Why did Orpheus turn to look at Eurydice? Why did the Romans disparage the custom of entrusting children to wet nurses? How could the Homeric gods render themselves invisible to human eyes? These are some of the questions behind the author’s ten lessons devoted to the interpretation of the ancients, the adoption of their perspective, and the understanding of the world through their eyes. For example, as regards the unfortunate story of Orpheus, the typical question “why did the hero look back?” needs to be answered not by exploring our usual reactions and habits (impatience, too much love, to make sure his beloved was following him) but rather by referring to the collection of beliefs held by the ancients with respect to the powers and limits of memory. This is a useful book for readers wishing to learn how to answer questions posed by classical texts and traditions and overcome our biases and conceptual frameworks.

Maurizio Bettini, a scholar of the classics, heads the Centre for Research on Anthropology of the Ancient World at the University of Siena.