolution of legal proceedings in the Roman land registry
Abstract
The relevance of this study is due to the fact that it is based on the analysis of a source that has not been sufficiently studied in Russian historiography - Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum. Using a comprehensive method of historical research, the author reveals the evolution of legal proceedings in the Roman land registry. The purpose of the author is to trace the allocation of land in the archaic and pre-classical periods of the development of the Ius Civile in Rome, as well as to point out the changes in judicial proceedings that determined the course of its development in Roman agrimensura. The author came to the following conclusions that, starting from the period of Emperor Augustus, the forma plan of land surveying was worked out, which was a scheme of the most perfect system of field division - centuriation; and also that during the entire pre-classical period of the Ius Civile in Rome, elements of archaic judicial procedure were preserved: thus, locus forever retained the category of Publicus, except Moreover, the influence of archaism is manifested in how a compromise outcome of a dispute becomes the preferred solution to land conflicts. The formulary process, which based the evidence on the law of the magistrate, built the category of “segments from the boundary line” into the decision of the process of boundary claims based on the interdictum. Thus, the actiones finium regundorum group of claims was singled out, which completed the formation of Roman land law.



Bellum Parthicum of the emperor Trajan: a contest with the ghost of Alexander?
Abstract
The last and largest campaign of Emperor Trajan, his Parthian War, is fraught with many mysteries for the researcher, which is primarily explained by the state of the source base. The purpose of the war, the plans of the parties, the sequence of events that unfolded, and Trajan’s further intentions after the unexpectedly easy capture of Armenia and Mesopotamia are unclear. The purpose of this study is to clarify these issues to the extent that the available sources allow. The popular opinion is criticized that the emperor, planning and starting this war, took advantage of the plans of his predecessors and intended to repeat the eastern campaign of Alexander the Great. It is proved that the immediate goal of the war was the annexation of Armenia, the traditional “apple of discord” between Rome and Parthia. However, the exceptionally favorable situation due to the war between the pretenders to the Parthian throne allowed Trajan to transfer the fighting after the capture of Armenia to the territory of Mesopotamia. The last and largest campaign of Emperor Trajan, his Parthian War, is fraught with many mysteries for the researcher, which is primarily explained by the state of the source base. The purpose of the war, the plans of the parties, the sequence of events that unfolded, and Trajan’s further intentions after the unexpectedly easy capture of Armenia and Mesopotamia are unclear. The purpose of this study is to clarify these issues to the extent that the available sources allow. The popular opinion is criticized that the emperor, planning and starting this war, took advantage of the plans of his predecessors and intended to repeat the eastern campaign of Alexander the Great. It is proved that the immediate goal of the war was the annexation of Armenia, the traditional “apple of discord” between Rome and Parthia. The situation that developed extremely favorably due to the war between the pretenders to the Parthian throne allowed Trajan to transfer the fighting after the capture of Armenia to the territory of Mesopotamia, capture the Parthian capital Ctesiphon and reach the coast of the Persian Gulf. Considering the war already won, the emperor did not intend to continue the land campaign to the East, as there were no necessary resources for this. Instead, Trajan was going to transfer the war to the sea and make a naval expedition to India, thereby surpassing the achievements of Alexander the Great. However, further developments forced him to abandon these plans.



The governor and other representatives of Roman authority in the province: between collaboration and conflict
Abstract
This study is devoted to the problem of the relationship between representatives of the Roman authorities in the provinces. The focus is on the figure of the governor as the main bearer of state power outside Italy. The proconsul, as well as the legate of Augustus, had to solve the tasks facing them on the implementation of the management of the entrusted to them part of the state, cooperating with other officials. A special role here was played by the interaction (for the governors of the senatorial provinces) with the quaestors - relatively independent representatives of the central government. The study examines the ideological and moral-psychological foundations on which the relationship between the proconsuls and quaestors was built. Based on specific material, it is shown that one of the most important mechanisms for ensuring an effective partnership here was the acceptance by the senatorial community as a whole of the idea of necessitudo, that is a mutual moral duty linking the quaestor and the proconsul with bonds of corporate solidarity. The relationship between the governor and his appointees, i.e. the legates, was maintained on somewhat different grounds. In this case, one can find signs of a vertical power structure, but with the patriarchal attitudes characteristic of the Romans, which made the atmosphere almost family-like in this case. The study also examines the relationships between different categories of governors and, on the other hand, procurators as formally private envoys of the princeps. The tendency towards a rivalry of procurators in relation to governors is argued, which may be a reflection of the competition between the equestrian and senatorial ordines. The study examines cases of violation of the normal order of partnership between the governor and other representatives of Rome in the province. As sources show, such conflicts mainly took the form of legal proceedings.



