• 'The authors show us that Classics is a 'modern' and sexy subject. They succeed brilliantly in this regard ... nobody could fail to be informed and entertained - and the accent of the book is provocative and stimulating.' John Goodwin, Times Literary Supplement
• Mary Beard writes regularly for the Times Literary Supplement
• Appeal to broad cross-section of readers, whose interests may be in ancient history, literature, philosophy, or art history

This Very Short Introduction to Classics links a haunting temple on a lonely mountainside to the glory of ancient Greece and the grandeur of Rome, and to Classics within modern culture-from Jefferson and Byron to Asterix and Ben-Hur. We are all Classicists - we come into touch with the Classics daily: in our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. What are the true roots of these influences, however, and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the Classics differ from their original reception? This introduction to the Classics begins with a visit to the British Museum to view the frieze which once decorated the Apollo Temple at Bassae. Through these sculptures, John Henderson and Mary Beard prompt us to consider the significance of Classics as a means of discovery and enquiry, its value in terms of literature, philposophy, and culture, and its importance as a source of imagery.