Ancient Literature

The collection of essays focuses on works in ancient Greek and Latin but also includes a fair representation of Chinese literature. The literature of other languages, including Japanese and Sanskrit, is explored as well (an opening listing shows "Writers Covered, by Language of Composition"). Entries include authors, titles, and themes and literary forms. Works such as Julius Caesar's The Civil Wars, Virgil's Aeneid, and Ovid's Metamorphoses are discussed book by book. Theological texts are well represented, with entries on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Hebrew Bible, and the teachings of Buddha, among others. Students will appreciate the accessible summaries as well as the bibliographies that are appended to most articles.