Ancient, classical and medieval texts Books
Cambridge University Press The Flavians
Book SynopsisOne of a well-established series of sourcebooks catering to the needs of ancient history students at schools and universities. Each volume focuses on a particular period or topic and provides a generous and judicious selection of primary texts in new English translations, with annotation and supporting materials.Table of ContentsPart I. Sources: 1. Section A: the acts of the Arval brothers; 2. Section B: list of consuls, AD 69 to 96; 3. Section C: Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 66; 4. Section D: Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 67; 5. Josephus, Jewish War; 6. Flavian municipal law in Spain; 7. Juvenal, Satire 4; Part II. Themes; 8. Section H; 9. Section J: imperial family; 10. Section K: Rome and Italy; 11. Section L: religion; 12. Section M: administration of empire; 13. Section N: war and expansion; 14 section P: conspiracies, revolts and scandals; 15. Section Q: popular entertainment; 16. Section R: literature, arts and culture; 17. Section S: society; 18. Section T: panegyric and invective; 19. Section U: the upper classes.
£21.99
Cambridge University Press Athenian Democracy
Book SynopsisOne of a well-established series of sourcebooks catering to the needs of ancient history students at schools and universities. Each volume focuses on a particular period or topic and provides a generous and judicious selection of primary texts in new English translations, with annotation and supporting materials.Table of ContentsPart I. How Athens Became a Democracy: 1. What did Solon do? (1–28); 2. The Kleisthenic Revolution (29–37); 3. Fifth-century constitutional changes (38–48); 4. The creation of fourth-century democracy (49–55); Part II. Athenian Democratic Institutions: 6. Citizenship (56–73); 7. Demes (74–95); 8. Other subdivisions of the demos (96–122); 9. The Council of 500 (123–73); 10. The Assembly (174–213); 11. Law courts (214–71); 12. Magistrates and officials (272–5); 13. The Army and Navy (276–343); 14. Democracy and religion: regulating cult activities and piety (344–77); Part III. Democracy in Action: 15. Politics in action (378–420); 16. Theorising democracy (421–34); 17. Overthrowing democracy (435–46).
£17.99
Cambridge University Press Helping Friends and Harming Enemies
Book SynopsisSophocles is often considered the least philosophical of the three great Greek tragedians. By analysing a fundamental principle of Greek popular ethics, this study challenged that presumption, and remains of vital interest to students, scholars and non-specialists interested in Greek culture and drama.
£18.99
Pan Macmillan Aesop's Fables
Book SynopsisThis timeless collection brings together three hundred of the most enduringly popular of Aesop’s fables in a volume that will delight young and old readers alike. Here are all the age-old favourites - the wily fox, the vain peacock, the predatory cat and the steady tortoise - just as endearingly vivid and relevant now as they were for their very first audience. Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure. This elegant Macmillan Collector’s Library edition of Aesop's Fables features an afterword by publisher and editor Anna South and illustrations by Arthur Rackham.
£10.44
Verso Books The Tomb of Oedipus: Why Greek Tragedies Were not
Book SynopsisIf Greek tragedies are meant to be so tragic, why do they so often end so well? Here starts the story of a long and incredible misunderstanding. Out of the hundreds of tragedies that were performed, only 32 were preserved in full. Who chose them and why? Why are the lost ones never taken into account? This extremely unusual scholarly book tells us an Umberto Eco-like story about the lost tragedies. By arguing that they would have given a radically different picture, William Marx makes us think in completely new ways about one of the major achievements of Western culture. In this very readable, stimulating, lively, and even sometimes funny book, he explores parallels with Japanese theatre, resolves the enigma of catharsis, sheds a new light on psychoanalysis. In so doing, he tells also the story of the misreadings of our modernity, which disconnected art from the body, the place, and gods. Two centuries ago philosophers transformed Greek tragedies into an ideal archetype, now they want to read them as self-help handbooks, but all are equally wrong: Greek tragedy is definitely not what you think, and we may never understand it, but this makes it matter all the more to us.Trade ReviewWilliam Marx doesn't take anything for granted. Here, his thoughts take us to the most established concept in literature, "Greek tragedy", and then undermines it. His tools: the integration of in-depth historical analysis, detailed understanding of the antique plays, studying the traces of lost plays, and a rethinking of what always seemed obvious but is in fact anachronistic. He questions the very concept of the tragic, revises other basic concepts such as catharsis, and offers a fresh reading of those texts that re-become vital for the history of literature and our contemporary world. -- Mieke BalThis is an immensely enjoyable book on Athenian tragedy, written in lyrical prose and elegiac mode. -- Johanna Hanink * The Classical Review *Thus, from one book to the other, William Marx proposes a research path that will enjoy a bright future: "Catching literature by using what escapes literature." -- Jean-Louis Jeannelle * Le Monde *As a faraway, but irrevocable echo of Duras' "You saw nothing in Hiroshima", the reception of Greek tragedy makes with The Tomb of Oedipus its definite entrance into the postmodern era. -- Guillaume Navaud * Critique d’art *William Marx is one of the most original scholars of our time. The Tomb of Oedipus is a revolutionary rethinking of our relationship to the ancient world: its myths, its literature, its outlook. With this slim book, Oedipus's curse has been lifted at long last. -- Alberto Manguel, Director of Espaço Atlântida, The Centre for Research into the History of Reading, LisbonThis is an original and eye opening book. Its fundamental idea is quite simple. Only 32 Greek tragedies from the 5th century BCE have been preserved, which corresponds to less than 5% of the tragedies that had been put on stage. Can we consider this sample to be representative? The selection has been the product of a judgments about what constituted a good, a typical tragedy, a tragedy that should be read by children at school; but these were judgments from Roman imperial times, that are possibly and likely very different from the taste of the original Athenian audience. Has the tragedy of the 5th century really been tragic in the sense that Roman school teachers seem to imply? Marx's attempt to answer this question is intellectually sophisticated, wonderfully readable - and full of surprising insights. -- Luca GiulianiMarx, a comparative literature professor at the Collège de France, refreshes ancient literature and the concept of tragedy in this intelligent work of criticism....Elliott's translation is smooth and elegant, matching the sophistication of Marx's thought as he reinvigorates Greek tragedy. * Publishers Weekly *
