Democracy? Mathematics? The Calendar? Hospitals? This book is an enlightening look at the myriad ways that the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome have fundamentally influenced and shaped our modern world. Familiar institutions, rituals, and aspects of everyday modern life are examined to reveal their often surprising classical roots, while the authors explore a selection of the innovations of ancient Greek and Roman civilization to trace how these have developed through history and still affect the world of the twenty-first century. The style is fast-paced and, while drawing on authoritative and current scholarship, the factual information is enlivened with anecdotal details. This book will open the reader's eyes to a new understanding of the world that we live in today.

Author Biography

Alicia Aldrete has advanced degrees from Princeton and the University of Michigan. She is the co-author of the Encyclopedia of Daily Life: The Ancient World. Gregory S Aldrete is Professor of History and Humanistic Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. His enthusiasm for the ancient world is reflected in his many publications which include Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome and Daily Life in the Roman City.