Panorama of the Classical World
Nigel Spivey
Michael Squire
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| ‘A new look at the old world … the detail is vivid … the whole book is both beautifully and imaginatively illustrated’ | | – The Sunday Telegraph |
| ‘… as a one-volume introduction to a past civilization one doubts this will be bettered’ | | – Contemporary Review |
Fresh, all-encompassing and authoritative, this is a commanding characterization of the era that gave birth to Western civilization
The starting-point for everything we understand about philosophy, science, literature and art, the world of ancient Greece and Rome makes an extraordinary story in its own right. This completely fresh assessment draws not only on the original sources but also on the fascinating new approaches to Classical life and civilization that have been developed in recent decades.
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.
Instead of the usual chronological approach, the subject is organized thematically, analysing the ideas and values that lie beneath the history. On each topic the authors offer original insights, supported by an anthology of newly translated extracts that provide soundbites from the ancient world.
The illustrations include many never before published in a book of this kind and go far beyond the familiar masterpieces. Painted vases, marble sculpture, bronzes, wall-paintings, coins, buildings, archaeological sites – every aspect of the story is given a striking visual context. Extra features include illustrated ‘dictionaries’ of Classical lives and mythology, a glossary, timeline, and map.
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.
Also of interest:
Medieval Panorama
Panorama of the Renaissance
The Mediterranean in History
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