Jona Lendering

Jona Lendering (born October 29, 1964 in Beneden-Leeuwen, Gelderland) is a Dutch historian and the author of books on antiquity, Dutch history and modern management. He studied history at Leiden University and Mediterranean culture at the Amsterdam Free University, taught history at the Free University, and worked as an archivist employed by the Dutch government, before becoming one of the founders of the history school Livius Onderwijs.

East and West

As a historian, Lendering tries to give more attention to the cultures of the ancient Near East. In his 2004 biography of Alexander the Great (Alexander de Grote), Lendering attempted to make greater use than earlier scholars of Persian and Babylonian sources. For example, he argued from a Babylonian astronomical diary that Darius III of Persia was deserted by his troops when he faced Alexander at the Battle of Gaugamela, rather than personally leading the retreat as reported by Greek sources.

In a passage cited by one commentator as characteristic of recent unsympathetic interpretations of Alexander, Lendering argued that Alexander's respectful treatment of Darius' family was not just an act of chivalry but also a claim to be the "new king". Quality Non-Fiction from Holland called Alexander de Grote "fascinating" and highlighted Lendering's attention to non-Western evidence. However, ancient historian Jan P. Stronk thought it clear from Lendering's book that these sources could at best illuminate specific details of Alexander's life.

Lendering's interest in balancing western sources with eastern sources can also be discerned in his book on ancient Rome (Stad in marmer), in which he quoted hitherto neglected Talmudic sources, and especially in his book on the legacy of Babylon and the world of Islam to Medieval Europe, Vergeten erfenis.

Livius.org

Since 1996, Lendering has maintained Livius, a website containing numerous articles on ancient history. The site is divided into sections on specific regions – Anatolia, Persia, Greece, etc. – and an individual selection of topics is treated for each of these. The Mesopotamian section contains the recently discovered Babylonian Chronicles of the Hellenistic Period and is regularly consulted by Assyriologists and ancient historians, Lendering's online edition being the only publication to date.

Livius Onderwijs

Livius Onderwijs is an association of teachers interested in ancient Mediterranean societies. ("Onderwijs" is Dutch for "education".) The association is based in Amsterdam and among other services offers a series of lectures there and elsewhere. It was founded in 2005 by Lendering and Marco Prins.

Award

After the publication of Lendering's Spijkers op laag water, a book that is highly critical about the shortcomings of modern classicists, archaeologists, and historians, the Dutch classicists and historians awarded him their annual "Oikos publieksprijs", recognizing Lendering's contributions to explaining Antiquity to a larger audience.

Accusations of Racism

Lendering has been accused by some as harboring and promoting a racist, revisionist agenda in his interpretations and online writings. Critics cite that his education is only as high as a Masters in Art (MA) and that his expertise in the field is dubious. In addition, there have been accusations (as noted by Lendering himself on his blog) that Lendering is engaged in revising and minimizing the accomplishments and achievements of pre-Islamic Iran in an effort to promote the Islamic Republic of Iran's propoganda.

Published works

• (with Arjan Bosman) De Rand van het Rijk. De Romeinen en de Lage Landen (2010; "Edge of the Empire. The Romans and the Low Countries");
• Spijkers op laag water. Vijftig misverstanden over de Oudheid (2009; "Fifty common errors about Antiquity");
• Vergeten erfenis. Oosterse wortels van de westerse cultuur (2009; "Lost Legacy. Eastern Roots of Western Civilization");
• Oorlogsmist. Veldslagen en propaganda in de Oudheid (2006; "Fog of War. Ancient Battles and Battle Narratives");
• Polderdenken. De wortels van de Nederlandse overlegcultuur (2005; "The Roots of the Dutch Consensus Culture");
• Alexander de Grote. De ondergang van het Perzische rijk, (2004, "Alexander the Great. The Demise of the Persian Empire");
• Stad in marmer. Gids voor het antieke Rome aan de hand van tijdgenoten (2002; "The Marble City. Literary Travel Guide of Ancient Rome");
• Archeologie van de futurologie (2000; "A History of Futurology");
• De randen van de aarde. De Romeinen tussen Schelde en Eems (2000; "The Edges of the Earth. The Romans in the Low Countries");
• Een interim-manager in het Romeinse Rijk. Plinius in Bithynië (1999; "An Interim-Manager in the Roman Empire. Pliny in Bithynia")

Lendering is a regular contributor to Ancient Warfare; his books have been translated into Turkish.

External links

• Livius, his website
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