This accessible one-volume survey of the literature of Greece and Rome covers the period between Homer, around 700 bc, and Augustine, around ad 410. It highlights what is important historically and what is of continuing interest and value in the literature of classical antiquity.

The author's introduction sets out essential preliminary material concerning the history of the ancient world, the nature of literary genres and the transmission of texts. Each subsequent chapter is concerned with a particular genre or aspect of literature, and traces the development of that genre over time. This structure allows the reader to see continuities between different periods and to move easily between the Greek and Roman worlds. Extensive quotations in English, a timeline and an index of authors help to make the material as accessible as possible.