This resource offers biographical entries on nearly 500 individuals of central importance from the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome, including writers, thinkers, artists, scientists, statesmen, kings, queens, and other historical figures; mythological figures are excluded. Entries offer more than biographical information: many are short essays covering major historical and cultural themes in antiquity, centred round individuals as varied as Herodotus, Socrates, Plato, Alexander the Great, and Augustus.