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Love, Sex & Tragedy: How the Ancient World Shapes Our Lives Paperback – November 1, 2005

by Simon Goldhill (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
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In Love, Sex & Tragedy Simon Goldhill lifts the veil on our inheritance of classical traditions and offers a witty, engrossing survey of the Greek and Roman roots of everything from our overwhelming mania for "hard bodies" to our political systems. Encompassing Karl Marx, Clark Gable, George W. Bush, Oscar Wilde, and Sigmund Freud, Goldhill takes great delight in tracing both follies and fundamental philosophical questions through the centuries and continents to the birthplace of Western civilization as we know it. Underlying his brisk and learned excursions through history and art is the foundational belief, following Cicero, that learning about the classics makes a critical difference to our self-understanding. Whether we are considering the role of religion in contemporary society, our expectations about the boundaries between public and private life, or even how we spend our free time, recognizing the role of the classics is integral to our comprehension of modern life and our place in it.

"Confident, intelligent and assertive; [Love, Sex & Tragedy] stands up for 'classics' without apology, without snobbishness and without conservatism."—Oliver Taplin, Guardian

"Goldhill . . . takes us through the looking glass into antiquity and shows us some of the sights that he thinks most interesting and informative. . . . Anyone who goes on the journey will be amused, surprised, and enlightened."—Mary K. Lefkowitz, New York Sun

"A passionate, witty, and broad-ranging exploration of the ancient foundations of our world. . . . There is a widening gap between our perceptions and the ancient sources. Goldhill closes that gap with this lively and multi-layered challenge to assumptions embedded in modern life."—Lizzie Speller, Observer

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    345 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Chicago Press
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0226301192
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0226301198
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Love, Sex & Tragedy is great, and great fun, the kind of book you find yourself reading out to your other half as you go along-a sparkling, erudite, and amusing remedy for our collective historical amnesia, a book that persuasively argues that without an understanding of our classical roots we are stumbling in the dark, missing vital information about who we really are and why we do the things we do. What do we mean by democracy? Why and how do we mix up history and myth and at what price? Whom do we love and how? Which bodies do we want and why? How do we entertain ourselves, and to distract us from what horrors? Simon Goldhill forces us to examine what we increasingly ignore: our radical reliance on a history we barely know." -- Zadie Smith Published On: 2004-06-21

About the Author

Simon Goldhill, the author or editor of many books, is professor of Greek literature and culture at King's College, Cambridge.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Chicago Press (November 1, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 345 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0226301192
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226301198
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.04 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 34 ratings

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Simon Goldhill

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4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
34 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding book.
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2014
Verified Purchase
Professor Goldhill artfully leads the reader in with a discussion of sexual mores (a word he would never use) in fifth century BC Athens, and before he knows it, he - the reader - is grasping the organization, the thinking, the originality, and sheer brilliance of a people, a time, and a place. He quickly understands how we and our institutions have been formed and shaped by them and yet how different we are. His comparison of what Athenians understood as democracy and what the word means to us in a republic based on representation, is illuminating. It doesn't matter that the reader might not know the difference between Socrates and Sophocles, or Pericles and Alcibiades, Goldhill neither assumes that he is writing for classicists, nor condescends in his manner of weaving into his narrative important information that is often a blur or non-existent to many. He writes knowledgeably but in conversational language with both clarity and wit, leading us to a fuller understanding of the world around us today, and of ourselves. The result is a stylish, entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking book.
2 people found this helpful
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RANDI KLIMEK
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2015
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Great condition
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Hurricane Nurse
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally worth it!
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2014
It came ASAP. This was the core of this semester for me. Couldn't be happier!

