Ancient Greece is one of the wellsprings of Western civilization. It transformed and has continued to refresh our architecture, drama, literature, art, philosophy, and politics. Life, Myth, and Art in Ancient Greece is a richly illustrated guide to this heritage and to its roots in the beliefs, rituals, and artistic achievements of an extraordinary culture.<BR>This book covers themes that have long inspired the imagination, including myths of the gods and goddesses who intervened in-human affairs; the voyages and conflicts of the heroes, from Herakles to Odysseus; the many columned temples that studded the Greek empire from Athens to Sicily and Asia Minor; the Dionysian rites of revelry and inebriation; the Eleusinian mysteries, so secret that even today we can only speculate about what they involved; major sites such as the Acropolis and the complex formed around the oracle at Delphi; and the original Olympic games.