The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization

About this book

What did the ancient Greeks eat and drink? What role did migration play? Why was emperor Nero popular with the ordinary people but less so with the upper classes? Why (according to ancient authors) was Oedipus (with swollen foot) so called? For over 2 000 years the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome have captivated our collective imagination and provided inspiration for so many aspects of our lives from culture literature drama cinema and television to society education and politics. Many of the roots of the way life is lived in the West today can be traced to the ancient civilizations not only in politics law technology philosophy and science but also in social and family life language and art. This authoritative A to Z guide features over 700 entries on all aspects of life in Ancient Greece and Rome. Beautiful illustrations jargon-free entries and a useful chronology and bibliography make this Companion the perfect guide for readers interested in learning more about the Graeco-Roman world. As well as providing sound information on all aspects of classical civilization such as history politics ethics morals law society religion mythology science and technology language literature art and scholarship the entries in the Companion reflect the changing interdisciplinary aspects of classical studies covering broad thematic subjects such as race nationalism gender ethics and ecology confirming the impact classical civilizations have had on the modern world.