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Heroes of the City of Man

A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature

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Heroes of the City of Man

By: Peter J. Leithart
Narrated by: Joffre Swait
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To be fully educated, it is necessary to listen to the great pagan classics of Homer and Virgil and the ancient Greek playwrights. However, many Christians are often disgusted by the barbarity and violence, put off by the emphasis on honor and man-centered glory, and simply baffled by the long and tedious descriptions of battle scenes and elaborate ceremonies.

In this book written for high school students, Leithart gives a patient, yet critical examination of some of the greatest classics of ancient literature, including Hesiod's Theogony, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Aechylus' Eumenides, Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus, Euripdes' The Bacchae, Aristophanes' The Birds, and Virgil's Aeneid.

While Leithart expounds the deep and interesting symbolism, tropes, and deeper meanings of these classics, he never forgets the theological themes. The pagans were very concerned with salvation, but it was a salvation that depended above all on man, and thus there was a gaping hole that only the gospel could really fill. This book is perfect for high school students and includes numerous review and discussion questions for curricular use.

©2020 Canon Press (P)2023 Canon Press
Literary History & Criticism Ancient History Ancient Greece
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Found this a very enjoyable and accessible introduction to the Greek classics up there with C.S.Lewis Discarded image and Planet Narnia.

Scholarly literary overview of the classics

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