Ancient History & Archaeology

What is history and how should it be written? This important new anthology contains all the seminal texts that relate to the writing of history in the ancient world The...

A new and original anthology that introduces the use of rhetoric in the classical world, from Aristotle to Cicero and beyond Classical rhetoric is one of the earliest versions of...

An insight into the splendour, squalor and energy of everday Roman life Perhaps more than any other writer, Juvenal (c. AD 55-138) captures the splendour, the squalor and the sheer...

Penguin Classics relaunch Josephus' account of a war marked by treachery and atrocity is a superbly detailed and evocative record of the Jewish rebellion against Rome between AD 66 and...

Geoffrey of Monmouth's history - or legend - of the earliest kings of Britain Completed in 1136, The History of the Kings of Britain traces the story of the realm...

A unique new volume illuminating the philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman Cynics From their founding in the fifth century BC and for over 800 years, the Cynic philosophers...

Plato's example of utopia In the Laws, Plato describes in fascinating detail a comprehensive system of legislation in a small agricultural utopia he named Magnesia. His laws not only govern...

Vivid biographies of famous characters from the Ancient Greek world, in a revised edition of Ian Scott-Kilvert's seminal translation The Parallel Lives of Plutarch are cornerstones of Western literature, and...

A glorious history of the jewel-like city on the Adriatic which was a melting-pot of Greek, Latin, Christian and barbarian culture. Winner of the 2020 Duff Cooper Prize In 402...

The third volume of Foucault's pioneering analysis of sexuality and power relations, now reissued in Penguin Modern Classics In the third volume of his acclaimed examination of sexuality in modern...

The second volume of Foucault's pioneering analysis of sexuality and power relations, now reissued in Penguin Modern Classics The second volume of Michel Foucault's pioneering analysis of the changing nature...

This bawdy novel from Ancient Rome is given new significance by renowned Australian philosopher Peter Singer. Peter Singer has breathed new life into Apuleius's The Golden Ass-a hilarious, bawdy tale...

In this acclaimed bestseller, an explorer and Neanderthal hunter takes us on a riveting journey of discovery What if we have completely misunderstood who the Neanderthals truly were? For over...

The untold story of the first nomadic empire and the making of China. 'Man does for the reader that most difficult of tasks- he conjures up an ancient people in...

A new translation by Alan H. Sommerstein of four of Aeschylus' most celebrated plays Aeschylus (525-456 BC) brought a new grandeur and epic sweep to the drama of classical Athens,...

John Carter's modern translation conveys the compelling style of the original. His extensive introduction provides an in-depth assessment of Appian as historian and places the work in context Taken from...

The historical account of the end of the Roman Empire Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, and his writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. The Later...

A fascinating historical account of Greece at a point of crisis Xenophon's History recounts nearly fifty turbulent years of warfare in Greece between 411 and 362 BC. Continuing the story...

Written four hundred years before the birth of Christ, this detailed contemporary account of the long life-and-death struggle between Athens and Sparta stands an excellent chance of fulfilling its author's...

READ THE STORY BEHIND THE NEW BBC/NETFLIX EPIC SERIES, TROY- FALL OF A CITY A stunning new translation of Homer's great war epic, the legendary tale of honour, love, loss...

Discover the rise and fall of the world's greatest empire in the stunning second novel in THE GOLDEN AGE series, from the nation's finest historical novelist Pericles returns to Athens...

Two and a half thousand years ago, the Greeks and the Persians fought an epic battle to decide the future of our world. This is their story. 490 B.C. Two...

Based on one of history's most epic stories of adventure, Conn Iggulden's latest bestseller pits Persians against Spartans in a legendary battle In the Ancient World, one army was feared...

The first popular biography of the great warlord, Attila the Hun. The name Attila the Hun has become a byword for barbarism, savagery and violence. His is a truly household...

The story of a lost child, an extraordinary hunter, and a mystery with many answers . . . Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter...

Why has Aristotle had such an astounding influence on the world? What are his key ideas? What can he still teach us today? There is in Athens a rather plain...

New to Penguin Classics, the international bestseller by one of Europe's pre-eminent literary figures The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony is a masterful retelling of the ancient myths and fables...

The first short narrative history of the continent, from the author of the bestselling A Short History of England Europe has for two millennia been a remarkably successful continent. In...

An extraordinary tale of transformation from the renowned Italian writer, thinker and publisher 'When hunting began, it was not a man who chased an animal. It was a being that...

A deeply comforting and enlightening book on how Stoicism can inspire us to lead more thoughtful lives What aspects of your life do you really control? What do you do...

Bringing together the masterpieces of classical tragedy in one volume, this is the ideal single-volume introduction for theatre goers, actors, general readers, and students of Classics, English Literature, and Drama....

A selection of Cicero's philosophical writings on 'the good life', in a lively new translation by Thomas Habinek In the first century BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero, orator, statesman, and defender...

One of the most important philosophical works of all time, in a lively new translation by Adam Beresford 'Right and wrong is a human thing' What does it mean to...

Timaeus and Critias has a central place in Western thought and is best known to many for the story of Atlantis Timaeus and Critias is a Socratic dialogue in two...

New translation of One of Plato's major dialogues, popular because of its subject-matter- love Phaedrus is widely recognized as one of Plato's most profound and beautiful works. It takes the...

Sallust (86-c. 35 bc) is the earliest Roman historian of whom complete works survive, a senator of the Roman Republic and younger contemporary of Cicero, Pompey and Julius Caesar. His...

New translation for Penguin Classics Epictetus, a Greek stoic and freed slave, ran a thriving philosophy school in Nicropolis in the early second century AD. His animated discussions were celebrated...

A vivid and richly anecdotal portrait of Spartan society. Plutarch's vivid and engaging portraits of the Spartans and their customs are a major source of our knowledge about the rise...

In the course of a lively drinking party, a group of Athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros, or desire. From their conversation emerge a series of subtle reflections on gender...

A key anthology of early Western thought The works collected in this volume form the true foundation of Western philosophy - the base upon which Plato and Aristotle and their...

First time in Penguin Classics for Scandinavia's best known work of literature and the principal source for knowledge about Norse mythology The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all...

A selection of dialogues and letters of one of the most eloquent - and influential - masters of Latin prose. A major writer and a leading figure in the public...

Recently updated and expanded volume of the landmarks of ancient literary criticism The works collected in this volume have profoundly shaped the history of criticism in the Western world- they...

Penguin Classics relaunch A penetrating account of Greek tragedy, it demonstrates how the elements of plot, character and spectacle combine to produce 'pity and fear' - and why we derive...

Penguin Classics relaunch Between 58 and 50BC Caesar conquered most of the area now covered by France, Belgium and Switzerland, and twice invaded Britain. This is the record of his...

A compelling narrative of the life of the greatest conqueror of all time- Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), who led the Macedonian army to victory in Egypt,...

An intriguing document giving insight into the founders of the Roman republic These nine biographies illuminate the careers, personalities and military campaigns of some of Rome's greatest statesmen, whose lives...

The second book in the sensational Magnus Chase series from Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan. Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his...