Political Nostalgias--Ancient and Medieval Worlds

This volume is the first in a sub-series entitled Political Nostalgias. This book considers nostalgia as it was understood in ancient and medieval worlds and explores how nostalgia for those lost civilizations plays a role in the politics of later periods.

Defined most simply as a wistful or sentimental longing for a past period or set of conditions, nostalgia has played a significant role in shaping historical and contemporary political discourses. It has been particularly associated with right-leaning individuals and groups, but collective nostalgia is experienced across the political spectrum--although the focus and content of that nostalgia may differ significantly according to political affiliation. In this volume, contributors explore how longing for a real or imagined past fuels dissatisfaction with the present moment and provides an impetus for radical change across different times and locations.