Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature

To be fully educated, it is necessary to read 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. Homer, Virgil, and all the pagan poets truly were great, but perhaps what made them so great was that their works showed this hunger for the Gospel. This book is perfect for high school students and includes numerous review and discussion questions for curricular use .

394 pages.

View excerpt here.