The Legacy of Rome: A New Appraisal

The achievements of the Roman world have profoundly affected European and world civilization. The original Legacy of Rome, edited by Cyril Bailey, was published in 1923 and has been widely read and enjoyed. Nearly seventy years on, this new edition, illustrated with 24 pages of plates, offers an entirely fresh assessment of the influence of ancient Rome on the literature, art, culture, thought, and governance of later times. Fourteen contributors from a variety of disciplines each bring their individual knowledge and experience to the subjects discussed. Classical scholars consider the influence of Virgil, Horace, Ovid, pastoral, satire, and rhetoric. Historians assess Rome’s impact through the ages, and textual transmission. Art, architecture, law, drama, and language are also individually discussed. The varied approach and content of this new appraisal bear witness to the richness of the civilization which forms such a large part of our heritage today.