Research Guides: Classics, Humanities, and Italian Studies (UNH Durham): Reference Sources

Why Use Reference Sources?

Reference sources are good places to gather background information on a topic or get ideas when choosing a topic.

Background information:

definitions
specific factual information such as dates
overviews or summaries of topics
recommendations for additional sources
research vocabulary

Types of reference sources

specialized encyclopedias
dictionaries
directories
statistical compilations
handbooks
bibliographies

Selected Electronic Reference Sources

Brill's New Pauly
A reference work for the ancient world. Fifteen volumes (Antiquity, 1-15) are devoted to Greco-Roman antiquity and cover more than two thousand years of history, ranging from the second millennium BC to early medieval Europe. Five volumes (Classical Tradition, I-V) are uniquely concerned with the long and influential aftermath of antiquity and the process of continuous reinterpretation and revaluation of the ancient heritage, including the history of classical scholarship.
Brill's New Pauly. Supplements I
Enriches the information from the encyclopedia with its exhaustive lists of names, dates and facts about the people who shaped the ancient world. Volume 1 : Chronologies of the Ancient World - Names, Dates and Dynasties; Volume 2 : Dictionary of Greek and Latin Authors and Texts; Volume 3 : Historical Atlas of the Ancient World; Volume 4 : The Reception of Myth and Mythology. Dates of coverage: 3rd millennium BC-15th century AD
Britannica Online Academic Edition
Includes the complete encyclopedia, as well as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the Britannica Book of the Year, and an Internet directory that includes more than 130,000 links to Web sites selected, rated, and reviewed by Britannica editors.
Credo Reference
Online reference library that provides access to a selection of reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and books of quotations, not to mention a range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art to accountancy and literature to law.

Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World
Call Number: ebook

ISBN: 0816057222

Publication Date: 2015 (3rd ed)

Selected Print Reference Sources

These are located on Dimond Level 3 (Main) unless otherwise noted and represent just a sampling. For more reference resources, use the Library Search Box or email your subject librarian.

Encyclopedia of Greek Tragedy
Call Number: Dimond Level 4 PA3133 .E53 2014 v.1-3

ISBN: 9781444335927

Publication Date: 2013
Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature
Call Number: Dimond Reference PA5210 .M44 2004

ISBN: 0313308136

Publication Date: 2004
Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire
Call Number: Dimond Level 5 Oversize DG270 .B86 1994

ISBN: 081602135X

Publication Date: 1994
Warfare in the Classical World: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons, Warriors, and Warfare in the Ancient Civilisations of Greece and Rome
Call Number: Dimond Reference U29 .W37 1995

ISBN: 0806127945

Publication Date: 1995
The Penguin Encyclopedia of Classical Civilizations by Arthur Cotterell (Editor)
Call Number: Dimond Reference CB9 .P46 1993

ISBN: 0670826995

Publication Date: 1994
Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy
Call Number: Dimond Reference B163 .E53 1997

ISBN: 0313287759

Publication Date: 1997
Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies by Gaetana Marrone (Editor); Paolo Puppa (Editor)
Call Number: Dimond Reference PQ4006 .E536 2007 v.1-2

ISBN: 1579583903

Publication Date: 2006-12-26
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Italian Culture
Call Number: Dimond Reference DG450 .E53 2000

ISBN: 0415145848

Publication Date: 2000
The Dante Encyclopedia
Call Number: Dimond Level 4 PQ4333 .D36 2010

ISBN: 9780415876117

Publication Date: 2010

Classics, Humanities, and Italian Studies (UNH Durham)

Arts & Humanities Librarian

Why Use Reference Sources?

Selected Electronic Reference Sources

Selected Print Reference Sources

Dictionaries