An interesting interpretation of the historical trajectory of pre-modern mathematics.

In Aristotle's view, Anaxagoras stood out from the other Presocratics as a sober man among the incoherent. This book explores the fragmentary evidence both for Anaxagoras' concept of mind - to which Aristotle was particularly referring - and for his subtle, complex and elusive theory of matter and change. It is concerned with two aspects of his writing in particular: its comparatively high ratio of dogmatic assertion to argument, and a pervasive ambiguity or indeterminacy in the presentation of Anaxagoras' philosophical theses. The problems posed by Anaxagoras' work are examined not only by...

A study of Seneca's literary criticism, first published in 1981.

The Symposia Aristotelica, devoted to Aristotle's psychological treatises, the De anima and the Parva uaturalia.

This study describes the meaning of libertas as a political idea.

Algebraic geometry is, essentially, the study of the solution of equations and occupies a central position in pure mathematics. With the minimum of prerequisites, Dr. Reid introduces the reader to the basic concepts of algebraic geometry, including: plane conics, cubics and the group law, affine and projective varieties, and nonsingularity and dimension. He stresses the connections the subject has with commutative algebra as well as its relation to topology, differential geometry, and number theory. The book contains numerous examples and exercises illustrating the theory.

The focus of this account is how myth and formal argument in the dialogue Phaedrus complement and reinforce each other in Plato's philosophy. Not only is the dialogue in its formal structure a joining of myth and argument, but the philosophic life that it praises is also shaped by the limitations of argument and the importance of mythical and poetic understanding. The book is written for anyone seriously interested in Plato's thought and in the history of literary theory or of rhetoric. No knowledge of Greek is required.

Demos is a study of a classical city-state. It is the first attempt to provide an integrated account which gives due attention to the countryside as well as the urban areas of a polis. Concentrating on classical Athens, for which the literary and archaeological evidence is richest, Dr Osborne establishes the nature of settlement in the countryside and explores how this relates to the farming of the land, the exploitation of mineral resources, and the nature of political participation in both local and central politics. Further studies reveal the way in which the countryside was structured by...

The Chain of Change is the first full-scale philosophical commentary devoted to Aristotle's Physics VII, in which Aristotle argues for the existence of a first, unmoved cosmic mover. This study systematically considers the major issues of the book, and argues for the fundamental importance of Physics VII in our understanding of Aristotelian cosmology and natural science. Physics VII is extant in two versions, and therefore poses special editorial problems. For this reason one of the features of Dr. Wardy's study is the provision of an improved text and translation in both versions. The...

Plutarch and Arrian are the ancient writers who tell us most about Alexander the Great. This book is the first attempt to analyze and evaluate in detail the sources of information they themselves drew on, a necessary first step to appreciating the value of their own accounts. It completes Professor Hammond's study of the five Alexander-historians which began with Three Historians of Alexander the Great (Cambridge University Press 1983) and lays a new basis for work on Alexander.