£18.99
Oxbow Books Spinning Fates and the Song of the Loom: The Use
Book SynopsisTextile imagery is pervasive in classical literature. An awareness of the craft and technology of weaving and spinning, of the production and consumption of clothing items, and of the social and religious significance of garments is key to the appreciation of how textile and cloth metaphors work as literary devices, their suitability to conceptualize human activities and represent cosmic realities, and their potential to evoke symbolic associations and generic expectations.Spanning mainly Greek and Latin poetic genres, yet encompassing comparative evidence from other Indo-European languages and literature, these 18 chapters draw a various yet consistent picture of the literary exploitation of the imagery, concepts and symbolism of ancient textiles and clothing. Topics include refreshing readings of tragic instances of deadly peploi and fatal fabrics situate them within a Near Eastern tradition of curse as garment, explore female agency in the narrative of their production, and argue for broader symbolic implications of textile-making within the sphere of natural wealth The concepts and technological principles of ancient weaving emerge as cognitive patterns that, by means of analogy rather than metaphor, are reflected in early Greek mathematic and logical thinking, and in archaic poetics. The significance of weaving technology in early philosophical conceptions of cosmic order is revived by Lucretius’ account of atomic compound structure, where he makes extensive use of textile imagery, whilst clothing imagery is at the center of the sustained intertextual strategy built by Statius in his epic poem, where recurrent cloaks activate a multilayered poetic memory.
£38.00
Archaeopress Aristotle’s Meteorologica: Meteorology Then and
Book SynopsisAristotle’s Meteorologica concentrates on the meteorological aspects of Aristotle’s work published as Meteorologica books A-D, and on how they compare now with our understanding of meteorology and climate change. In other words, how well did Aristotle fair when he tried to explain weather 2,300 years ago when there was only logic, eye observation, and past experience, with only primitive instrumentation and a few personalized measurements? While there are scientific issues behind Aristotle’s writings, this book is written for the non-specialist. The book uses simple examples to present its case, which will be easily followed by general readers.Trade Review'[Aristotle's] explanation of climate change and natural variability [is[ remarkable. Through sound logic – based on the resources available to him at the time – and keen observation, Aristotle made more progress in meteorology than was made in the entire millennium that followed his thesis. Overall, this [book] serves as an interesting and pertinent reminder of how atmospheric science has evolved from Aristotle’s time to today.' - Leilani Dulguerov and Jürg Luterbacher, WMO Secretariat (2022), Meteoworld'This most recent English commented translation of Aristotle’s Metereologica focuses on how Aristotle’s treatise compares with our understanding of meteorology and climate change. In their extensive commentaries, the editors explain how Aristotle tried to explain weather 2.300 years ago, having at his disposal only logic, eye observation, past experience, and primitive instrumentation. The book uses telling examples and can be easily followed by general readers.' - Riccardo Pozzo (2022), Proceedings of the European Academy of Sciences & Arts'This bookfulfills a definite need and offers an authoritative scientificbackground for the study of Aristotle’s weather theory.' – Daniel W.Graham (2023): Aestimatio 3.1Table of ContentsProlegomena ; Introduction: about Aristotle ; His life ; His works ; BOOK A FROM ΜΕΤΕΩΡΟΛΟΓΙΚΑ ; Aristotle’s universe with a glimpse on climate change ; Meteorology now, part 1 ; Analogies and contrasts ; Key points of meteorology now, part 1 ; Back to Aristotle’s Meteorologica ; Meteorology now, part 2 ; Key points of meteorology now, part 2 ; Analogies and contrasts ; Back to Aristotle’s Meteorologica ; BOOK B FROM ΜΕΤΕΩΡΟΛΟΓΙΚΑ ; On winds ; Stormy weather ; Meteorology now, part 3 ; Key points of meteorology now, part 3 ; Back to Aristotle’s Meteorologica ; BOOK C FROM ΜΕΤΕΩΡΟΛΟΓΙΚΑ ; Aristotle’s optics Preparatory introduction ; Aristotle’s general theory of colour ; The halo ; Rainbow ; Sun dogs and light pillars ; Aurora Borealis ; BOOK D FROM ΜΕΤΕΩΡΟΛΟΓΙΚΑ ; Aristotle’s notion on thermodynamic equilibrium ; Concluding remarks ; Appendix I: Aristotle’s poem ‘Ode to Virtue’ ; Appendix II: Aristotle on climate change
£28.50
Medieval Institute Publications The Middle English Breton Lays
Book SynopsisThis volume is the first to make the Middle English Breton lays available to teachers and students of the Middle Ages. Breton lays were produced by or after the fashion of Marie de France in the twelfth century and claim to be "literary versions of lays sung by ancient Bretons to the accompaniment of the harp." The poems edited in this volume are considered distinctly "English" Breton lays because of their focus on the family values of late medieval England. With the volume's helpful glosses, notes, introductions, and appendices, the door is opened for students to study Middle English poetry and the medieval family alike.Table of ContentsPreface General Introduction Sir Orfeo Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Lay le Freine Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Sir Degaré Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Emaré Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Sir Launfal Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Sir Gowther Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Erle of Tolous Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Sir Cleges Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Appendix A Marie de France, The Lay of the Ash Tree Appendix B Marie de France, The Lay of Sir Launfal Appendix C Sir Landevale Glossary
£17.50
Clairview Books Homers Iliad
Book SynopsisA fresh translation of Homer's Iliad in Classical style.
