FROM ARISTOTLE TO ZOROASTER : AN A TO Z COMPANION TO THE CLASSICAL WORLD

Rating:
Summary: Cotterell casts a broad net on the Classical World
Review: Similar to other dictionaries on the Classical World, From Aristotle to Zoroaster has some points which make it stand out from many of the others.

First its accessible. This dictionary is NOT directed at the classical scholar, or even a classics major in College (although both of them would appreciate this work). Its target is the lay reader and assumes only that you have a passing familiarity with ancient history.

Second, it casts a broad net. Most works of this time center themselves around the Mediterranean, but Cotterell has entries for points as far as China and India. His reasoning for including these (ie. none of these civilizations, including the Greek were in isolation from each other) is a good one, and I found myself interested in "what the Indians were doing" at the same time as the more familiar events in Greece, Rome and the Mediterranean region.

The book's maps and tables are well done, and give great overviews of the period . The illustrations, which are numerous, are well done, too. Although some of the entries seem a bit idiosyncratic (like "INVENTIONS"), by and large, this is an excellent work, and highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the period.