Books in the Understanding Classics series

Marcus Valerius Martialis is celebrated for his droll, frequently salacious, portrayal of Roman high and low society during first century rule of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan. This title provides an overview - for students of classics and ancient history, as well as comparative literature - of the chief themes of his sardonic writings.

Gesine Manuwald evokes the many faces of Cicero, as well as his complexities and seeming contradictions. She focuses on his major writings, allowing the great rhetorician to speak for himself.