"With the coming forward of Greece, mankind became the center of the universe, the most important thing in it."–Edith Hamilton, Mythology
Through vivid prose and sharp analysis, Edith Hamilton brings to life the spirit of classical Greece, celebrating its achievements in art, philosophy, and literature and its enduring legacy on modern civilization. Contrasting the Greeks' pursuit of beauty, strength, and intellectual clarity with the values of other ancient societies, Hamilton illustrates how their ideals shaped notions of humanity and freedom. She examines the works of Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Euripides, Homer, Plato, and Sophocles, among others. With the Greek emphasis on reason, critical thinking, and the pursuit of knowledge and understanding; their passion for beauty; and their unique aesthetic emphasizing harmony, balance, and the idealization of the human form, Edith Hamilton reminds us, "The spirit of the West, the modern spirit, is a Greek discovery; and the place of the Greeks is in the modern world."
