Penguin History of Europe Series

8 books in series
4.5 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

The Birth of Classical Europe Publisher's Summary

To an extraordinary extent we continue to live in the shadow of the classical world. At every level, from languages to calendars to political systems, we are the descendants of a “classical Europe,” using frames of reference created by ancient Mediterranean cultures. As this consistently fresh and surprising new audio book makes clear, however, this was no less true for the inhabitants of those classical civilizations themselves, whose myths, history, and buildings were an elaborate engagement with an already old and revered past - one filled with great leaders and writers, emigrations and battles. Indeed, much of the reason we know so much about the classical past is because of the obsessive importance it held for so many generations of Greeks and Romans, who interpreted and reinterpreted their changing casts of heroes and villains. Figures such as Alexander the Great and Augustus Caesar loom large in our imaginations today, but they themselves were fascinated by what had preceded them.

A stunning work of research and imagination, The Birth of Classical Europe is an authoritative history, covering two millennia of human experience and casting new light on the world that in many ways still defines our own. In their thoughtful look at the twin engines of memory and culture, Simon Price and Peter Thonemann show how our own changing values and interests have shaped our feelings about an era that is by some measures very remote but by others startlingly close.

©2011 Simon Price, Peter Thonemann (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp
Show More Show Less

See a series you like?

Book one is on us
After 30 days, Audible is $16.45/mo. Cancel anytime.
Product list
  • Book 1

    Non-member price: $33.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $33.99 or 1 Credit

  • Book 2

    The Inheritance of Rome cover art
    • The Inheritance of Rome

    • Illuminating the Dark Ages 400-1000
    • By: Chris Wickham
    Not Available on Audible.com.au

  • Book 3

    Europe in the High Middle Ages cover art
    Not Available on Audible.com.au

  • Book 5

    Christendom Destroyed cover art
    Not Available on Audible.com.au

  • Book 6

    The Pursuit of Glory cover art
    • The Pursuit of Glory

    • The Five Revolutions That Made Modern Europe: 1648-1815
    • By: Tim Blanning
    Not Available on Audible.com.au

  • Book 7

    The Pursuit of Power cover art
    Not Available on Audible.com.au

  • Book 8

    Non-member price: $39.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $39.99 or 1 Credit

  • Book 9

    Non-member price: $39.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $39.99 or 1 Credit

There’s a series for
everyone on Audible.

From fascinating sci-fi and fantasy to binge-worthy thrillers,
find your next book series to love.

Explore series