The centuries old epic about the wrath of Achilles is rendered into modern English verse by a renowned translator and accompanied by an introduction that reassesses the identity of Homer. In Robert Fagles' beautifully rendered text, the Iliad overwhelms us afresh. The huge themes godlike, yet utterly human of savagery and calculation, of destiny defied, of triumph and grief compel our own humanity. Time after time, one pauses and re-reads before continuing....

"For two thousand years, the epic tale of Aeneas's dramatic flight from Troy, his doomed love affair with Dido, his descent into the underworld, and the bloody story behind the establishment of Rome has electrified audiences around the world. In Vergil's telling, Aeneas's heroic journey not only gave Romans and Italians a thrilling origin story, it established many of the fundamental themes of Western life and literature-the role of duty and self-sacrifice,...

Presents a retelling of the story of Clytemnestra and her children, describing how she plots to murder her long-absent husband for his betrayals and infidelities.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. Our life is what our thoughts make it The extraordinary writings of Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180), the only Roman emperor to have also been a stoic philosopher, have for centuries been praised for their wisdom, insight and guidance by leaders and great thinkers alike. Never intended for publication, Meditations are the personal notes born from a man who studied...

"American Arcadia explores the innumerable ways Californians shaped their visual and social culture using models and ideals from the classical tradition"--

"A revolutionary new understanding of the most famous and influential building in the world, a thesis that calls into question our basic understanding of the ancient civilization that we most identify with. For more than two millennia, the Parthenon has been revered as the symbol of Western culture, the epitome of the ancient society from which we derive our highest ideals. It was understood to honor the city-state's patron deity Athena, and its intricately...

"A new collection of poems on Classic and family themes" --

"An essential companion to the 75th-anniversary illustrated edition of Edith Hamilton's Mythology, this A-to-Z guide offers hundreds of rich and fascinating definitions of every major and minor character, creature, and place of classical mythology"--

The marriage between a duke and Amazon queen sparks a massive celebration, which leads to a congregation of woodland residents, Fairyland creatures and surprising lovers. Set in Athens, A Midsummer Night's Dream follows unsuspecting couples as they fall prey to a supernatural ploy. Four plots simultaneously take place during the wedding preparations for Theseus, the duke of Athens and Hippolyta, the Amazon queen. Four young people, Hermia, Demetrius,...

"This collection of twenty-four essays exemplifies Daniel Mendelsohns wide-ranging critical interests in the Greek inheritance, film, literature, television, and the personal essay. As always his writing on these subjects is filtered through his training as a scholar of classical antiquity, in ways that are both surprising and illuminating. Some of the essays examine how we continue to look to the Greek past to understand even the most contemporary...