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A Classical Primer: Ancient Knowledge for Modern Minds
A basic but enjoyable introduction to the study of the culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans, from the languages to literature, philosophy, art, and much more
For those who didn't take Classics at school, or who have forgotten most of what they knew, this primer is a look back at classical civilization—how they lived, and how many aspects of our own daily lives have been directly influenced by theirs, from roads and concrete, to central heating, the 12-month calendar, cranes, and even pizza. It covers Greek and Latin languages; offers Greek and Roman history in a nutshell from the Bronze Age through the fall of the Roman empire; provides an introduction to Greek literature including The Iliad, The Odyssey, and the Greek tragedies; and covers the basics of Latin literature. It also provides basic background on philosophy, including Socrates and Plato; ancient architecture including the Parthenon and the Colosseum; and science and technology, including such inventions as the alarm clock, the vending machine, flushing toilets, and glass. This handy book shows that even a basic knowledge of Classics is not only essential, but also incredibly fascinating.
For those who didn't take Classics at school, or who have forgotten most of what they knew, this primer is a look back at classical civilization—how they lived, and how many aspects of our own daily lives have been directly influenced by theirs, from roads and concrete, to central heating, the 12-month calendar, cranes, and even pizza. It covers Greek and Latin languages; offers Greek and Roman history in a nutshell from the Bronze Age through the fall of the Roman empire; provides an introduction to Greek literature including The Iliad, The Odyssey, and the Greek tragedies; and covers the basics of Latin literature. It also provides basic background on philosophy, including Socrates and Plato; ancient architecture including the Parthenon and the Colosseum; and science and technology, including such inventions as the alarm clock, the vending machine, flushing toilets, and glass. This handy book shows that even a basic knowledge of Classics is not only essential, but also incredibly fascinating.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2012
20 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 10, 2018
Disregard the reviews that dismiss the value of this nifty little book. The study of antiquity is notoriously vast in its proportions. If like me you've always wanted to delve into the classical world of Ancient Greece and Rome without enmeshing yourself in the imposing confines of an Oxbridge ivory tower, this brief yet informative primer (which is precisely what it is) is a great place to start.
May 9, 2020
This review is for the book: “A Classical Primer: Ancient Knowledge For Modern Minds“, written by Dan Crompton. Crompton studied Classics and Linguistics while attending Cambridge in England. This book (or an earlier version) seems to be part of a series of books loosely titled: “I Used to Know That .. Book Series“. This book is #19 of #28. I guess they are things you should have been taught in grammar or high school and either you weren’t paying attention or you’ve dumped the extraneous information from you primary memory core. For me, it’s probably a bit of both.
Apparently, a “classic” (in western sensibilities) has to do with either Greek or Roman history. The first chapter is the longest and to me the least interesting. The book is 194 pages and the first 58 are specifically about the languages – letters, words, cases, tenses, prefixes and suffixes – and how much of this is carried forward today into English (American and British). Like I said, mostly not particularly interesting…
After that, come chapters on history, literature (Greek, then Roman), philosophy, architecture and finally science / technology. The author is casual in tone and entertaining. I felt I was actually getting information which was interesting and (maybe) useful. As an aside, I was watching a news clip today and they flashed by a building and I thought, “Wow! Ionic / Corinthian mixed columns!” I never recognized the differences before, so seeing them never meant anything to me before.
As mentioned, this is a short (and small) book with relatively large print and, therefore, a very fast read. Final recommendation: Strong to highly. If you know little to nothing about “Classics”, this book will be a useful and enjoyable introduction. I don’t remember EVER getting taught ANY of this stuff in school (other than the geometry portion), but then I never went out of my way to delve into any of this stuff. If it was taught, it certainly wasn’t emphasized.
