Have you ever wondered what really happened at Troy? How the Caesars came to power? What life was like in Pompeii? The ancient world of Gladiator and 300 was the crucible of Western Civilization, where the origins of democracy, sport, drama and Christianity can be traced. Classics scholar and academic Stephen Kershaw introduces the key ideas, figures and places that were its foundations. Packed with lively and surprising portraits of everyday life in Athens and Rome, here are the real stories behind the myths and the history of the personal lives of Caesars, in this engaging and entertaining exploration of the ancient world.