The Essential Classics: An Anthology of Greco-Roman Literature

by Catherine Lecomte Lapp (Editor)

From the epic stories of Homer to the philosophical insights of Marcus Aurelius, The Essential Classics is a bountiful anthology of one thousand years of Greek and Roman literature. It is a treasure trove of familiar masterworks by such visionaries as Sophocles, Aristotle, and Cicero. Biographical sketches reveal the colorful lives of each author and lucid commentaries guide the reader through the intricacies of the texts. This collection further preserves the translations made by prominent American and British scholars now considered classic works in their own right. The volume also contains three maps, a chronological chart of the ancient world, and a table of Greek gods and their Roman equivalents.

622 pages, Hardcover

Published November 15, 2005

Reviews

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Essential Classics is a heavily curated anthology of Greco-Roman literature. The editors organized the authors chronologically. It starts with three tales from Homer and continues until it reaches Marcus Aurelius. Along the way, we get material from Aesop, Thucydides, Hesiod, Vergil, and more.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Laura Schmidt-Dockter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but must admit that I skimmed some of it. My intention is to use this book as a reference. It will be a much used. The most interesting thing I learned is that Caesar's work is considered "self-aggrandizing propaganda".