Patriotism, or the Very Smoke of One's Homeland

In any dictionary or encyclopaedia one can read that patriotism is love for the country. Simplicity and clarity of such definitions are not always what they seem, as the very notions of the homeland have changed from era to era. What is more, representatives of different political forces trying to do the best for their homeland, have expressed at times the opposite ideas.

What words did the ancient Greeks and Romans, inhabitants of Renaissance Florence and medieval Russia express their love for their homeland, until the commonly used "patriotism" emerged in the eighteenth century? Why was the language of patriotism often used by members of the opposition and revolutionaries until the beginning of the 19th century, and then by conservative-monarchical forces? How did the attitude to patriotism of left-wing and socialist parties change throughout the 19th and 20th centuries? Is it possible to separate modern patriotism from nationalism, and who came up with the idea of "constitutional patriotism" at the end of the 20th century?

These and many other questions are answered in the book Patriotism, or the Very Smoke of One's Homeland by Mikhail Krom, professor at the European University in St. Petersburg.