Animal Sacrifice in the Roman Empire 31 (BCE-395 CE): Power, Communication, and Cultural Transformation

"The book is well written and impeccably researched. Those interested in ancient Roman religion or history will find it illuminating." -- Choice

"The book is well written and impeccably researched. Those interested in ancient Roman religion or history will find it illuminating." -- Choice

"This book is wide-ranging and dense, touching on topics from Homeric heroes to nineteenth-century scholarship. Rives's arguments are stimulating throughout.... Specialists in Roman religion and imperial history will find it invaluable." -- Phoenix

"A formidably rich and inspiring discussion, which makes a major contribution to the study of Roman religion, and offers an orientation point well beyond the confines of the specific problem it addresses." -- Greece & Rome

"[Rives] has produced an excellent contribution to the study of Roman religion. This is a compelling account which charts the dynamic interactions of ritual, communication and power during the first four centuries a.d." -- Journal of Roman Studies

"This book is a welcome contribution to the history of the ancient Mediterranean. ...Rives' Animal Sacrifice in the Roman Empire successfully intertwines theory and historical evidence; the book reaches across disciplines and should serve as a model for future scholarship on the ancient Mediterranean." -- Victoria C. Moses, Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal

"The book is an important step forward in the analysis of Roman sacrifice and the significant transformations of Roman religion in the third and fourth centuries. It is also an important contribution to critical historical attempts to explain the success of Christianity, sans confessional claims about the inherent superiority of Christian 'spiritual' religion in supposed contrast to 'primitive' sacrifice." -- Daniel Ullucci, Annali di Storia dell'Esegesi

"In his book Animal Sacrifice in the Roman Empire (31 BCE - 395 CE). Power, Communication, and Cultural Transformation, J.B. Rives aims to trace the chronology of animal sacrifice during this period and to provide a detailed account of the changes that animal sacrifice underwent due to the influence of Christianity. ... The book is recommended for anyone who aims to gain an overview of animal sacrifice in the Graeco-Roman world, or anyone who has a special interest in the changes that Christianity brought about in animal sacrifices." -- Frieda Zörner, H-Soz-Kult

"...Rives has given us an excellent, persuasive volume that will shape the study of Greco-Roman sacrifice for many years to come." -- Joshua Schwartz, Review of Biblical Literature