2025 Reading List
Not too long ago I posted my 2025 reading list. The list consisted of a number of the best translations of classical texts of literature and philosophy. I’ve decided to replace that list with one that focuses on commentary and scholarly analysis of ancient literature, philosophy and society. I think this will be a more entertaining approach to a year of studying ancient history.
Polis: A New History of the Ancient Greek City-State from the Early Iron Age to the End of Antiquity —John Ma
A definitive new history of the origins, evolution, and scope of the ancient Greek city-state
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed: Revised and Updated —Eric H Cline
A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse
Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World —Colin Elliott
A wide-ranging and dramatic account of the Antonine plague, the mysterious disease that struck the Roman Empire at its pinnacle
Pliny’s Roman Economy: Natural History, Innovation, and Growth —Ricard Saller
The first comprehensive study of Pliny the Elder’s economic thought—and its implications for understanding the Roman Empire’s constrained innovation and economic growth
Rome’s Patron: The Lives and Afterlives of Maecenas —Emily Gowers
The story of Maecenas and his role in the evolution and continuing legacy of ancient Roman poetry and culture
Gods and Mortals: Ancient Greek Myths for Modern Readers —Sarah Iles Johnston
An entrancing new telling of ancient Greek myths
The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Classical Age from Persia to China —Christopher I Beckwith
A rich, discovery-filled history that tells how a forgotten empire transformed the ancient world
Plato Goes to China: The Greek Classics and Chinese Nationalism —Shadi Bartsch
The surprising story of how Greek classics are being pressed into use in contemporary China to support the regime’s political agenda
Out of One, Many: Ancient Greek Ways of Thought and Culture —Jennifer T. Roberts
A sweeping new account of ancient Greek culture and its remarkable diversity
Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern —Mary Beard
The fascinating story of how images of Roman autocrats have influenced art, culture, and the representation of power for more than 2,000 years
Of Rule and Office: Plato’s Ideas of the Political —Melissa Lane
A constitutionalist reading of Plato’s political thought
The Roman Republic of Letters: Scholarship, Philosophy, and Politics in the Age of Cicero and Caesar —Katharina Volk
An intellectual history of the late Roman Republic—and the senators who fought both scholarly debates and a civil war
Reading the Odyssey: A Guide to Homer’s Narrative —Jonas Grethlein
A fresh and original introduction to the Odyssey—and how it continues to shape literature, film, art and even the ways we make sense of our lives
Encounters with Euclid: How an Ancient Greek Geometry Text Shaped the World —Benjamin Wardhaugh
A sweeping cultural history of one of the most influential mathematical books ever written
The Folds of Olympus: Mountains in Ancient Greek and Roman Culture —Jason König
A cultural and literary history of mountains in classical antiquity
Rehearsals of Manhood: Athenian Drama as Social Practice —John J. Winkler
A bold re-conception of ancient Greek drama by one of the most brilliant and original classical scholars of his generation
Material on this site is presented in chronological order. The Archive link above presents content by subject.