About the Book
What did the ancient Greeks eat and drink? What role did migration play? Why was emperor Nero popular with the ordinary people but less so with the upper classes? Why (according to ancient authors) was Oedipus ('with swollen foot') so called?
For over 2,000 years the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome have captivated our collective imagination and provided inspiration for so many aspects of our lives, from culture, literature, drama,
cinema, and television to society, education, and politics. Many of the roots of the way life is lived in the West today can be traced to the ancient civilizations, not only in politics, law, technology,
philosophy, and science, but also in social and family life, language, and art.
Beautiful illustrations, clear and authoritative entries, and a useful chronology and bibliography make this Companion the perfect guide for readers interested in learning more about the Graeco-Roman world. As well as providing sound information on all aspects of classical civilization such as history, politics, ethics, morals, law, society, religion, mythology, science and technology, language,
literature, art, and scholarship, the entries in the Companion reflect the changing interdisciplinary aspects of classical studies, covering broad thematic subjects, such as race, nationalism, gender,
ethics, and ecology, confirming the impact classical civilizations have had on the modern world.
Table of Contents:
Preface to the First Edition
Preface to the Second Edition
List of New and Replacement Entries in the Second Edition
List of Maps
Contributor List
Thematic Listing of Entries
Abbreviations
How to Use this Book
Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization
Chronology
Select Bibliography
Maps
About the Author :
Simon Hornblower is Senior Research Fellow in Classical Studies at All Souls College, Oxford.
Antony Spawforth is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Esther Eidinow is Lecturer in Ancient Greek History at the University of Nottingham.
Review :
Review(s) from previous edition"beautifully illustrated and intelligently reader friendly - TLS
"This is a serious book as well as an attractive one" - T. P. Wiseman, TLS
"a cut above" - Booklist
"magnificent" - Boris Johnson, Daily Telegraph (reviewing OCD)
"a classic ... a highly readable and browseable delight ... should be in every reference collection" - B. Juhl, Choice (reviewing OCD)
"a delight for anyone with any curiosity about the roots of our Western
culture ... a browser's paradise, and I would think a researcher's quick
rescuer" - Arthur Miller, London Review of Books (reviewing OCD)
"the third edition of The Oxford Classical Dictionary should be saluted" - Nigel Spivey, Guardian (reviewing OCD)
"a remarkable feat ... Simon Hornblower and Tony Spawforth deserve a
round of applause for the spread, exactness and range of this massive
overhaul" - Robin Lane Fox, Observer (reviewing OCD)
"offers not only that breakfast for the mind we keep hearing about, but
lunch, tea, dinner, supper and non-stop snacks ... offers a cornucopia
of accurate and succinct knowledge that would be hard to equal" - (Peter Green, Washington Times (reviewing OCD)
"the ultimate useful book" - Peter Jones, Sunday Telegraph (reviewing OCD)
"an astonishing book" - Robert Beaumont, Yorkshire Evening Press (reviewing OCD)
"the book's substance speaks for itself: 364 distinguished scholars
contribute scrupulously sourced intellectual meat of a texture that
Socrates himself would savour" - Sunday Times (reviewing OCD)
"For classical scholars, the Oxford Classical Dictionary is what Wisden
is for cricket fans: the one indispensable reference book ... this book
is more than a crossword-filler's vade mecum. In the sense of our
collective intellectual domestication, it is a household object." - The Week (reviewing OCD)
"Scholarly and succinct, the Oxford Classical Dictionary is
itself a classic. Perhaps the most appropriate encomium is that it
remains the source of first resort for novices and experts alike.
Summing Up: Essential." - CHOICE
"Authoritative and informative, the work is the best single-volume
classical dictionary in English and an essential desktop reference. It
truly has, as its editors claim, 'no competitor in any language." - MLA Literary Research Guide
"The Oxford name has authority in reference circles, but the invariable
question in these days of easy web access is whether the price of the
print work is justified. The answer, in the case of The Oxford Classical Dictionary, is a resounding yes." - Booklist
"A brilliant starting place for research into just about any facet of
classics one can think of, with a depth and richness of
cross-referencing that makes it an ideal and elegant tool" - Booklist
"Rich, varied, and highly reliable ... Magnificent. An indispensable reference for individuals and libraries alike." - Library Journal
