The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature by Margaret HowatsonCall Number: REF PA31.H69 1989
ISBN: 0198661215
Publication Date: 1989
From Achilles's heel to the sword of Damocles, Western culture teems with allusions from the rich heritage of classical literature, and this new edition of The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature provides the key to these works and the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations that produced them.
The main focus of the Companion remains the lives and works of the principal authors.
Entries on the major works include discussions of the philosophical dialogues and political speeches and plot summaries of the epic poems and plays.
The various literary forms--epic, comedy, tragedy, rhetorical writing--are covered in depth, supplemented by articles on the origins of the Greek and Latin alphabets and languages.
The Companion also puts this literature into its societal and historical contexts, including many articles on political, social, and artistic achievements.
Articles on the social customs and religious beliefs of those times help explain literary references, while the glories of philosophy, science, and art are celebrated from Cynics to Stoics, astronomy to water-clocks, and flute competitions to vase painting.
Helpful maps supplement geographical entries and a chronological table provides an overview of the main historical and literary events.