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Classics

A Very Short Introduction

John Henderson author Mary Beard author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Should be back in stock very soon

Classics cover

This engaging introduction explores the significance of Classics in literature, culture, and daily life, revealing how deeply intertwined they are with modern influences.

Beginning with a visit to the British Museum, the authors invite readers to explore the profound significance of Classics as a tool for discovery and inquiry. They emphasize the value of Classics in literature, philosophy, and culture, while also highlighting its role as a source of rich imagery. The book connects a haunting temple on a remote mountainside to the splendor of ancient Greece and the magnificence of Rome, illustrating how these classical influences continue to permeate modern culture—from the likes of Jefferson and Byron to contemporary references like Asterix and Ben-Hur.

In Classics, the authors assert that we are all Classicists in some way, as we encounter elements of the Classics in our daily lives, influencing our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. However, the book raises important questions about the true roots of these influences and how our interpretations may differ from their original contexts. Through an examination of the frieze that adorned the Apollo Temple at Bassae, John Henderson and Mary Beard encourage readers to reflect on the enduring legacy of the Classics and their relevance today.

The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press offers concise and engaging insights into various subjects, making Classics an ideal starting point for anyone seeking to understand the lasting impact of classical antiquity. The authors' blend of facts, analysis, and fresh perspectives makes this exploration both accessible and thought-provoking.

this short and brilliant book ... is now re-issued in an attractive pocket-sized format ... amazing range of reference ... very clear organisation. JT, Anglo-Hellenic Review, No.22, 2000.
nobody could fail to be informed and entertained - and the accent of the book is provocative and stimulating. * TLS *
Lively, and up-to-date...it shows classics as a living enterprise, not a warehouse of relics. * New Statesman and Society *
Beard and Henderson have suceeded brilliantly in communicating the sheer breadth of Classics in this Very Short Introduction.... In language accessible to non-specialist and student alike, Beard and Henderson illustrate how Classic encompasses not just a study of the ancient world, but also of its traditions of scholarship and its influence on the culture of the western world...... This book does not fail to challenge and provoke. Nor does it ignore the problems and current issues that beset the subject and its teaching, but presents them even handedly and with humour, eschewing propaganda.... A stimulating addition to the school library. * JACT review *
The authors show us that Classics is a 'modern' and sexy subject. They succeed brilliantly in this regard nobody could fail to be informed and entertained-and the accent of the book is provocative and stimulating. * John Goodwin, Times Literary Supplement *
Statues and slavery, temples and tragedies, museum, marbles, and mythology-this provocative guide to the Classics demystifies its varied subject-matter while seducing the reader with the obvious enthusiasm and pleasure which mark its writing. * Edith Hall, author of Inventing the Barbarian *
You could not find two better introducers to the Classics than Mary Beard and John Henderson. They are questioning, funny, bold, and widely read in many fields. They could not be dull if they tried. * Philip Howard, columnist for The Times *
This little book should be in the hands of every studentm and every tourist to the lands of the ancient world - a splendid piece of work. * Peter Wiseman, author of Talking to Virgil *
For those who think Classics is just the dry as dust learning of dead languages this arresting book will come as a rude shock. This is no potted history of Greece and Rome, but a brillian demonstration that the continual re-excavation of our classical past is vital if the modern world is to rise to the challenge inscribed on the temple of Apollo at Delphi to "Know yourself". * Robin Osborne, author of Demos: The Discovery of Classical Attica *

ISBN: 9780192853851

Dimensions: 179mm x 112mm x 9mm

Weight: 144g

160 pages