Historian in the service of the fatherland: On the role of Publius Herennius Dexippus in the events of 267/268 AD
Abstract
The study examines the debates about the role of the 3rd century AD Athenian historian Publius Herennius Dexippus in repelling the Herulian invasion in 267/268 AD. Based on a review of the known evidence about the life and work of Dexippus, and taking into account the recently discovered new fragments of his “Scythian History”, the author critically evaluates the views of skeptics who deny the role of Dexippus as one of the leaders in the struggle against the barbarians. Based primarily on ex silentio arguments or textual criticism, these opinions cannot be completely convincing. They do not take into account the general direction of Dexippus’s historiographical work, permeated with the ideals of Greek patriotism, which, undoubtedly, was an important factor in the active involvement of the Hellenes and their leaders in the defense against the barbarians in conditions when the imperial power did not have sufficient forces to cope with all the threats. It seems convincing that the Athenian historian, who possessed both administrative experience and authority among his fellow citizens, could well be the leader to take upon himself the organization of armed resistance, like other members of Greek urban elites.



Dating the execution of John the Baptist and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Abstract
The study is devoted to clarifying the chronology of such significant events of gospel history as the execution of John the Baptist and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The author tries to reconcile the conflicting indications of the sources, primarily the texts of the canonical Gospels and such works of Josephus as “Antiquities of the Jews” and “The Jewish War”, in order to build an internally coherent chronological version of the sequence of events from the beginning of the relationship between Herod Antipas and Herodias until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that attempts to reconcile the data reported by the evangelists, without criticizing them and accepting as unconditionally true the testimonies about the lives of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, with the calculations of astronomers and the achievements of archaeologists have reached a dead end today. In this regard, there is a pressing need to once again, as impartially as possible, analyze the entire range of sources in order to finally bring clarity to this long-discussed issue. As a result of the undertaken analysis of sources and literature, the author came to the following conclusions: the romance of Herod Antipas and Herodias began in 34 or a little earlier, John the Baptist was executed in 35, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ took place on Friday, March 30, 36 AD. The author proceeds from the fact that Christ was born in September 12 BC, when the biblical wise men could observe Halley’s Comet - the most likely prototype of the Star of Bethlehem. In this case, at the time of the crucifixion, Christ should have been 46 full years old, which is indirectly confirmed in two places by the Evangelist John.



SPORTS IN ANTIQUITY
Victory ‘dustlessly’ - victory by a clear advantage
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to find out the reasons why athletes at the Panhellenic and local games were awarded victory ‘dustlessly’ (ἀκονιτί), an undisputed, unqualified victory. Such victories were a great rarity in the Archaic and Classical periods, very highly valued and always specially noted in the list of athletes’ victories and their inscriptions of honour. Based on written sources and epigraphic data, it is shown that the reasons for the victories of “without dust” could be the formidable reputation of the athlete, pressure during training or the draw of heavyweight athletes of their rivals. There have been cases of winning “without dust” as a result of violating the rules of the games, for example, being late for the start of competitions. Athletes often complained about the unfortunate event that robbed them of victory - that is, the result of the draw, which paired them with a heavyweight wrestler and led to a loss. The shame and humiliation that awaited athletes in this case also forced them to refuse to participate in competitions with a strong opponent, because such a refusal was considered less humiliating than defeat. Statistical analysis of data on the victories of athletes ‘dustlessly’ allows the author to assume that such victories were most often awarded in martial arts at both Panhellenic and local games.