£19.12
Simon & Schuster This Side of Paradise
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£18.00
Double 9 Books The Forest FarmTales of the Austrian Tyrol
Book Synopsis
£12.59
Chartwell Books The Republic
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Princeton University Press How Women Became Poets
Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Seminary Co-Op Notable Book of the Year""Provocative. . . .A brilliant book."---Shadi Barsch, Times Literary Supplement
£29.75
Cambridge University Press The Evolution of Western Thought Volume 1 From the Ancient World to Late Antiquity
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£33.25
Cambridge University Press Lady Church in the Christian Imagination
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£30.40
HarperCollins Publishers Julius Caesar
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.Power, corruption and betrayal are at the heart of Shakespeare's most well-known historical and political drama. As Julius Caesar moves closer to securing power for himself and is perceived by some as a threat to Roman citizens, his senators plot to bring about his downfall. Caesar's assassination leads to civil war rather than peace and the play explores the subsequent deaths of the conspirators Brutus and Cassius.Shakespeare's contemporaries would have spotted the playwright's attempts to use the shift from republican to imperial Rome to highlight the political situation of the Elizabethans at the time. Featuring some of the most powerfully resonant and rousing speeches of any of Shakespeare's plays, Julius Caesar remains one of his most well-loved historical tragedies.
£5.62
Oxford University Press Defence Speeches
Book Synopsis''But I must stop now. I can no longer speak for tears - and my client has ordered that tears are not to be used in his defence.''Cicero (106-43 BC) was the greatest orator of the ancient world: he dominated the Roman courts, usually appearing for the defence. His speeches are masterpieces of persuasion: compellingly written, emotionally powerful, and somtimes hilariously funny. This book presents five of his most famous defences: of Roscius, falsely accused of murdering his father; of the consul-elect Murena, accused of electoral bribery; of the poet Archias, on a citizenshiup charge; of Caelius, ex-lover of Clodia Metelli, on charges of violence; and of Milo, for mudering Cicero''s hated enemy Clodius. Cicero''s clients were rarely whiter-than-white; but so seductive is his oratory that the reader cannot help taking his side. In these speeches we are plunged into some of the most exciting courtroom dramas of all time.These new translations preserve Cicero''s literary artistry and emotional force, and achieve new standards of accuracy. Each speech has its own introduction, and a general introduction discusses Cicero''s public career and the criminal courts. The substantial explanatory notes guide the reader through the speeches, and offer new scholarship presented in a clear way.
£10.44
Harvard University Press Fragments
Book SynopsisAeschylus (ca. 525–456 BC) is the dramatist who made Athenian tragedy one of the world’s great art forms. Seven of his eighty or so plays survive complete, including the Oresteia trilogy and the Persians, the only extant Greek historical drama. Fragments of his lost plays also survive.Trade ReviewAlan Sommerstein’s three-volume Aeschylus…is in many respects the best critical edition of this playwright available in any format. Sommerstein’s authority as a linguist and expert in Aeschylean drama is second to none… Particularly welcome is the well-documented and clearly presented volume of Fragments—for of course the seven plays we happen to possess are by no means all that Aeschylus wrote, and not necessarily even the seven best: the trilogies dealing with Achilles at Troy, or with Pentheus and the Bacchants, for example, seem to have been especially daring and influential. The facing English translation is a trustworthy guide for all who want help in figuring out what Aeschylus (probably) wrote and meant. -- Mark Griffith * Times Literary Supplement *
£23.70
Harvard University Press Fragments Volume II
Book SynopsisEuripides (c. 485–406 BCE) has been prized in every age for his emotional and intellectual drama. Eighteen of his ninety or so plays survive complete, including Medea, Hippolytus, and Bacchae, one of the great masterpieces of the tragic genre. Fragments of his lost plays also survive.Trade ReviewEuripides keeps us on the edge of our seats, whipping up pity, fear, surprise and shock in large doses...The splendid new two-volume Loeb edition of the fragments of Euripides, of which the second volume has just appeared, is a comforting reminder that we actually have fairly substantial knowledge of many Euripidean "lost" plays as well. -- Emily Wilson * Times Literary Supplement *
£23.70
Penguin Books Ltd Greek Tragedy Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisThree masterpieces of classical tragedy Containing Aeschylus's Agamemnon, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, and Euripides' Medea, this important new selection brings the best works of the great tragedians together in one perfect introductory volume. This volume also includes extracts from Aristophanes' comedy The Frogs and a selection from Aristotle's Poetics.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsGreek TragedyChronological TableIntroductionFurther ReadingA Note on the TextsPreface to AgamemnonAgamemnon by AeschylusPreface to Oedipus RexOedipus Rex by SophoclesPreface to MedeaMedea by EuripidesPreface to FrogsExtracts from Frogs by AristophanesPreface to PoeticsExtracts from Poetics by AristotleNotesGenealogical TablesMap of Ancient Greece
