In this clear and evocative account, John Gaskin unfolds the thinking about nature, life, death and other worlds that informed the culture and society of the Classical world, drawing out its interest for modern readers. Witty sketches and diagrams enliven the story, which runs from Homeric Greece to the banning of pagan religions in ad 391. The book concludes with a gazetteer describing notable sites and the people and ideas connected with them, making it an ideal companion for visitors to Classical ruins and for all armchair travellers curious to explore life’s big questions.

通过本书清晰动人的讲述，John Gaskin（作者）呈现了对自然、生命、死亡和其他世界等影响古典世界文化和社会的因素的思考，并为现代读者提炼出思考的关注点。书中风趣诙谐的短文和图表使整个故事更加有生气，故事从荷马希腊时期到公元391年取缔异教时期。本书书末含有一本地名辞典，清晰描述了有名的地点以及与这些地点相关的人和思想。本书对于经典远古遗迹的旅行者、对于渴望探索生命伟大问题的所有空想旅行家而言，是一本理想指南。