Classics: Background

This volume provides a concise and lively guide to the major authors, genres, and periods of classical literature. Drawing upon a wealth of material, it reveals just what makes the 'classics' such masterpieces and why they continue to influence and fascinate today.

This volume provides an introduction to the history of Ancient Greek civilization, from the first documented use of the Greek language in about 1400 BCE, through the glories of the classical and Hellenistic periods, to the foundation of the Byzantine empire in about CE 330

The Roman Empire was a remarkable achievement. This introduction covers the history of the empire at its height, looking at its people, religions and social structures. It explains how it deployed violence, 'romanisation', and tactical power to develop an astonishingly uniform culture from Rome to its furthest outreaches

Late antiquity is the period (c.300 - c.800) in which barbarian invasions ended Roman Empire in Western Europe by the fifth century and Arab invasions ended Roman rule over the eastern and southern Mediterranean coasts by the seventh century. Asking 'what, where, and when' Gillian Clark presents an introduction to the concept of late antiquity and the events of its time. Not only a period of cultural clashes, political restructurings, and geographical controversies, Clark also demonstrates the sheer richness and diversity of religious life as well as the significant changes to trade, economy, archaeology, and towns.

Authoritative, wide-ranging, and unrivalled in its accessibility, The Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World is a concise and lucid survey of life in ancient Greece and Rome, spanning 776 BC - AD 180, from the first Olympic games to the death of Marcus Aurelius.

Brill s New Pauly is the first lexicographic project that both differentiates between Greco-Roman antiquity itself and its subsequent images, and demonstrates the close connection between antiquity and its aftermath. Volumes 1 to 15 (Antiquity) are devoted to Greco-Roman antiquity. Volumes I to V (Classical Tradition) are uniquely concerned with the long and influential aftermath of the classical heritage. Index Antiquity relates to the 15 volumes of Brill s New Pauly that deal with Antiquity. Index The Classical Tradition, relates to the 5 volumes of Brill s New Pauly that deal with the Classical Tradition.

English edition of the authoritative der Neue Pauly, published by Verlag J.B. Metzler since 1996. Fifteen volumes (Antiquity, 1-15) focus on more than two thousand years of history, ranging from the second millennium BC to early medieval Europe. Special emphasis is given to the interaction between Greco-Roman culture on the one hand, and Semitic, Celtic, Germanic, and Slavonic culture, and ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on the other hand. Five volumes (Classical Tradition, I-V) are uniquely concerned with the long and influential aftermath of antiquity and the process of continuous reinterpretation and revaluation of the ancient heritage, including the history of classical scholarship.

This is an accessible guide and a comprehensive overview of the major cultures of the classical Mediterranean world from the Bronze Age to the fifth century CE. It also covers the legacy of the classical world and its interpretation and influence in subsequentical world centuries