The ruined silhouette of the Parthenon on its hill above Athens is one of the world’s most famous images. Its ‘looted’ Elgin Marbles are a global cause celebre. But what actually are they? In a revised and updated edition, Mary Beard, award winning writer, reviewer and leading Cambridge classicist, tells the history and explains the significance of the Parthenon, the temple of the virgin goddess Athena, the divine patroness of ancient Athens.‘A classic in every sense of the word’ John Julius Norwich Revised and updated to include the story of the New Acropolis Museum, the controversies that have surrounded it, and whether it makes a difference to the ‘Elgin Marble debate’. As so often with the Parthenon, there are all kinds of surprises.About the AuthorMary Beard is a professor of classics at Newnham College, Cambridge, and the classics editor of the TLS. She has world-wide academic acclaim. Her previous books include the bestselling, Wolfson Prize-winning Pompeii, The Roman Triumph, The Parthenon and Confronting the Classics. Her blog has been collected in the books It’s a Don’s Life and All in a Don’s Day. She is in the 2014 top 10 Prospect list of the most influential thinkers in the world.ReviewsSophisticated, engaging … she unravels the intricacies with the light and deft touch which characterises the whole book … something for classicists and laymen alike — Gavanndra Hodge * Independent on Sunday *The classical world still rouses fierce passions, and books like this help to make the study of ancient Greece urgent and relevant — Tom Holland * New Statesman *Book InformationISBN 9781846683497Author Professor Mary BeardFormat PaperbackPage Count 240Imprint Profile Books LtdPublisher Profile Books LtdWeight(grams) 199gDimensions(mm) 200mm * 128mm * 20mm