The Classics: All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome

It's no myth: this lively refresher course fills in all you need to know about ancient studies-from Zeus's throne to the fall of Rome-in pithy little quips. It covers the impressive advances made by Greek and Roman societies, from language to medicine, from art to architecture. You'll learn: The Greek alphabet, from alpha to omega The history and characteristics that define Greek and Roman architecture and its influence on modern building Greek and Latin words, which make up more than 30 percent of the words in the English language, and how you can build your vocabulary by learning the roots The Greek and Roman gods, the mythology surrounding them, and the part these figures play in our culture Almost 1,000 years of Greek and Roman history, from the birth of democracy to Caesar's empire The philosophies taught by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and what their ideas have contributed to the world we live in today How modern cultural staples such as the Olympics were formed by classical literature written by authors such as Homer and Cicero A fascinating introduction to the world that became the foundation for Western Civilization, The Classics puts the same information from stuffy textbooks at your fingertips in one entertaining read.