Roger Dillard Woodard is a distinguished scholar whose work delves into the classical world. His academic background, including a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides a strong foundation for his literary explorations. He currently holds a prestigious chair in Classics at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). His research and teaching have previously graced institutions like Swarthmore College, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Southern California, underscoring his significant contributions to the field.
The book explores the idea that the introduction of the alphabet in ancient Greece transformed self-perception, framing the Greeks as active participants in a cultural performance. It delves into how this shift influenced their identity, communication, and societal interactions, highlighting the interplay between language and culture during this pivotal moment in history.
This 2008 book, derived from the acclaimed Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages, describes the ancient languages of Asia Minor, for the convenience of students and specialists working in that area. Each chapter of the work focuses on an individual language or, in some instances, a set of closely related varieties of a language. Providing a full descriptive presentation, each of these chapters examines the writing system(s), phonology, morphology, syntax and lexicon of that language, and places the language within its proper linguistic and historical context. The volume brings together an international array of scholars, each a leading specialist in ancient language study. While designed primarily for scholars and students of linguistics, this work will prove invaluable to all whose studies take them into the realm of ancient language.