Tony Spawforth

Staroveké Grécko je všade – v politike, vo filozofii, v poézii aj na olympiáde. Či už ide o slová ako pandémia, biológia, demokracia, výrazy ako Oidipov komplex či Achillova päta, alebo o kópiu Parthenónu v čínskom zábavnom parku – grécka kultúra stále formuje naše myslenie, jazyk aj estetické vnímanie. Ako a prečo sa grécka antika stala takou populárnou? Renomovaný historik Tony Spawforth skúma grécke dedičstvo tam, kde by ste ho možno nečakali – v náboženstve, hollywoodských filmoch, športe aj politických hnutiach. Nevynecháva ani temnejšie kapitoly tohto vplyvu – od nacistického obdivu k Sparte, cez rasovú nadradenosť, toxickú maskulinitu, útlak žien, otroctvo, až po elitárstvo klasického vzdelania. Táto kniha je strhujúcim portrétom živej antiky, v ktorej ležia korene našej demokracie a modernej spoločnosti.

Staroveké Grécko je všade – v politike, vo filozofii, v poézii aj na olympiáde. Či už ide o slová ako pandémia, biológia, demokracia, výrazy ako Oidipov komplex či Achillova päta, alebo o kópiu Parthenónu v čínskom zábavnom parku – grécka kultúra stále formuje naše myslenie, jazyk aj estetické vnímanie. Ako a prečo sa grécka antika stala takou populárnou? Renomovaný historik Tony Spawforth skúma grécke dedičstvo tam, kde by ste ho možno nečakali – v náboženstve, hollywoodských filmoch, športe aj politických hnutiach. Nevynecháva ani temnejšie kapitoly tohto vplyvu – od nacistického obdivu k Sparte, cez rasovú nadradenosť, toxickú maskulinitu, útlak žien, otroctvo, až po elitárstvo klasického vzdelania. Táto kniha je strhujúcim portrétom živej antiky, v ktorej ležia korene našej demokracie a modernej spoločnosti.

An enjoyable, accessible exploration of the legacy of ancient Greece today, across our daily lives and all forms of popular culture Our contemporary world is inescapably Greek. Whether in a word like "pandemic," a Freudian state of mind like the "Oedipus complex," or a replica of the Parthenon in a Chinese theme park, ancient Greek culture shapes the contours of our lives. Ever since the first Roman imitators, we have been continually falling under the Greeks' spell. But how did ancient Greece spread its influence so far and wide? And how has this influence changed us? Tony Spawforth explores our classical heritage, wherever it's to be found. He reveals its legacy in everything from religion to popular culture, and unearths the darker side of Greek influence-from the Nazis' obsession with Spartan "racial purity" to the elitism of classical education. Paying attention to the huge breadth and variety of Hellenic influence, this book paints an essential portrait of the ancient world's living legacy-considering to whom it matters, and why.

The extraordinary story of the intermingled civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome, spanning more than six millennia from the late Bronze Age to the seventh century The magnificent civilization created by the ancient Greeks and Romans is the greatest legacy of the classical world. However, narratives about the "civilized" Greek and Roman empires resisting the barbarians at the gate are far from accurate. Tony Spawforth, an esteemed scholar, author, and media contributor, follows the thread of civilization through more than six millennia of history. His story reveals that Greek and Roman civilization, to varying degrees, was supremely and surprisingly receptive to external influences, particularly from the East. From the rise of the Mycenaean world of the sixteenth century B.C., Spawforth traces a path through the ancient Aegean to the zenith of the Hellenic state and the rise of the Roman empire, the coming of Christianity and the consequences of the first caliphate. Deeply informed, provocative, and entirely fresh, this is the first and only accessible work that tells the extraordinary story of the classical world in its entirety.