Anyway, I find it interesting to get reminded how much I don’t know about the world (and history). My greatest fear (well, one of them anyway) is that I might die uneducated. Reading this “primer” type of book reminds me how far I have to go to avoid that fate, but the author taps you on the forehead in a fun way and I think that’s among the best ways of getting your eyes opened to the world around you. Slowly, slowly…
Apparently, a “classic” (in western sensibilities) has to do with either Greek or Roman history. The first chapter is the longest and to me the least interesting. The book is 194 pages and the first 58 are specifically about the languages – letters, words, cases, tenses, prefixes and suffixes – and how much of this is carried forward today into English (American and British). Like I said, mostly not particularly interesting…
After that, come chapters on history, literature (Greek, then Roman), philosophy, architecture and finally science / technology. The author is casual in tone and entertaining. I felt I was actually getting information which was interesting and (maybe) useful. As an aside, I was watching a news clip today and they flashed by a building and I thought, “Wow! Ionic / Corinthian mixed columns!” I never recognized the differences before, so seeing them never meant anything to me before.
As mentioned, this is a short (and small) book with relatively large print and, therefore, a very fast read. Final recommendation: Strong to highly. If you know little to nothing about “Classics”, this book will be a useful and enjoyable introduction. I don’t remember EVER getting taught ANY of this stuff in school (other than the geometry portion), but then I never went out of my way to delve into any of this stuff. If it was taught, it certainly wasn’t emphasized.
Anyway, I find it interesting to get reminded how much I don’t know about the world (and history). My greatest fear (well, one of them anyway) is that I might die uneducated. Reading this “primer” type of book reminds me how far I have to go to avoid that fate, but the author taps you on the forehead in a fun way and I think that’s among the best ways of getting your eyes opened to the world around you. Slowly, slowly…
August 21, 2017
A brief trip through the classical world as seen through Ancient Greece and Rome. While not bad, I didn't find anything that would make me recommend this to someone in lieu of other books approaching the subject. I've included some assorted insights below.
Some commentary at points frustrated me as being contrary to well established knowledge, in that the tone lends legitimacy to something which is incorrect or pure conjecture. In particular I'm thinking of the comparison of the Hawaiian language to Ancient Greek - I don't know if any linguists worth their salt that would see this as anything but a coincidence.
In a similar vein, the author seems to prefer leaning on classical world tropes in some cases or leaving out information in others. The specific example that comes to mind is the explanation of Socrates' trial and execution, which glosses or ignores the highly politicized events around his death.
The language portion, which is where the book starts, was enjoyable to me
but doesn't seem to serve a larger purpose in the context of the rest of the book. It seems that someone coming to the subject fresh (or with the bad taste of high school history or lit in their mouth) might be turned off immediately.
Some commentary at points frustrated me as being contrary to well established knowledge, in that the tone lends legitimacy to something which is incorrect or pure conjecture. In particular I'm thinking of the comparison of the Hawaiian language to Ancient Greek - I don't know if any linguists worth their salt that would see this as anything but a coincidence.
In a similar vein, the author seems to prefer leaning on classical world tropes in some cases or leaving out information in others. The specific example that comes to mind is the explanation of Socrates' trial and execution, which glosses or ignores the highly politicized events around his death.
The language portion, which is where the book starts, was enjoyable to me
but doesn't seem to serve a larger purpose in the context of the rest of the book. It seems that someone coming to the subject fresh (or with the bad taste of high school history or lit in their mouth) might be turned off immediately.
September 5, 2017
Dan Crompton does not waste words and this overview of ancient cultures is anything but dry. It's amazing to learn how thoroughly Ancient Greek and Roman culture permeates our modern world. From art and sculpture to language and architecture, these two ancient civilizations left behind much more than a few grand ruins. This book is like an introduction to Humanities 101, for people who never took it in College. Unlike a college class, this book is short, concise, illuminating and, as mentioned, funny. It would probably appeal to people with some knowledge of the subject as well.
February 27, 2024
A quick read, less than 200 short pages, taking you through some classical topics. While I enjoyed the first half of this book a lot (looking at the languages, literature, and philosophy) there wasn’t anything particularly great about this book that would make me recommend it. The second half of the book seemed more informal and random, but the fact that each section was so short made it seem to fly by.
