Description
The well known scholar of classical art, Nigel Spivey (Emmanuel College, Cambridge, UK) and Squire (Trinity College, Cambridge) have written a thematic account of the classical world that provides the general reader with an appreciation for the context of daily life in Greek, Etruscan, and Roman times. Chapters are included on religious beliefs, political ideas, attitudes towards the body, attitudes toward death, and the nature of trade and the economy, among other themes. Each of the ten chapters is illustrated with many color plates of art and architecture. Maps, a glossary, and a timeline are included. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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This imaginative approach to the era in which Western civilization was born is a thorough—and thoroughly accessible—synthesis of the Greek, Roman, and Etruscan worlds, spanning the period from Late Geometric Greece in around 700 b.c., to the rule of Constantine in the early 4th century a.d. The authors incorporate important developments in recent scholarship, including ideas of gender, war and pacifism, imperialism and dissent, political propaganda, economy, cultural identity, racism, hygiene and diet, and public and private uses of space. The book highlights the modern relevance of classical antiquity, from its influence on contemporary politics to the representation of the female body in Western art, and concludes by charting the history of classical civilization. The extensive reference section includes biographies, an introduction to classical mythology, a glossary of technical terms and vase shapes, as well as a timeline, map, bibliography, and index.
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