Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The art and architecture of Greece and Rome lie at the heart of the classical tradition of the western world. Their legacy is so familiar as to have become commonplace, yet despite appearing straightforward, the development of classical art in antiquity was complex and remarkably swift. It ran from near abstraction in eighth-century BC Greece, through years of observation and learning from the arts of the non-Greek world to the east and in Egypt, to the brilliance of the classical revolution of the fifth century, which revealed attitudes and styles undreamt of by other cultures. After Alexander the Great this became the art of an empire, readily learned by Rome and further developed according to the Romans' special character and needs, until it provided the idiom for the imaging of Christianity. Here, five leading scholars tell the story of this pageant of the arts over some 1500 years, through a rich succession of illustrations on to which the narrative is woven. They demonstrate how the arts served very different societies and patrons - tyrannies, democracies, empires; the roles and objectives of the artists; the way in which the classical style was disseminated far beyond the borders of the Greek and Roman world; but especially the splendour and quality of the arts themselves.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 1 Introduction, John Boardman
• 2 Pre-Classical Greece, Alan Johnston
• 3 The Classical Period, John Boardman
• 4 The Hellenistic Period, R. R. R. Smith
• 5 Rome: The Republic and Early Empire, J.J. Pollitt
• 6 The Later Roman Empire, Janet Huskinson
• 7 The Diffusion of Classical Art, John Boardman
• Further Reading
• List of Illustrations
• General Index

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Western art is very much the descendant of the 1500-year history of Greco-Roman art; many of the classical motifs and vernacular have become so commonplace they pass unnoticed. The changing forms of classical art, the differing societies and patrons for whom artifacts were produced, the roles and objectives of the artists, and the manner in which classical art was disseminated throughout the ancient world are all well analyzed and well presented in this work. While the text is on the dry side, a broad choice of illustrations--28 very good color plates, 396 well-indexed black-and-white reproductions, and three good maps--provide a focus and foundation for the narrative. This affordable companion to Boardman's The Oxford History of the Classical World ( LJ 1/87) will be a useful addition to collections where general works on classical art are lacking.-- Mary Morgan Smith, Northland P.L., Pittsburgh, Pa. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal Review

YA-This companion volume to The Oxford History of the Classical World provides a broad and scholarly overview of Greek and Roman art, ranging from the 8th century B.C.E. to the late Roman Empire. Each chapter includes a historical and social commentary on the changing styles as well as on the artists and their patrons. Hundreds of plates, with well-documented explanations, support the narrative essays and highlight the phenomenal growth and dissemination of classical art worldwide. An excellent reference source. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Sir John Boardman is also joint editor of The Oxford History of the Classical World.