Synopses & Reviews
Unrivaled in scope and scholarship, The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization is an indispensable guide to the richly textured history of ancient Greece and Rome.
The meticulously detailed entries contained within this volume breathe life into the people, places, and events that shaped the development of classical civilization. Readers will learn that Alexander the Great's grand army consisted of 48,500 soldiers and was the largest ever to leave Greek soil, that the white facades of refined Ionic structures in Greece were once washed with vibrant reds and blues, and that the Theodosian Code, a collection of Roman law published in AD 438, still survives today. Here are examinations of the Eves and works of great philosophers and literary figures, such as Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Sophocles, Seneca, Aeschylus and the poets Ovid and Sappho. Mythology and religion were integral parts of classical civilization, and from Aphrodite and Hermes to funerary rites and sacrifice, they are integral parts of this volume as well. Filled with both essay length articles and short quick reference entries, this extraordinarily thorough yet accessibly written book is a treasury of information on classical civilization.
Review
"Beautifully illustrated and intelligently reader friendly."--Times Literary Supplement
"Excellent.... Highly recommended, even for libraries that already have copies of the dictionary."--The Library Journal
Synopsis
Unrivaled in scope and scholarship, The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization is an indispensable guide to the richly textured history of ancient Greece and Rome. From military history to architecture, ancient law to mythology, the sciences to the arts, these meticulously detailed entries breathe life into the people, places and events that shaped the development of classical civilization. Filled with both essay length articles and short quick reference entries, this extraordinarily thorough yet accessibly written book is a treasury of information on classical civilization. Arranged alphabetically, fully cross-referenced, and illustrated throughout, The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization will certainly become an essential resource for anyone interested in learning more about the cradle of western civilization.
About the Author
Dr Simon Hornblower is Senior Lecturer in Greek, Latin, and Ancient History at University College London. He is Co-Director, with M. H. Hansen, of the Copenhagen Polis Centre.
Dr Antony Spawforth is Senior Lecturer in Ancient History and Greek Archaeology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where he is also Curator of the Shefton Museum. He is also a well-known presenter of television programmes on archaeological and classical subjects in the continuing BBC series `Ancient Voices'.
Table of Contents
Preface
List of Maps
Contributors
Thematic Listing of Entries
Abbreviations
How To Use This Book
TEXT
Short Chronology
Select Bibliography
Maps
Illustration Sources