£10.44
Harvard University Press Roman History Volume VI
Book SynopsisAppian (ca. AD 95–161) is a principal source for the history of the Roman Republic. His theme is the process by which Rome achieved her contemporary prosperity, and his method is to trace in individual books the story of each nation’s wars with Rome up through her own civil wars. This Loeb edition replaces the original by Horace White (1912–13).Trade ReviewA superb, nuanced translation…It is not simply that McGing updates the translation to reflect contemporary idiom; he also breathes new life into Appian’s prose on almost every page…This exceptionally well executed Loeb is a welcome resource that will be deeply appreciated by all those interested in Appian and his remarkable Roman History as well as expand his appeal to a new generation of readers. -- Alain M. Gowing * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *I have not read any fictions that have more dramatic tension, philosophy, or narrative curiosities than this history of Appian’s. * Pennsylvania Literary Journal *
£23.70
Harvard University Press Augustines Soliloquies in Old English and in
Book SynopsisIn the tenth century, an anonymous scholar crafted an Old English version of Saint Augustine’s Soliloquia, which explores the nature of truth and immortality of the soul. This volume presents the first English translation of the complete Old English Soliloquies to appear in more than a century accompanied by a unique edition of Augustine’s work.Trade Review[An] elegant, readable, and accurate translation of the Latin text…This work will prove a boon both to scholars and students of Old English literature. -- Justin Lake * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
£26.96
Harvard University Press Life of the Virgin Mary
Book SynopsisJohn Geometres’s Life of the Virgin Mary, a work of outstanding theological sophistication animated by deeply felt devotion to the Mother of God, remains largely unknown today. This new edition of the Byzantine Greek text and the first complete translation in a modern language presents a masterpiece of early Marian writing to new audiences.
£26.96
Harvard University Press History of Rome Volume VI
Book SynopsisLivy (Titus Livius, 64 or 59 BC–AD 12 or 17), the great Roman historian, presents a vivid narrative of Rome’s rise from the traditional foundation of the city in 753 or 751 BC to 9 BC and illustrates the collective and individual virtues necessary to maintain such greatness. The third decad (21–30) chronicles the Second Punic War of 220–205 BC.Trade ReviewA dramatic narrative of battles, treaties, negotiations, bribes, prisoners captured and other brisk accounts…All public and university libraries should have this collection of Livy’s history to allow students, researchers, and curious members of the public to skim or devour it upon demand. * Pennsylvania Literary Journal *
£23.70
Harvard University Press Casina. The Casket Comedy. Curculio. Epidicus.
Book SynopsisThe comedies of Plautus, who brilliantly adapted Greek plays for Roman audiences ca. 205–184 BC, are the earliest Latin works to survive complete and cornerstones of the European theatrical tradition from Shakespeare and Molière to modern times. Twenty-one of his plays are extant.
£23.70
Oxford University Press On Obligations
Book SynopsisOn Obligations (De officiis) was written by Cicero in late 44 BC after the assassination of Julius Caesar to provide principles of behaviour for aspiring politicians. It explores the apparent tensions between honourable conduct and expediency in public life, and the right and wrong ways of attaining political leadership. The principles of honourable behaviour are based on the Stoic virtues of wisdom, justice, magnanimity, and propriety; in Cicero''s view the intrinsically useful is always identical with the honourable. Cicero''s famous treatise has played a seminal role in the formation of ethical values in western Christendom. Adopted by the fourth-century Christian humanists, it beame transmuted into the moral code of the high Middle Ages. Thereafter, in the Renaissance from the time of Petrarch, and in the Age of Enlightenment that followed, it was given central prominence in discussion of the government of states. Today, when corruption and conflict in political life are the focus of so much public attention, On Obligations is still the foremost guide to good conduct. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
£9.49
Harvard University Press The Histories Volume II
Book SynopsisIn his history, Polybius (ca. 200–118 BC) is centrally concerned with how and why Roman power spread. The main part of the work, a vital achievement despite the incomplete state in which all but the first five books of an original forty survive, describes the rise of Rome, its destruction of Carthage, and its eventual domination of the Greek world.Trade ReviewPolybius found a brilliant subject for his history in the Roman drive to supremacy in the Mediterranean. As an experienced Greek politician who lived as a hostage among the elite in Rome from 167 to 159 BC, he was ideally positioned to write it. He had formidable organizational powers, and he really did know what he was talking about. Without him, our understanding of the whole period and of the dynamics of Roman imperialism would be inconceivably impoverished. -- Denis Feeney * Times Literary Supplement *These are the first two volumes of a revised text and translation of the Histories of Polybius. Polybius was the Greek historian who wrote of the rise of Rome to Mediterranean power, and who is usually ranked as one of the ancient world’s great historians. This edition is based on that of W. R. Paton (1922), which has