A collection of selected and referred papers from The Dowling College International Mediterranean Conference held in Rome and Istanbul, July 4–12, 1996. The second publication in this series provides pieces of dealing with the history, philosophy, and culture of the Mediterranean basin. The series does not attempt to cover the entire field of these disciplines, but hopes to stimulate the reader to explore the multidimensional perspectives of this area. This series aims to trace the main lines of intellectual, cultural, and scientific development by which our contemporary perspective of the Mediterranean emerges.