Peter Fibiger Bang
Encyclopedia
Peter Fibiger Bang is a Danish
comparative historian
. Bang's main research interests are Roman economic history
and imperial power
, historical sociology
and world history
, as well as the reception of Classical culture
in later ages.
, Denmark
, in 1973, Bang studied History
, Latin
and Greek
at the University of Aarhus
from 1992 to 1999. In 1997, he was a visitor at the University of Leicester
, where he studied Roman Archaeology. In 1999, he moved to Corpus Christi College
, University of Cambridge
, to work on his PhD
in the Faculty of Classics. During the autumn of 2001, he was a visitor at the University of Chicago
.
In 2002, Bang was appointed assistant professor in the department of history at the University of Copenhagen
before defending his PhD in Cambridge in the summer of 2003. In 2005, he was made associate professor in Copenhagen and during the same year he initiated and was elected chair of a European based research network, Tributary Empires Compared, to stimulate historical comparison between the Roman
, Mughal
and Ottoman Empire
s. This network was funded by COST
till 2009. During his employment in Copenhagen, Bang has been a visiting professor at the University of Tübingen in summer 2004 and at the University of Heidelberg in summer 2011; a research leave in 2007 allowed him another stay in Cambridge, this time associated with King's College
.
Bang has authored, edited or co-edited seven volumes as of July 2011, as well as written a substantial number of articles, chapter contributions, reviews and essays. In addition to his academic activities, Bang writes on an occasional basis for the Danish newspaper, Weekendavisen
.
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
comparative historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
. Bang's main research interests are Roman economic history
Roman economy
The history of the Roman economy covers the period of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.Recent research has led to a positive reevaluation of the size and sophistication of the Roman economy within the constraints generally imposed on agricultural societies in the preindustrial age.- Gross...
and imperial power
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, historical sociology
Historical sociology
Historical sociology is a branch of sociology focusing on how societies develop through history. It looks at how social structure that many regard as natural are in fact shaped by complex social processes...
and world history
World History
World History, Global History or Transnational history is a field of historical study that emerged as a distinct academic field in the 1980s. It examines history from a global perspective...
, as well as the reception of Classical culture
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
in later ages.
Life
Born in HorsensHorsens
Horsens is a Danish city in east Jutland. It is the site of the council of Horsens municipality. The city's population is 53,807 and the Horsens municipality's population is 82,835 ....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, in 1973, Bang studied History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
at the University of Aarhus
University of Aarhus
Aarhus University , located in the city of Aarhus, Denmark, is Denmark's second oldest and second largest university...
from 1992 to 1999. In 1997, he was a visitor at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
, where he studied Roman Archaeology. In 1999, he moved to Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, to work on his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in the Faculty of Classics. During the autumn of 2001, he was a visitor at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
In 2002, Bang was appointed assistant professor in the department of history at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
before defending his PhD in Cambridge in the summer of 2003. In 2005, he was made associate professor in Copenhagen and during the same year he initiated and was elected chair of a European based research network, Tributary Empires Compared, to stimulate historical comparison between the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
and Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
s. This network was funded by COST
Cost
In production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it is counted as cost. In this...
till 2009. During his employment in Copenhagen, Bang has been a visiting professor at the University of Tübingen in summer 2004 and at the University of Heidelberg in summer 2011; a research leave in 2007 allowed him another stay in Cambridge, this time associated with King's College
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
.
Bang has authored, edited or co-edited seven volumes as of July 2011, as well as written a substantial number of articles, chapter contributions, reviews and essays. In addition to his academic activities, Bang writes on an occasional basis for the Danish newspaper, Weekendavisen
Weekendavisen
Weekendavisen is a Danish weekly broadsheet newspaper published on Fridays. Its circulation is approximately 60,000 copies, about ten per cent of which cover subscriptions outside Denmark. According to opinion polls, however, the actual number of readers is much higher...
.
Works
- Agrarimperier Mellem Marked og Tribut, Den Jyske Historiker, No. 86/87, 1999 (co-editor), ISBN 87-7023-770-0
- Mellem Civilisationshistorie og Globalhistorie, Den Jyske Historiker, No. 100, 2003 (co-editor), ISBN 87-91261-02-3
- Tributary Empires in History. Comparative Perspectives from Antiquity to the Late Medieval, The Medieval History Journal, Vol. 6, No. 2 (special issue), 2003 (co-editor)
- Fremmed og Moderne. Glimt af Antikken i Europa, Aarhus: Aarhus Universitetsforlag, 2005 (editor), ISBN 87-7288-949-7
- Ancient Economies, Modern Methodologies, Bari: Edipuglia, 2006 (co-editor), ISBN 978-88-7228-488-9
- Trade and Empire. In Search of Organizing Concepts for the Roman Economy, Past and PresentPast & PresentPast & Present is a British historical academic journal, which was a leading force in the development of social history. It was founded in 1952 by a combination of Marxist and non-Marxist historians. The Marxist historians included members of the Communist Party Historians Group, including E. P...
, No. 195, 2007, pp. 3–54 - The Roman Bazaar. A Comparative Study of Trade and Markets in a Tributary Empire, Cambridge University Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-521-85532-7
- Tributary Empires in Global History, Palgrave, 2011, ISBN 978-0-230-29472-1 (co-editor)
External links
- Personal website at SAXO Institute, University of Copenhagen
- Tributary Empires Compared – research project on empire and imperialism