The Classical World

Starred review from August 7, 2006
Framing this history of the classical world as he imagines the second-century Emperor Hadrian (who traveled the classical world and had a "classicizing mind") would have done, this scintillating survey seeks to understand Greek and Roman civilizations on their own terms. Oxford historian Fox (Alexander the Great
) structures his study around the ancient concepts of freedom, justice and luxury, as they evolved from Homeric literature onward. The story arranges itself around two poles: democratic Athens, of which, for all its flaws, Fox is an unabashed partisan, and Rome, whose fatally unequal republic declined into the grotesque tyranny of the early empire. This intellectual framework provides an interpretive skeleton for a loosely structured, well-paced narrative history. (One disappointment, a major one for an "epic history," is Fox's sketchy, montage-like treatment of military campaigns.) Into the story the author weaves insightful passages on art, religion, technology, marriage and the prominent role of homosexuality in classical culture, along with set-piece profiles of statesmen and thinkers from Pericles to Plato to Pliny. Fox is a fluent, perceptive color commentator on the pageant of ancient history, while giving readers some idea of where the parade was headed. 71 b&w illus.; 10 maps.

October 15, 2006
Known primarily for his work in Hellenistic and biblical history, Fox (ancient history, Oxford Univ.; "Alexander the Great") will not disappoint readers with his new book. Its chronological boundaries are set by literature, ranging from Homer in the eighth century B.C.E. to the final era of Roman literature in the second century C.E., before Christianity became a force. Fox examines the opening of the Western mind, to borrow a phrase, placing the era in a framework fascinating for its perspective and reasonableness. While examining such issues as gender and slavery, he ignores neither fifth-century Athens nor Rome's revolution. Topical chapters are situated appropriately and do not seem like add-ons, a common problem in history books; for example, the chapter titled Taxes and Technology comes after discussion of the Successor Kings and before Rome's entrance on the scene. Fox examines politics in ways that are not often seen in such texts, drawing parallels between the likes of Sulla, Cleisthenes, and Saint Paul. While its length may frighten off some from using it, either for a survey course or as hobby reading, this engaging work is reasonably priced (compared with textbooks) and includes both good maps and a sound bibliography. Recommended for all academic and large public libraries." Clay Williams, Hunter Coll. Lib., New York"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2006
Fox, the author of numerous works on classical civilization, is a masterful writer whose elegant but highly readable prose offers an evolving portrait of Greek and Roman culture over a period of roughly 900 years. Although he utilizes a broadly chronological approach, Fox goes well beyond the usual, dreary narrative of battles, dynastic changes, and political conflicts that often characterize surveys of the period. Instead, Fox focuses on the gradual development and transformation of various cultural aspects of Greek and Roman societies, and he discusses in often fascinating detail topics that are normally given short shrift in general histories. For example, he provides an excellent analysis of the social and political conditions influencing the "overseas" Greek polities, in Sicily, southern Italy, and Ionia. He examines puzzling historical problems such as Hannibal's failure to win the support of Italian client peoples who unexpectedly remained loyal to Rome during the Second Punic War. This is an excellent work of scholarship and literature and will be a valuable addition to ancient-history collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)