Tertullian’s “On shows” in the context of Ancient and Christian literature of the first centuries
Abstract
The study observes the sources used by Tertullian during the writing of his essay “On the Spectacles” (the end of the 2nd century). This was the time of the domination of the Second Sophistic, where erudition, sophistication in rhetoric and adherence to classical models played a major role. All these elements are noticeable in this treatise. We consider “On the Spectacles” as part of the antique tradition, where it is possible to find a variety of assessments of competitions and performances. The study provides an outline of the critical remarks about the spectacles contained in the works of Greek and Roman authors, Rabbinic sages and Christian writers. Tertullian noted that he had used the material of the historians Timaeus, Calpurnius Piso, Varro and Suetonius. He mainly relied on the last two. In “On the Spectacles” one can also find parallels with the writings of Seneca and Pliny the Younger. Speaking of the Christian tradition, it is necessary to single out Tatian. Both of these authors pay special attention to the dedication of games to pagan gods, point out the moral insufficiency of performances and their participants, and resent gladiatorial games. We suppose that Tertullian was familiar with “Paedagogus”, written at the same time by Clement of Alexandria, partly agreeing with his arguments, partly challenging them, as in the case of the usefulness of the adversarial principle for Christians. Although some passages of “On the Spectacles” have similarities with Judaic writings, we assess their impact on Tertullian as improbable. The analysis of the used sources makes it possible to determine the circle of readers of this treatise as mostly wealthy and well-educated bearers of Roman culture, who knew both Latin and Greek. Despite being baptized, these people were in no hurry to give up their usual way of life. Tertullian struggled with this, to some extent resembling a Christian sophist.



THE HISTORY OF PRE-COLUMBIAN AMERICA
Military and political expansion of Uaxactun in the beginning of the Early Classic (4th century AD)
Abstract
The subject of the study is related to the study of the dynastic history of Uaxactun, one of the most important political centers of the ancient Maya of the Late Formative and Early Classic periods. The relevance of the study is due to a new analysis of hieroglyphic inscriptions, conducted within the framework of a comprehensive program of redocumentation of Uaxactun monuments, carried out by the Regional Archaeological Project under the direction of prof. Milan Kovač (University of Bratislava), which allowed us to propose a new reconstruction of the history of Uaxactun. The study aims to reconstruct the events of the military and political history associated with the Uaxactun dynasty in the 4th cent. AD, based on new epigraphic data. The main part of the study is devoted to the analysis of the hieroglyphic inscriptions of Uaxactun of the 4th cent. AD, based on which previously unknown events of the dynastic history of the city were reconstructed. It was determined that in 323 AD, with the accession of a ruler named “TrophySkull Jaguar“, there was a revival of the Uaxactun dynasty, as indicated on Stela 9. In 356 AD, he was succeeded on the throne by king Tz’akbu-Usiij (356 - c. 375 AD), who undertook a military campaign against El Zotz and other cities in the southwest. Thus, the authors determined that by 370/375 AD, Uaxactun had become one of the most powerful Maya political entities in Central Petén, entering into conflict with Tikal. Around 375 AD, Tzakbu-Usiij was defeated and probably captured by his Tikal rival Chak-Tok-Ich’aak II (360-378 AD). Within the framework of existing concepts, the study’s conclusion is important that the defeat of Uaxactun and the establishment of Tikal’s hegemony in Central Petén could have been one of the main factors that provoked the Teotihuacan invasion of the Central Maya Lowlands in 378 AD.



Four Santa Elena monuments from Balancan museum, Tabasco, Mexico
Abstract
The relevance of the research topic is due to the fact that the corpus of hieroglyphic inscriptions of Santa Elena, located in the municipality of Balancan in the territory of the modern state of Tabasco, is not large, and most of the references to its rulers are taken from the texts of other monuments. The inscriptions analyzed in the study have not previously been fully introduced into scientific circulation. The aim of this study is to analyze the Santa Elena epigraphic inscriptions from the Balancan Museum and to place them in the general context of the political history of the Wa...aˀ kingdom (also known as Wa-”Bird”) during the Classic period. The new documentation of these monuments made by Bruce Love in 2019 (nighttime photography) and Sergei Vepretskii in 2024 (photogrammetric models) has revealed previously unknown data on the political history of Santa Elena. We managed to prove that these inscriptions report on a war against Palenque (probably in 611), and on possible connections between Santa Elena and Kanuˀl at the turn of the 6th and 7th centuries. Considering the new information in the context of data obtained from other hieroglyphic inscriptions, we offer a preliminary reconstruction of the dynastic sequence of Santa Elena in the 6th and 7th centuries.


