Customer Reviews

The Classical Greek Reader: New Encounters with Ancient Greece (Henry Holt Reference Book)

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I have long been interested in classical Greek and Roman civilization, and have spent hours thumbing through the wonderful Loeb Classics library editions jotting down random bits of wisdom or hilarious observations. Before I found Atchity and McKenna's book, however, I never quite knew how to tie it all together. The book's style is far more interesting than an encycolpedia's style, but the volume of information is perfect for novices. The chapters consist of chronological excerpts from a wide variety of Greek academics. Whether your interest is history, literature, philosophy, art, math, science, or an amalgam of any or all of these, you will find something fascinating to read here. Parents of high school and college students should think about giving this book as a gift to their children--it would be invaluable to students in the arts and sciences.

Why did Oxford, in 1996, reprint prose translations from Kathleen Freeman's 1926 "Life and Work of Solon," with their cries of "Yea!" and "Ye glorious children of Memory"? Couldn't it get the rights to West's 1993 "Greek Lyric Poetry" at least (also published by Oxford)? More disconcertingly, we get an English Empedocles here of the vintages 1880 and 1898. Most of the major poets fare better, but Sophocles' "Antigone" is in H.R. Fairclough and A.T. Murray's 1902 Wardour Street ("didst thou") version.

With no reservations, I can declare this a very poorly conceived anthology. Anyone would do better to buy up a bunch of good translations in used paperbacks.

If you absolutely had to have an anthology, I'm not sure what is best, but "The Norton Book of Classical Literature," ed. B.M.W. Knox, is certainly far better.

The book I received was exactly what I wanted and what was promised. It was in great condition and I received it three days after I ordered it. I am very pleased with the seller and would buy from them again.