The Traveller's Guide to Classical Philosophy

 ‘A great idea, smartly executed … You’ll never confuse a Stoic with a Cynic again’ – i
‘A neat, idiosyncratic approach and one that is lively but doesn’t dumb down … provides some pretty nourishing food for thought’ – Eastern Daily Press
The perfect companion for visitors to
 Greek and Roman sites, and to the ideas that inspired 
the ancients

John Gaskin clearly unfolds the thinking about nature, life, death and other worlds that informed the culture and society of the Classical world, drawing out its interest for modern readers.

The Greeks were the first to ask and discuss in a rational way two fundamental questions that never cease to concern thinking human beings:
'What is the nature of the universe?'
'What can I make of my brief time in it?'
– their answers, developed between the 8th century BC and the 4th century AD, are as relevant today as they were in ancient times.

Witty sketches and diagrams enliven the story, which runs from Homeric Greece to the banning of pagan religions in ad 391. The book concludes with a gazetteer describing notable sites and the people and ideas connected with them, making it an ideal companion for visitors to Classical ruins and for all armchair travellers curious to explore life’s big questions.

Abdera • Alexandria 
Aphrodisias • Assos • Athens 
Calchedon • Chios • Clazomenae 
Cnidus • Croton • Cyrene 
Elea • Ephesus • Halicarnassus Herculaneum • Kos • Lesbos Miletus • Oinoanda Pergamon • Priene 
Rhodes • Rome 
Samos • Troy

English

2011

176 Pages

12.5 x 18 cm