Inside the ancient world – serie

In Socrates and Athens, Meg parker attempts to show us the true Socrates beneath the myth that has grown around him since his death. After a short biographical introduction, she discusses such matters as the role of sophists and Socrates’ sense of divine mission; life and government in Athens, and on Socrates and his friends. She examines Socrates’ trial and imprisonment and attitudes to death using quotation from original sources as much as possible to tell the story. Finally she considers Socrates’ influence on his Athenian contemporaries and successors.

This edition of Homer opens with a summary of the events of the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the mythological background to the Trojan War. Subsequent chapters deal with the traditions of oral poetry; the human society of the poems, the ideal of heroic life, and the position of 'lower classes'; the role of gods; and Homer's skill as a poet, both in his characterization and story-telling techniques. A final chapter considers the historical background to the poems and Homer's influence on the Greeks. All sections are based upon passages from the poems - often quoted at length.This is convenient and serviceable introduction to Homer for beginners: its brief and clearly written sections address most of the areas included in the GCSE Classical Civilisation Homer module, and the text is broken up by appropriate illustrations.

In Penelope to Poppaea, Anne Haward takes a close look at theposition of women in the classical world. The approach of the book isdeliberately chronological, mapping out the changes in development inwomen's lives and status as the societies of Greece and Rome evloved.The differences between Greek and Roman atttitudes to women are clearlypresented. Evidence for the theories of the book is taken from a wideselection of ancient sources including art and archaeology as well asliterature

In Athenian Society, Jennifer Gibbon explains the complex society of Athens in the 5th century BC through a number of important themes. She begins by looking at life int he city and life in the country, then moves on to such individual areas as citizens, slaves, entertainment, religion and the economy. A composite picture of Athenian society emerges from the different aspects. The book draws on a wide range of sources which are the starting point for all its analyses. This well-established series presents elected aspects of the ancientworld in such a way as to help students gain an understanding of theattitudes of the Greeks and Romans, and to allow them to form their ownjudgement on the issues raised. Designed to meet the need for materialsuited to Classical Studies / Classical Civilization courses, it willbe found particularly useful by candidates taking examinations. It isalso intended as a helpful ancillary to the study of Greek and Latin atthese levels. Much of the information is given by way of translatedquotations from ancient authors. the books are illustrated throughoutand diagrams and maps are linked closely to the text.

In "Cicero and Rome", David Taylor takes Cicero as the focal point forexamination of the last years of the Roman Republic. He traces theoften dramatic and violent events from the harsh dictatorship of Sulla(82 BC) to Cicero's own death in the massacres of Mark Antony and theSecond Triumvirate (43 BC). Evidence is taken largely from the speechesand the orator's surviving letters - especially those to his closefriend Atticus.

In this volume Robin Barrow traces ancient education from the time of Homeric poems to the age of St. Augustine. Without minimising differences between educational practice of particular periods or places, the author stresses similarities and common origins and relates ancient ideas on education to our own. He uses the evidence of a wide range of ancient authors who are extensively quoted.

In Roman Society David Taylor concentrates on aspects of the life of the diverse groups of people who lived in the Roman world - their homes, work, leisure, beliefs and attitudes. Providing valuable coursework material for GCSE Latin as well as Classical Studies, this book focuses on the period 50 BC to AD 150, an era of dramatic political upheavals when important social changes took place. The thoughts and feelings of the Romans themselves can best be discovered through the words of their writers, and this book contains a wide variety of translated passages from the works of poets, historians and novelists - even examples of graffiti which have survived on the walls of houses and shops.

Athens has long been famed as the birthplace of democracy. But who actually had the power in Ancient Athens? And was the democracy an unqualified success? Tracing the development of democracy from its origins, and making use of ancient sources, this book examines these and other questions about a famous and intriguing political story.

In Aeneas and the Roman Hero, the author explains and illustrates the ideals of the newly-created Roman empire under Augustus as they are reflected in Virgil’s Aeneid. National hopes were high; Rome had emerged from the bloodshed of internecine civil wars; her renewed civilisation was set to rule the known world. Virgil’s Aeneid explores and symbolises those aspirations in epic narrative through the myth of the Trojan hero Aeneas. The poem remains one of the most significant literary landmarks of our own civilisation; in this book, its story and its poetic magnificence are outlined for the student coming to the poem for the first time.This well-established series, Inside the Ancient World, presents elected aspects of the ancient world in such a way as to help students gain an understanding of the attitudes of the Greeks and Romans, and to allow them to form their own judgement on the issues raised. Designed to meet the need for material suited to Classical Studies / Classical Civilization courses, it will be found particularly useful by candidates taking examinations. It is also intended as a helpful ancillary to the study of Greek and Latin at these levels. Much of the information is given by way of translated quotations from ancient authors. the books are illustrated throughout and diagrams and maps are linked closely to the text.