What the Greeks Did for Us

WARNING

You are viewing an older version of the Yalebooks website. Please visit out new website with more updated information and a better user experience: https://www.yalebooks.com

Tony Spawforth

View Inside Format: Hardcover
Price: $30.00
YUPComing Soon
Our shopping cart only supports Mozilla Firefox. Please ensure you're using that browser before attempting to purchase.

An enjoyable, accessible exploration of the legacy of ancient Greece today, across our daily lives and all forms of popular culture
 
Our contemporary world is inescapably Greek. Whether in a word like “pandemic,” a Freudian state of mind like the “Oedipus complex,” or a replica of the Parthenon in a Chinese theme park, ancient Greek culture shapes the contours of our lives. Ever since the first Roman imitators, we have been continually falling under the Greeks’ spell.
 
But how did ancient Greece spread its influence so far and wide? And how has this influence changed us?
 
Tony Spawforth explores our classical heritage, wherever it’s to be found. He reveals its legacy in everything from religion to popular culture, and unearths the darker side of Greek influence—from the Nazis’ obsession with Spartan “racial purity” to the elitism of classical education. Paying attention to the huge breadth and variety of Hellenic influence, this book paints an essential portrait of the ancient world’s living legacy—considering to whom it matters, and why.

Tony Spawforth is emeritus professor of ancient history at Newcastle University. As well as leading cultural tours in Greece, he has presented eight documentaries for the BBC and has published thirteen books, including The Story of Greece and Rome.

ISBN: 9780300258028
Publication Date: May 16, 2023
320 pages, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
24 color illus.