July 5, 2022
Very interesting read
I enjoyed learning about the classical world in this book. The author was funny and clear in his presentation leading me to want to learn more about the people described in the book.
I enjoyed learning about the classical world in this book. The author was funny and clear in his presentation leading me to want to learn more about the people described in the book.
April 16, 2025
Overview of Greek and Roman language, literature, philosphy, architecture, science, and technology. Great summaries of Latin and Greek conjugations, arhcitecture, and classics such as Illiad and Aneid.
October 14, 2025
2.5 stars
does what it says on the tin. most of the info was not new to me, since i’ve had a low-burning fascination with the greeks and romans for years, but this was a wide-ranging overview and entertaining enough. not a bad place to start for someone new to all this. the author steers far clear of any scholarly controversy and is clearly just regurgitating his bachelor’s degree in classics for a mass audience. if it works it works.
does what it says on the tin. most of the info was not new to me, since i’ve had a low-burning fascination with the greeks and romans for years, but this was a wide-ranging overview and entertaining enough. not a bad place to start for someone new to all this. the author steers far clear of any scholarly controversy and is clearly just regurgitating his bachelor’s degree in classics for a mass audience. if it works it works.
February 2, 2017
Simple but effective and interesting and has me intrigued about paradoxes !!
October 1, 2016
it's hard to rate non fiction books but this was good
December 31, 2012
An easy intro to the classics and the world around them. I quite enjoyed the chatty tone as it allowed the subject matter to be very accessible. However, it did get a little too informal as I neared the end - it was more distracting than anything else. All in all an interesting read and a useful snapshot of a large subject area.
February 16, 2015
It's a cute book, and a very quick read. The informal tone is engaging. I described this book to my husband as " a book for dumb people who want to sound smart." I would recommend this book as a starting place for a study of the Classics. It is exactly what it claims to be: an outline of Classical knowledge, lacking in much detail. But it is a pleasant way to pass an afternoon.
August 8, 2012
Bright and breezy, but as a result a bit superficial. Writing occasionally lapses clumsily into informal language, for example, describing one character as "getting her tits out" - which is just a bit odd.
May 30, 2015
An easy-to-read introduction to the classical world. It would be ideal for teenagers as the style is informal and compares the classical world with the modern world. Be warned: this is not a scholarly tome.
June 18, 2014
While not a bad introduction, this is definitely designed for those with no exposure to the Classics at all. Don't bother reading this if you have some familiarity with the subject; this won't tell you anything you don't already know.
May 14, 2015
A quick (very quick) overview. Parts of it were easy to understand and digest - others not so much. Enjoyed the last half of the book dealing with literature, philosophy and technology better than the first half of languages.
November 15, 2014
Nothing particularly amazing, but it certainly helped me remember some of the grammar from high school Latin! Although it's not particularly in-depth, the book could easily be used as a stepping stone into other works in the classics.
August 29, 2023
A quick and irreverent introduction to the classical world with a good balance of focus on the ancient greek and latin languages, authors, and inventions - an excellent entry point for the complete neophyte.
November 4, 2012
Good intro designed for the completely ignorant, it's readability also means it glosses over some interesting bits.
April 16, 2016
Not to so neutral, also I had higher expectations.
November 12, 2016
Cute book, some interesting knowledge. Loved the philosophy, literature and history bits. Everything else was slightly off my interest. Fun and easy day's read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2016
You can tell he studied linguistics ;-)
Could have been better balanced, better maps and diagrams- but it was £2.
His sense of humour carried this- hence the four stars.
Could have been better balanced, better maps and diagrams- but it was £2.
His sense of humour carried this- hence the four stars.
April 19, 2017
Short, sweet and simple. Does what it says on the tin.
January 10, 2016
A light and breezy run through the elements of a classical education.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews