The Oxford companion to classical civilization

Unrivaled in scope and scholarship, The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization is an indispensable guide to the richly textured history of ancient Greece and Rome. The meticulously detailed entries contained within this volume breathe life into the people, places, and events that shaped the development of classical civilization. Readers will learn that Alexander the Great's grand army consisted of 48,500 soldiers and was the largest ever to leave Greek soil, that the white facades of refined Ionic structures in Greece were once washed with vibrant reds and blues, and that the Theodosian Code, a collection of Roman law published in AD 438, still survives today. Here are examinations of the lives and works of great philosophers and literary figures, such as Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Sophocles, Seneca, Aeschylus and the poets Ovid and Sappho. Mythology and religion were integral parts of classical civilization, and from Aphrodite and Hermes to funerary rites and sacrifice, they are integral parts of this volume as well. Filled with both essay length articles and short quick reference entries, this extraordinarily thorough yet accessibly written book is a treasury of information on classical civilization. Arranged alphabetically, fully cross-referenced, and graced with a beautiful selection of full color plates, The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization will certainly become an essential resource for anyone interested in learning more about the cradle of western civilization.