Good Ancient Greek/Roman classic to read?

Question

I need to build up my literature, so can anyone think of a good classic book to read (along the lines of The Iliad, the Aenid, Horace, Ovid, etc.) Thanks

Answer 1

Read "Tales from Ovid" It's a recently published selection of stories from Ovid's metamorpheses and is Amazing. It contains brilliant translations of the original stories of famous Gods and Goddesses like Jupiter, Hercules, Echo and many more. It explains how certain words came to mean what they mean today and will increase your knowledge ten fold. Not only is it a great introduction (if you're planning to read more of this kind of literature) but it's short, easy to read and will give you a load of basic knowledge and understanding that'll really come in handy when reading any other classics. It's by an author called Ted Hughes and should be read before you venture into any of these!

It's also now one of my favourite books, great for reference and just dipping into for short stories. Enjoy and hope I helped. Let me know what you think after you read it!

Inquisitive mind questioner. x x

Answer 2

Ok well, these are 'classic' books that I have read and loved that you may want to read: [I will divide them into 'modern classic' and 'period classic' to assist you - modern classics are from 1900 on and for period I'm just going to put anything before - I will put a * next to my absolute 'must reads'] --------------------------------------... PERIOD CLASSICS (novels) Pride & Prejudice*, Emma*, Sense & Sensibility, Mansfeild Park, Persuassion and Northanger Abbey- Jane Austen Crime & Punishment and The Idiot* - Fyodor Dostoevsky The Picture of Dorian Gray* - Oscar Wilde Wuthering Heights* - Emily Bronte Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte MODERN CLASSICS: (novels) 1984 - George Orwell Brave New World* - Aldous Huxley The Great Gatsby* - F. Scott Fitzgerald The Postman Always Rings Twice* - James M. Cain Howards End and A Room With A View - E.M. Forster Gone With The Wind* - Margaret Mitchell Narcissus and Goldmund*, The Glass Bead Game, Demian, Siddhartha and Steppenwolf* - Hermann Hesse (Nobel Prize For Literature) The Outsider - Albert Camus --------------------------------------... Ok- so start with these- there are plenty more if you want to include plays as well, but I thought I'd just go with novels as you asked. I hope you enjoy them and that this was an okay list - These books will all be very helpful in terms of just making you think outside of yourself, exploring different perspectives on human nature and developing plot and character. The modern classics are also good for style: example: The Great Gatsby is considered one of the best examples of first person non-central narrator and many writers since have emulated Nick to be used as a writing device.

Answer 3

The Illiad and the Odyssey by Homer.
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
Antigone, also by Sophocles
Something a little different might be Murder Trials by Cicero.
Go onto Amazon.com and look up some of these, and you'll find reviews for each of these.

Answer 4

Herodotus' "The Histories" is a great read, full of information but interesting because of its fantastical take on history. Also, if you begin to read it and find that it's too difficult to be enjoyable, I would go with a contemporary take on classical literature, such as Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad."

Answer 5

It's not literature, but Caesar's Gallic Wars is a great read.
The satires of Juvenal should be on the list.

Answer 6

The Odyssey
Metamorphosis
the plays of Sophocles

Answer 7

The Women of Troy. I believe it is a Euripides play (if not Sophocles). It tells of the aftermath and grief of the widows of Troy. There is a scene of Achilles' funeral. Very good read.

Answer 8

"The Twelve Caesars" by Seutonius is pretty good. It almost reads like an ancient National Enquirer. Happy reading.

Answer 9

Try Lysistrata. It's the story of the women of two cities that are at war. The women grow sick of it and move into a fortress and tell their men that until there is peace, they won't be having sex. It's a fun read.

Answer 10

The plays of Aristophanes are worth reading, especially "The Birds." Also, "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius.