Panorama of the Classical World.

368 p., many ill. From the library of Prof. Wolfgang Haase, long-time editor of ANRW and the International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT). - Slightly rubbed jacket, damaged title page, otherwise good and clean. / Leicht beriebener Umschlag, beschädigtes Titelblatt, sonst gut und sauber. - The world of ancient Greece and Rome enthrals us as perhaps no other civilization can. The starting-point for everything we understand about philosophy, science, literature and art, it makes an extraordinary story in its own right. The more so in this completely fresh assessment by experts who have not only mastered the original sources but also drawn on the fascinating new approaches to Classical life and civilization that have been developed in recent decades. Instead of the usual chronological approach, Spivey and Squire have organized their subject thematically, analyzing the ideas and values that lie beneath the history: the centrality of the body in life and death; society, sexuality, gender and the family; hygiene and diet; the worship of gods and admiration for heroes, crystallized in myths that are far from a mere collection of folktales; attitudes to nature and the environment; money and economic life; war and rebellion; and politics, in theory and in fact. There are chapters on intellectual achievement - that framework of abstract thought that still comes naturally to us today - and on the context, and long tradition, of Classical art. On each of these topics the authors offer original insights, supported by an anthology of newly translated extracts that provide soundbites from the ancient world. The story is illuminated by illustrations that go far beyond the familiar masterpieces, and range widely through time, genres, and geographical areas. Painted vases, marble sculpture, bronzes, wall-paintings, coins, buildings, archaeological sites - every aspect of the story is given a striking visual context in images that range from the iconic to others never before published in a book of this kind. Extra features include illustrated ‘dictionaries’ of Classical lives and mythology, a glossary, timeline, and map. Panorama of the Classical World brings Greeks, Etruscans and Romans to vivid life for the general reader, and even significantly expands the knowledge of the professional scholar. It is written in a style that is lively and jargon-free without ignoring contemporary debates. This is Classics for a new generation. - Nigel Spivey is a Lecturer in Classics and Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. His publications include Understanding Greek Sculpture, Etruscan Art, and Enduring Creation: Art, Pain and Fortitude. Michael Squire studied Classics at Cambridge and as a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow at Harvard. As a Research Scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge, he is now exploring theories of ancient visual narrative. ISBN 9780892367696