For more than 2000 years the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome have captivated our collective imagination and provided inspiration for every age. This text provides an up-to-date and authoritative survey of the Greek and Roman worlds in all their aspects. Drawing on the latest edition of the Oxford Classical Dictionary, this illustrated Oxford Companion offers access to knowledge of classical civilization, which should make it a useful guide for general readers interested in learning more about the very bedrock of Western culture. The text covers: history and politics - the events, achievements, and personalities of 2500 years of history of Greece and Rome and their immediate neighbours, as well as the underlying issues from democracy to propaganda, famine and finance, Hellenization and mercenaries, population, and slavery; ethics and morals, law and punishment - individual philosophers and their schools, and ethical issues, such as corruption, prison and torture; social and family life; language, literature, art and scholarship; religion and mythology.