Spivey, Nigel Jonathan

Surveys the art of the Etruscans, an ancient culture that dominated Central Italy for approximately eight hundred years during the Iron Age, noting their expertise in the areas of filigree gold-work, gem cutting, and terra-cotta sculpture.

Presents an overview of ancient Greece and Rome, arranged thematically around central ideas and values that underscore the period's influence, including society, sexuality, gender and family, hygiene and diet, and the worship of gods and heroes. Includes 590 illustrations.

Considers how Greek art from the eighth to the second century BC was linked with the political, religious, philosophical and social circumstances of the period, from the early influence of Minoan and Mycenaen art, through the effect of Athenian democracy to the consequences of the empire building of Alexander the Great.