long served scholars but has been in sore need of updating and correction. This new version comes thanks to Frank W. Walbank (1909–2008), the great Polybius scholar of the modern world, whose monumental three-volume A Historical Commentary on Polybius (1957–79) is the starting point for all modern studies of the historian and the era he chronicled. While writing his commentary, Walbank systematically corrected Paton’s edition in hundreds of places, and these changes have now been incorporated by Christian Habicht, himself one of the great historians of the Hellenistic age. Habicht has provided a new introduction, bibliography, and notes, and the result is a splendid, reliable, and up-to-date edition of Polybius that will be accessible to students and scholars alike. One looks forward eagerly to the remaining volumes that are to appear over the next year. -- J. M. Marincola * Choice *
£23.70
Oxford University Press The Complete Odes and Epodes
Book SynopsisHorace (65-8 BC) is one of the most important and brilliant poets of the Augustan Age of Latin literature whose influence on European literature is unparalleled. Horace''s Odes and Epodes constitute a body of Latin poetry equalled only by Virgil''s, astonishing us with leaps of sense and rich modulation, masterly metaphor, and exquisite subtlety. The Epodes include proto-Augustan poems, intent on demonstrating the tolerance, humour and the humanity of the new leaders of Rome, robust love poems, and poems of violent denunciation; the Odes echo Greek lyric poetry, reflecting on war, politics and the gods, and celebrating the pleasures of wine, friendship, love, poetry and music. Steeped in allusion to contemporary affairs, Horace''s verse is best read in terms of his changing relationship to the public sphere, and David West''s superb new translation is supplemented by a lucid introduction illuminating these complexities, extensive notes, a chronological survey and a glossary of names. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
£10.44
Oxford University Press The Dawn of the Roman Empire
Book SynopsisBooks 31 to 40 of Livy's history chart Rome's emergence as an imperial nation and the Romans tempestuous involvement with Greece, Macedonia and the near East in the opening decades of the second century BC; they are our most important source for Graeco-Roman relations in that century. Livy's dramatic narrative includes the Roman campaigns in Spain and against the Gallic tribes of Northern Italy; the flight of Hannibal from Carthage and his death in the East; thedebate on the Oppian law; and the Bacchanalian Episode.Trade ReviewAltogether [Yardley and Heckel] have combined their efforts to produce an exemplary volume which, as the only modern unabridged English translation of Livy 31-40, will do much to promote a renewed interest in this decade of Livy among both students and scholars. * John Jacobs, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
£12.34
Loeb Civil War
Book SynopsisCivil War provides a vigorous, direct, clear, third-personal, impassioned account of Caesar’s campaigns during the civil war of 49–48 BC, drawn from his three books of commentarii.
£23.70
The University of Chicago Press Greek Tragedies 1
Book SynopsisOffers translations of Euripides' "Medea", "The Children of Heracles", "Andromache", and "Iphigenia among the Taurians", fragments of lost plays by Aeschylus, and the surviving portion of Sophocles' "The Trackers". In this title, introductions for each play offer information about its first production, plot, and reception in antiquity and beyond.
£12.00
Harvard University Press The Histories Volume V
Book SynopsisPolybius’ theme is how and why the Romans spread their power as they did. The main part of his history covers the years 264–146 BC, describing the rise of Rome, the destruction of Carthage, and the eventual domination of the Greek world. It is a vital achievement despite the incomplete survival of all but the first five of forty books.Trade ReviewThe numerous explanatory notes of the revised edition offer the reader a good assistance in orienting themselves within the fragmentary tradition of Polybius’ books 16 to 27 by contextualizing the events mentioned historically, referring to recent research and clarifying special terms, persons, places, etc.… Fully recommended. -- Michael Kleu * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Polybius found a brilliant subject for his history in the Roman drive to supremacy in the Mediterranean. As an experienced Greek politician who lived as a hostage among the elite in Rome from 167 to 159 BC, he was ideally positioned to write it. He had formidable organizational powers, and he really did know what he was talking about. Without him, our understanding of the whole period and of the dynamics of Roman imperialism would be inconceivably impoverished. -- Denis Feeney * Times Literary Supplement *
£23.70
Harvard University Press God at Play: Volume 1
Book SynopsisMhaimbhat’s God at Play, or Līḷācaritra, is a remarkable biography of the medieval religious figure Chakradhar Svami, considered by the Mahanubhavs to be an incarnation of the supreme god. The first volume of this new English translation, accompanied by the Marathi text, describes Chakradhar’s early life, wanderings, and the gathering of disciples.
£26.96
Harvard University Press Animal Fables of the Courtly Mediterranean
Book SynopsisAnimal Fables of the Courtly Mediterranean is a treasure trove of widely translated stories on how to conduct oneself and succeed in life. The new Byzantine Greek text and English translation presented here is based on a twelfth-century work that contains unique prefaces and reinstates stories omitted from the earliest Greek version.
£26.96
Oxford University Press The Werewolf in the Ancient World
Book SynopsisTales of the werewolf are well established as a sub-strand of the popular horror genre; less widely known is how far back in time their provenance lies. This is the first book in any language devoted to the werewolf tales that survive from antiquity, exploring their place alongside witches, ghosts, demons, and soul-flyers in a shared story-world.Trade ReviewOgden sets out to prove that, in the ancient world, werewolves "inhabited the same conceptual space...as sorcerers, witches, and ghosts," and succeeds admirably. * Debbie Felton, Religious Studies Review *Ogden characteristically writes with verve, clarity, independent-mindedness and wit, and always displays an impressive breadth and depth of learning - grounded in a genuinely, not just superficially, multilingual study of previous scholarship-any reader who opens the present work can expect a treat. * Richard Buxton, GNOMON *Summing up, the importance of this work is undeniable: The Werewolf in the Ancient World is destined to become the reference treatise on lycanthropy in antiquity, and it certainly has what it takes to be so - not least, the author's familiarity with scholarly literature in languages other than English. * Tommaso Braccini, Universita di Siena, ARYS: Antiquity, Religions and Societies *This book is packed full of source material for those who are keen to research more deeply into the phenomenon * J M Lashley, Cambridge Core *Readers will most certainly find lasting value in the many long translations of primary source materials marshalled in The Werewolf in the Ancient World, which will provide a useful refernce for all future discussions of the ancient and mysterious versipellis. * Scott Bruce, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *The broad breadth of the book provides Ogden with a plethora of sources to consider, creating a thoroughly researched discussion and a meticulous sourcebook ... The Werewolf in the Ancient World is a rich scholarly resource ... Ogden's writing style is lively and engaging, creating an overall enjoyable and accessible read for scholars, students, and casual readers. * Julianne Rach, Ancient History Bulletin *Daniel Ogden's fascinating and wide-ranging study of the werewolf from ancient Greece to the Middle Ages also adopts the folklorist approach ... This fast-paced and well-researched book certainly has a broad appeal and will be both a classic study on the topic and a useful collection of ancient sources on werewolves. * Ivana Petrovic, Greece & Rome *The Greeks had a word for writer-collectors of mirabilia, or wonderful, incredible things; they were known as "paradoxographers." In The Werewolf in the Ancient World Ogden shows himself to be a keen contemporary paradoxographer. Combining detailed analysis of the sources with digressive reveries, he's aiming at "a comprehensive sourcebook" and has hunted across the centuries for buried items of lore, ranging from ancient Greek texts to Christian commentaries on pagan thinkers, then on to the medieval period, with busy digressions on Icelandic sagas, Grimm fairy tales, and Victorian ghost stories. In pursuit of his quarry, Ogden investigates sorcery, shapeshifting, initiation rites, mental derangement, spirit projection, and shamanic night flying, expounding with irrepressible enthusiasm on such things as werewolves' relations with ghosts, vampires, sorcerers, and witches. * Marina Warner, New York Review of Books *Quite probably the best book that will ever be written on the topic. * Gail Nina Anderson, The Fortean Times *The Werewolf in the Ancient World represents an immense work of scholarship. It should be praised for not succumbing to the unusually common problem of hyper-fixation on a particular time period, so as to make it appear like the werewolf is not a myth that's existed since antiquity. Raher than focusing only on ancient Greece and Rome, Ogden works to point out how the tropes established by Petronius in the Satyricon repeatedly pop up in medieval and Renaissance era folklore, and even early 20th century works of fiction like Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest" (1914) and Guy Endore's "Werewolf of Paris" (1933). * Justin Mullis, AIPT *Table of ContentsIntroduction. Petronius, Werewolves, and Folklore 1: The Curse of the Werewolf: Witches and Sorcerers 2: Werewolves, Ghosts, and the Dead 3: The Werewolf Inside, and Out 4: Werewolves and Projected Souls 5: The Demon in a Wolfskin: A Werewolf at Temesa? 6: The Werewolves of Arcadia Conclusion: The World of Ancient Werewolves and their Stories Appendix A. Homer's Circe as a Witch Appendix B. Cynocephali Appendix C. False Werewolves: Dolon and the Luperci References Index
£27.54
Penguin Publishing Group The Golden Ass
Book SynopsisAn enchanting story that has inspired generations of writers, including Boccaccio, Shakespeare, Cervantes and Keats Written towards the end of the second century AD, The Golden Ass tells the story of the many adventures of a young man whose fascination with witchcraft leads him to be transformed into a donkey. The bewitched Lucius passes from owner to owner - encountering a desperate gang of robbers and being forced to perform lewd 'human' tricks on stage - until the Goddess Isis finally breaks the spell and initiates Lucius into her cult. It has long been disputed whether Apuleius meant this last-minute conversion seriously or as a final comic surprise, and the challenge of interpretation continues to keep readers fascinated. Apuleius' enchanting story has inspired generations of writers such as Boccaccio, Shakespeare, Cervantes and Keats with its dazzling combination of allegory, satire, bawdiness and sheer exuberance, and The Golden Ass remains the
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The War with Hannibal
Book SynopsisIn The War with Hannibal, Livy (59 BC-AD 17) chronicles the events of the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, until the Battle of Zama in 202 BC. He vividly recreates the immense armies of Hannibal, complete with elephants, crossing the Alps; the panic as they approached the gates of Rome; and the decimation of the Roman army at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. Yet it is also the clash of personalities that fascinates Livy, from great debates in the Senate to the historic meeting between Scipio and Hannibal before the decisive battle. Livy never hesitates to introduce both intense drama and moral lessons into his work, and here he brings a turbulent episode in history powerfully to life.Table of ContentsThe War with Hannibal - Livy Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt and Edited with an Introduction by Betty RadiceIntroductionBook XXIBook XXIIBook XXIIIBook XXIVBook XXVBook XXVIBook XXVIIBook XXVIIIBook XXIXBook XXXMapsChronological IndexIndex
