Straightforward and accessible, The Classical Foundation: Ancient Western Primary Sources that Shaped Our Culture introduces students to the western tradition through quality recent translations of primary sources such as Aristophanes, Euripides, Homer and Virgil. It pairs these with later western sources to show how the Classical Age relates to the Early Modern and Modern Ages.

The contemporary language of the translations makes the classical works relatable. Introductions to each primary source contextualize the material, prepare students for mindful reading, and enhance comprehension.

Students will see how a classical play, such as Lysistrata, is not all that different from the bold, salty humor of a television comedy like South Park, and what this similarity teaches us about comedy as a form of political expression, and a vehicle for the voices of the disenfranchised.

The Classical Foundation is written to be the primary text for courses in western, Greek, or Roman civilization. It is also an excellent supplement for courses in classical literature and philosophy, myth, and Greek tragedy.