Classics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) - Softcover

Beard, Mary; Henderson, John

3.57

1,363 ratings by Goodreads

9780192853134: Classics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192853139 ISBN 13: 9780192853134

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1995

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We are all classicists--we come into touch with the classics on a daily basis: in our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. What are the true roots of these influences, however, and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the classics differ from their original reality? This introduction to the classics begins with a visit to the British Museum to view the frieze which once decorated the Apollo Temple a Bassae. Through these sculptures John Henderson and Mary Beard prompt us to consider the significance of the study of Classics as a means of discovery and enquiry, its value in terms of literature, philosophy, and culture, its source of imagery, and the reasons for the continuation of these images into and beyond the twentieth century. Designed for the general reader and student alike, A Very Short Introduction to Classics challenges readers to adopt a fresh approach to the Classics as a major cultural influence, both in the ancient world and twentieth-century--emphasizing the continuing need to understand and investigate this enduring subject.

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About the Author:

About the Authors:
John Henderson is a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. Mary Beard is a Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge.

From AudioFile:

This production is very short, but it deals more with our relationship with classics than with the classics themselves. Tim Bentinck's narration is lively without being showy, as befits a book of popular scholarship. He reads in a pleasant British accent and gets to show off only rarely, such as putting on a decent American accent for quotes from Jefferson. His German is also good. This is the underappreciated kind of reading that sounds straightforward and ordinary but requires practice and skill. The material is interesting when substantive, less so when theoretical, but Bentinck carries it all off well. W.M. � AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright � AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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