This is also a great "stand alone" read for those interested in the Greeks. Can't say enough about it... Easily writien and engaging! This is one I'm going to keep!
One person found this helpful
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Andrés Villaveces
4.0 out of 5 stars Wide array of interesting connections
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2008
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The book treats the five questions (Who do you think you are? Where do you think you are going? What do you think should happen? What do you want to do? Where do you think you come from?) from the perspective of a contrast between Greek/Roman response and current "Western" attitudes, responses, cultural creations having to do with versions of the questions. Goldhill discusses attitudes towards the body (male body, female body in Greek and contemporary cultures), sex (Greek love, physical attraction of males towards males in Greece, love between men and women, love between women), religion, democracy, theater and gladiator games (entertainment and its role in culture), etc. What could be in the hands of other authors a potpourri of different topics is here unified by the constant contrast (reflection, opposition, emulation) between antiquity and contemporary culture. The author discusses all of those issues in a frank, direct tone - the images accompanying and underlining his assertions are chosen very well.
3 people found this helpful
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Harriet Nethery
5.0 out of 5 stars Clark Gable, Gladiator, and Cicero
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2004
Simon Goldhill has written a splendid and charming book about how ancient Greek and Roman cultures shape our lives, without us even knowing it. Much has been made in recent years of how politicians turn to ancient authorities for guidance and justification in making difficult decisions. Members of the Bush administration, for example, invoked Thucydides and Herodotus during the build up to our attack on Iraq. And, yet, as Goldhill so smartly explains, we need not view the ancients as distant mentors: they live and breathe within us, for better or worse--influencing everything from how we view sex and gender to what entertains us to how our government works. From sex symbols to sporting events, we are impacted by the cultures of our deep past. Amassing a dazzling array of examples, Goldhill is a wonderful synthesizer and storyteller. Highly entertaining, this book is recommended for any general reader, including young adults, interested in ancient history.
28 people found this helpful
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Atlantico
2.0 out of 5 stars Very Politically Correct
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2022
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The author is obviously a liberal progressive and not interested in exploring the historical evolution of love, sex, and tragedy. Not worth the money.
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Jack H. Crosby
5.0 out of 5 stars Bringing Ancient Greece Alive
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2006
A very few authors have the ability to make History live, and in this wonderful book the author achieves this. He demonstates how the teachings and the lives of the ancient Greeks permeate our lives, affecting our sexual mores, politics, social lives, entertainment, and how we feel about love and war, about ourselves and others. Indeed, it is difficult to think of some part of modern living not affected by these ancient people. His writing is replete with interesing examples and stories.

The section on Greek Tragedy is worth the price of the book by itself. Having reread the discussion on the Tragedy of Oedipus several times, I find it both difficult and stimulating, getting me to haul out the old tomes I have from college days, particularly the plays of Sophocles (I have started on "Oedipus the King"}.One of the signs of a good book is that it makes you want to read others on the subject.

I urge you to buy and read this book. You will find it very stimulating and enjoyable and will want to add it to your permanent library.
12 people found this helpful
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Ashley P
4.0 out of 5 stars I had to buy this for my Art History 101 ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2015
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I had to buy this for my Art History 101 book review, and I learned many interesting things! Some of the chapters dragged on forever, but they were chock full of facts that helped me get an A on my paper ;)
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent !!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2016
Verified Purchase
Though listed as a used copy, this book was in excellent condition - it felt as good as new and is a first-rate piece of scholarly writing.
It has become a prized item in my collection of works related to Classical Studies.
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Luna
4.0 out of 5 stars Intéressant.
Reviewed in France on October 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
Un livre intéressant, dont l'objectif est de défendre l'importance des études classiques dans le monde d'aujourd'hui. Parfois un peu rapide, cet ouvrage relève plutôt de la vulgarisation que de la thèse scientifique. Il reste tout de même pertinent, agréable et facile à lire. J'ai particulièrement aimé le chapitre consacré aux rapports paganisme/christianisme.
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Teddy
5.0 out of 5 stars Want to know how past impacts life as we know it?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2015
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Wonderful approachable read should be a set text for schools and universities, fills in all the blanks on arts, culture , society and politics.Could offer solutions for some of our 'leaders' to follow!
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