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Four Tragedies and Octavia Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisBased on the legends used in Greek drama, Seneca's plays are notable for the exuberant ruthlessness with which disastrous events are foretold and then pursued to their tragic and often bloodthirsty ends. Thyestes depicts the menace of an ancestral curse hanging over two feuding brothers, while Phaedra portrays a woman tormented by fatal passion for her stepson. In The Trojan Women, the widowed Hecuba and Andromache await their fates at the hands of the conquering Greeks, and Oedipus follows the downfall of the royal House of Thebes. Octavia is a grim commentary on Nero's tyrannical rule and the execution of his wife, with Seneca himself appearing as an ineffective counsellor attempting to curb the atrocities of the emperor.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throTable of ContentsSeneca: Four Tragedies And OctaviaIntroductionAcknowledgementThyestesPhaedra (or Hippolytus)The Trojan WomenOedipusOctaviaAppendix I. Elizabethan translations and imitationsAppendix II. Passages from Seneca's prose
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Nature of the Gods Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisTowards the end of his life, Cicero turned away from his oratorical and political career and looked instead to matters of philosophy and religion. The dialogue The Nature of the Gods both explores his own views on these subjects, as a monotheist and member of the Academic School, and considers the opinion of other philosophical schools of the Hellenistic age through the figures of Velleius the Epicurean and Balbus the Stoic. Eloquent, clearly argued and surprisingly modern, it focuses upon a series of fundamental religious questions including: is there a God? If so, does he answer prayers, or intervene in human affairs? Does he know the future? Does morality need the support of religion? Profoundly influential on later thinkers, such as Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, this is a fascinating consideration of fundamental issues of faith and philosophical thought.
£11.69
Penguin Publishing Group Murder Trials In Defence of Sextus Roscius of
Book SynopsisWhereas the place for prejudice is a public meeting, a court of law is the adobe of truth. Cicero was still in his twenties when he got Sextus Roscius off a charge of murdering his father and nearly sixty when he defended King Deiotarus, accused of trying to murder Caesar. In between (with, among others, his speeches for Cluentius and Rabirius), he built a reputation as the greatest orator of his time. Cicero defended his practice partly on moral or compassionate grounds of human decency - sentiments with which we today would agree. His clients generally went free. And in vindicating men - who sometimes did not deserve it - he left us a mass of detail about Roman life, law and history and, in two of the speeches, graphic pictures of the gun-law of small provincial towns. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsMurder Trials IntroductionI. In Defence of Sextus Roscius of Ameria1. The Innocence of Sextus Roscius2. The Guilt of Magnus and Capito3. Chrysogonus: the Criminal behind the ScenesII. In Defence of Aulus Cluentius Habitus1. The Trial and Crimes of Oppianicus2. Previous Verdicts Quoted AGainst Cluentius3. The Innocence of CluentiusIII. In Defence of Gaius RabiriusIV. Note on the Speeches in Defence of Caelius and MiloV. In Defence of King DeiotarusAppendix A: List of TermsAppendix B: Genealogical TablesAppendix C: Table of DatesAppendix D: Further ReadingMapsIndex
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Philebus
Book SynopsisTaking the form of a discussion between the hedonist Philebus, his naïve disciple Protarchus and Socrates, Philebus is a compelling consideration of the popular belief that pleasure is the greatest attainable good. Here, Socrates speculates on the differing intensities of both pleasure and pain; explores the notion that they can be divided into pure and impure types; considers the relationship between the one and the many; and establishes knowledge as a far higher goal. A profound argument that true fulfillment can only be achieved by the pursuit of beauty, truth and moderation, Philebus is among the earliest and most fascinating explorations of one of the most fundamental human questions: how to lead a good life.
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd Hippocratic Writings
Book SynopsisThis work is a sampling of the Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of ancient Greek medical works. At the beginning, and interspersed throughout, there are discussions on the philosophy of being a physician. There is a large section about how to treat limb fractures, and the section called The Nature of Man describes the physiological theories of the time. The book ends with a discussion of embryology and a brief anatomical description of the heart.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsHippocratic Writings - Edited with an Introduction by G. E. R. Lloyd Preface IntroductionMedicineTranslated by J. Chadwick and W. N. MannTranslators' IntroductionThe OathThe CanonTradition in MedicineEpidemics, Book IEpidemics, Book IIIThe Science of MedicineAirs, Waters, PlacesPrognosisRegimen in Acute DiseasesAphorismsThe Sacred DiseaseDreams (Regimen IV)The Nature of ManA Regimen for HealthSurgeryTranslated by E. T. WithingtonFracturesEmbryology and AnatomyTranslated by I. M. LonieThe Seed and The Nature of the ChildThe HeartNotes on the Translation of Some Hippocratic TermsBibliographyGlossary of NamesIndices
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd Virgils Aeneid
Book SynopsisFREDERICK M. KEENER is Professor of English at Hofstra University. His publications include English Dialogues of the Dead, An Essay on Pope and The Chain of Becoming.
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd Classical Literary Criticism Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisThis anthology brings together core classical texts for understanding literature. The selections from Plato illustrate the poetic philosopher's surprising exclusion of poets from his ideal republic. In his response, Poetics, Aristotle draws on the works of the great Greek playwrights to defend the value of the art. Horace's The Art of Poetry is a vivid practitioner's guide that promotes a style of poetic craftsmanship rooted in wisdom, ethical insight, and decorum. Longinus's On the Sublime explores the nature of inspiration in poetry and prose. This volume is a work of great value and interest to classicists, students, and writers.In her Introduction, Penelope Murray compares and contrasts the viewpoints of these formidable critics as well as their impact on the Western tradition. This edition also includes a new bibliography and chronology and comprehensive notes to each of the texts.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisTable of ContentsIntroduction1. Homer and the Early Greek Poets2. Aristophanes3. Gorgias and the Sophists4. Plato5. Aristotle6. The Alexandrians7. Horace8. Longinus9. EpilogueFurther ReadingLiterary ChronologyPlatoIonRepublic 2Republic 3Republic 10AristotlePoeticsHoraceThe Art of PoetryLonginusOn the SublimeNotes
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Electra and Other Plays
Book SynopsisOf all the ancient Greek tragedians, Euripides was the most sensitive to the lives of women and other outcasts in Athenian society, and Electra and Other Plays collects five plays demonstrating his talent for bringing to life their plight. This Penguin Classics edition is translated by John Davie with an introduction and notes by Richard Rutherford.Written during a period overshadowed by the fierce struggle for supremacy between Sparta and Euripides'' native Athens, these five plays are haunted by the shadow of war - and in particular its impact on women. In Electra the children of Agamemnon take bloody revenge on their mother for murdering their father after his return from Troy, and Suppliant Women depicts the grieving mothers of those killed in battle. The other plays deal with the aftermath of the Trojan War for the defeated survivors, as Andromache shows Hector''s widow as a trophy of war in the house of her Greek captor, and Hecabe portrays a defeated queen avenging the murder of her last-remaining son, while Trojan Women tells of the plight of the city''s women in the hands of their victors.John Davie''s compelling translations are accompanied by an introduction by Richard Rutherford describing the tragic genre and Euripides innovations, along with a chronology, prefaces to each play, notes, a bibliography and a glossary of names.Euripides (c.485-07 BC) was an Athenian born into a family of considerable rank. Disdaining the public duties expected of him, Euripides spent a life of quiet introspection, spending much of his life in a cave on Salamis. Late in life he voluntarily exiled himself to the court of Archelaus, King of Macedon, where he wrote The Bacchae, regarded by many as his greatest work. Euripides is thought to have written 92 plays, only 18 of which survive.If you enjoyed Electra and Other Plays, you might like Euripides'' Medea and Other Plays, also available in Penguin Classics.''The most intensely tragic of all the poets''AristotleTable of ContentsElectra and Other PlaysGeneral IntroductionNote on the TextChronological TableTranslator's NotePreface to AndromacheAndromachePreface to HecabeHecabePreface to Suppliant WomenSuppliant WomenPreface to ElectraElectraPreface to Trojan WomenTrojan WomenNotesBibliographyGlossary of Mythological and Geographical Names
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Chattering Courtesans and Other Sardonic Sketches
Book SynopsisDescribed by a later Greek historian as a man seriously committed to raising a laugh, Lucian exulted in the exposure of absurdity and the puncturing of pretension, and was capable of finding a comic angle on almost any subject. In this selection we see him conversing with his literary enemies, railing against hypocrisy and the vanity of human wealth and power, and taking a wry look at the power of lust and the unsatisfactory nature of deviant sexual practices.
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Early Socratic Dialogues Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisRich in drama and humour, the Early Socratic Dialogues include the controversial Ion, a debate on poetic inspiration; Laches, in which Socrates seeks to define bravery; and Euthydemus, which considers the relationship between philosophy and politics. Together, these dialogues provide a definitive portrait of the real Socrates and raise issues still keenly debated by philosophers, forming an incisive overview of Plato's philosophy.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Satires and Epistles of Horace and Satires of
Book SynopsisThe Satires of Horace (65-8 BC), written in the troubled decade ending with the establishment of Augustus'' regime, provide an amusing treatment of men''s perennial enslavement to money, power, glory and sex. Epistles I, addressed to the poet''s friends, deals with the problem of achieving contentment amid the complexities of urban life, while Epistles II and the Ars Poetica discuss Latin poetry - its history and social functions, and the craft required for its success. Both works have had a powerful influence on later Western literature, inspiring poets from Ben Jonson and Alexander Pope to W. H. Auden and Robert Frost. The Satires of Persius (AD 34-62) are highly idiosyncratic, containing a courageous attack on the poetry and morals of his wealthy contemporaries - even the ruling emperor, Nero.
£10.44
