The Birth of Classical Europe: A History from Troy to Augustine (Penguin History of Europe) - Softcover

Price, Simon; Thonemann, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014312045X ISBN 13: 9780143120452

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2011

Synopsis

An innovative and intriguing look at the foundations of Western civilization from two leading historians; the first volume in the Penguin History of Europe

The influence of ancient Greece and Rome can be seen in every aspect of our lives. From calendars to democracy to the very languages we speak, Western civilization owes a debt to these classical societies. Yet the Greeks and Romans did not emerge fully formed; their culture grew from an active engagement with a deeper past, drawing on ancient myths and figures to shape vibrant civilizations.

In The Birth of Classical Europe, the latest entry in the much-acclaimed Penguin History of Europe, historians Simon Price and Peter Thonemann present a fresh perspective on classical culture in a book full of revelations about civilizations we thought we knew. In this impeccably researched and immensely readable history we see the ancient world unfold before us, with its grand cast of characters stretching from the great Greeks of myth to the world-shaping Caesars. A landmark achievement, The Birth of Classical Europe provides insight into an epoch that is both incredibly foreign and surprisingly familiar.

About this title

Review:

An elegant and readable attempt to undertake the impossible and confine [Europe's classical] history within fewer than 400 pages. (Nick Rennison Sunday Times)

The Birth of Classical Europe combines a strong narrative with sophisticated thematic analysis and reflection ... Despite the immense ground covered, there is no impression of the breathlessness and superficiality which one might have thought unavoidable. (Simon Hornblower TLS)

They have presented a wide variety of both interpretative and expository material in accessible form. (Paul Cartledge History Today)

Simon Price and Peter Thonemann's attractive new book offers a seamless history across more than two millennia ... [and] by insisting on the unifying relationship between the present and what has gone on before, [they] place themselves in the same intellectual tradition as Augustine. (Christopher Kelly BBC History Magazine)

About the Author:

Simon Price is a former lecturer at the University of Oxford, where he taught Greek and Roman history.
Peter Thonemann has taught Greek and Roman history at Wadham College, Oxford, since 2007.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 014312045X
• ISBN 13: 9780143120452
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432