* A accessible one--volume survey of the literature of Greece and Rome. * Covers the period between Homer around 700 BC and Augustine around AD 410. * Highlights what is important historically and of continuing interest and value in classical literature.

Preface. Acknowledgements. Abbreviations. Maps. Introduction. 1. Epic. 2. Drama. 3. Rhetoric. 4. History, Biography, Fiction. 5. Erotic Literature. 6. Literature and Power. 7. Aspects of Wit. 8. Thinkers. 9. Believers. Appendix 1 Translations of Four Longer Passages. Appendix 2 Timeline. Appendix 3 List of Roman Emperors. Appendix 4 Major Greek and Roman Gods. Notes. Further Reading. Index

This accessible one-volume survey of the literature of Greece and Rome covers the period between Homer, around 700 bc, and Augustine, around ad 410. It highlights what is important historically and what is of continuing interest and value in the literature of classical antiquity. The author’s introduction sets out essential preliminary material concerning the history of the ancient world, the nature of literary genres and the transmission of texts. Each subsequent chapter is concerned with a particular genre or aspect of literature, and traces the development of that genre over time. This structure allows the reader to see continuities between different periods and to move easily between the Greek and Roman worlds. Extensive quotations in English, a timeline and an index of authors help to make the material as accessible as possible.

"The book is a tour de force ... Rutherford speaks directly to his readers, telling them what they need to know to set a work into its historical and social context ... Even scholars who are completely familiar with all the texts Rutherford discusses will profit from consulting this book." Times Literary Supplement 'Rutherford's book provides an accessible, affordable, and concise introduction to its topic.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review "As well as Rutherford's broader constituency, this book should make particularly invaluable reading for undergraduates, sixth-formers who are looking to pursue Classics at university (and it should be a must for school libraries)." Greece and Rome