Classics: A Very Short Introduction - Softcover

Beard, Mary; Henderson, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192853856 ISBN 13: 9780192853851

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2000

Synopsis

We are all classicists--we come into touch with the classics on a daily basis: in our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. What are the true roots of these influences, however, and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the classics differ from their original reality? This introduction to the classics begins with a visit to the British Museum to view the frieze which once decorated the Apollo Temple a Bassae. Through these sculptures John Henderson and Mary Beard prompt us to consider the significance of the study of Classics as a means of discovery and enquiry, its value in terms of literature, philosophy, and culture, its source of imagery, and the reasons for the continuation of these images into and beyond the twentieth century. Designed for the general reader and student alike, A Very Short Introduction to Classics challenges readers to adopt a fresh approach to the Classics as a major cultural influence, both in the ancient world and twentieth-century--emphasizing the continuing need to understand and investigate this enduring subject.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

About this title

About the Author:

Mary Beard and John Henderson both teach Classics at the University of Cambridge. Mary Beard is a fellow of Newnham College, and John Henderson is a fellow of King's College, Cambridge.

From AudioFile:

This production is very short, but it deals more with our relationship with classics than with the classics themselves. Tim Bentinck's narration is lively without being showy, as befits a book of popular scholarship. He reads in a pleasant British accent and gets to show off only rarely, such as putting on a decent American accent for quotes from Jefferson. His German is also good. This is the underappreciated kind of reading that sounds straightforward and ordinary but requires practice and skill. The material is interesting when substantive, less so when theoretical, but Bentinck carries it all off well. W.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0192853856
• ISBN 13: 9780192853851
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160