The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to HadrianThe classical civilizations of Greece and Rome once dominated the world, and they continue to fascinate and inspire us. Classical art and architecture, drama and epic, philosophy and politics--these are the foundations of Western civilization. In The Classical World, eminent classicist Robin Lane Fox brilliantly chronicles this vast sweep of history from Homer to the reign of Augustus. From the Peloponnesian War through the creation of Athenian democracy, from the turbulent empire of Alexander the Great to the creation of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Christianity, Robin Lane Fox serves as our witty and trenchant guide. He introduces us to extraordinary heroes and horrific villains, great thinkers and blood-thirsty tyrants. Throughout this vivid tour of two of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known, we remain in the hands of a great master. |
Contents
Hannibal and Rome | 302 |
Diplomacy and Dominance | 311 |
The Roman Republic | 319 |
Luxury and Licence | 321 |
Turbulence at the Home and Abroad | 330 |
Pompeys Triumphs | 341 |
The World of Cicero | 351 |
The Rise of Julius Caesar | 361 |
| 75 | |
Towards Democracy | 83 |
The Persian Wars | 93 |
The Western Greeks | 104 |
The Classical Greek World | 115 |
Conquest and Empire | 117 |
A Changing Greek Cultural World | 128 |
Pericles and Athens | 142 |
The Peloponnesian War | 150 |
Socrates | 160 |
Fighting for Freedom and Justice | 166 |
Women and Children | 176 |
Philip of Macedon | 184 |
The Two Philosophers | 194 |
FourthCentury Athenians | 205 |
Hellenistic Worlds | 219 |
Alexander The Great | 221 |
Alexanders Early Successors | 233 |
Life in the Big Cities | 245 |
Taxes and Technologies | 256 |
The New World | 266 |
Rome Reaches Out | 275 |
The Peace of the Gods | 288 |
Liberation in the South | 295 |
The Spectre of Civil War | 370 |
The Fatal Dictator | 382 |
Liberation Betrayed | 395 |
From Republic to Empire | 405 |
Anthony and Cleopatra | 407 |
The Making of the Emperor | 418 |
Morals and Society | 426 |
Spectator Sports | 437 |
The Roman Army | 447 |
The New Age | 456 |
An Imperial World | 469 |
The Julioclaudians | 471 |
Ruling the Provinces | 484 |
Effects of Empire | 494 |
Christianity and Roman Rule | 507 |
Surviving Four Emperors | 514 |
The New Dynasty | 520 |
The Last Days of Pompeii | 529 |
A New Man in Action | 541 |
A Pagan and Christians | 547 |
Regime Change Home and Away | 555 |
Presenting the Past | 563 |
A Retrospective | 570 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alexander allies already ancient Antony army Asia Athenian Athens Augustus became brought Caesar called century certainly CHAPTER Christian Cicero citizens city-states civil classical command communities continued culture death democracy early East Egypt emperor Empire enemies especially evidence existing father followed freedom friends give gods Greece Greek Hadrian honour important Italy justice killed kings known land late later least letters lived luxury Macedonian major male military never noble Nonetheless painted perhaps Persian Philip Pliny political probably provinces Republic rich Roman Rome Rome's rule senators side slaves social soldiers Spain Spartan statue Studies style surely temple took town troops turned values victory voted western wife women young
Popular passages
Page 507 - Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Page 507 - And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
Page 508 - A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!
Page 469 - I see it, the Roman political system (especially when Greek democracy had been wiped out: see V.iii above and Appendix IV below) facilitated a most intense and ultimately destructive economic exploitation of the great mass of the people, whether slave or free, and it made radical reform impossible.
Page 160 - But it is now time to depart, — for me to die, for you to live. But which of us is going to a better state is unknown to every one but God.
Page 96 - I am of such a sort that I am a friend to right, I am not a friend to wrong. It is not my desire that the weak man should have wrong done to him by the mighty ; nor is that my desire, that the mighty man should have wrong done to him by the weak.
Page 11 - Mainland tradition) the Archaic Age was a time of extreme personal insecurity. The tiny overpopulated states were just beginning to struggle up out of the misery and impoverishment left behind by the Dorian invasions, when fresh trouble arose: whole classes were ruined by the great economic crisis of the seventh century, and this in turn was followed by the great political conflicts of the sixth, which translated the economic crisis into terms of murderous class warfare. It is very possible that...
Page 405 - The fashion persists of condemning and deploring the last epoch of the Roman Republic. It was turbulent, corrupt, immoral. And some speak of decadence. On the contrary, it was an era of liberty, vitality — and innovation.
Page 581 - JMC Toynbee, The Hadrianic School: A Chapter in the History of Greek Art: Cambridge, at the University Press (1934). " Cf. "RH,