Xenia has been broadly interpreted as comprising aspects of hospitality and generosity directed towards foreigners, or for those living in Ancient Greek city­states, those not from your town. However, it was more than merely a set of manners and social customs, but actually a religious ritual which placed demands both on hosts and guests.

With twenty years of war, wanderings, bloodcurdling encounters with monsters, and a literal trip to hell, The Odyssey by Homer, has become one of the most celebrated classical texts of the Western world. Whether you are a long-time classical enthusiasts, or are newcomer to the genre, here is a tale that is bound to excite and inspire your adventurous spirit.

Aeschylus is our earliest extant playwright, and truly deserves his 'Father of Tragedy' accolade. Without his innovations, his foresight, his daring and his drive, theatre may not have evolved into the beast it is today.

One of the most beloved, as well as the most awarded, playwrights of ancient Greece, the plays of Sophocles remain a mainstay in the library of any classical reader. Click on this module if you want to learn about the life and literature of this masterful tragedian as he excites and shocks us with his irreplaceable play, Oedipus Rex.

The enfant terrible of the theater scene of classical Athens, the plays of Euripides are anything but conventional. Click on this module to learn more about this divisive figure whose plays elicited screams, gasps and a good helping of controversy.

Soldier, philosopher, gadfly- Socrates has been called many things. However, he is probably best known for the title “The Father of Western Philosophy”. An intellectual who would inspire more than two thousand years of philosophical pursuits, Socrates remains one of the most cherished figures from the classical world. Click on this module to learn about The Father of Western Philosophy and his pursuit of “an examined life”.

One of the most influential, and prolific, philosophers of ancient Greece, Plato’s works were of such importance that the philosophical traditions of Europe were once described as “…a series of footnotes to Plato.” Click on this module to learn about Plato and his concise examination of love within The Symposium.

Known as “The Father of History” or occasionally as “The Father of Lies”, Herodotus remains something of a controversial figure. He is often considered to be the first historian of the Western World, but not without a fair share of objections. Click on this module to learn about Herodotus and his legendary depiction of the battle of Thermopylae.

A historian who is remembered for his empirical, calculated method of chronicling, Thucydides was on the front lines of one of the bloodiest conflicts of the ancient world, the Peloponnesian War. Click on this module to learn about Thucydides and dive headlong into battle as Athens and Sparta compete for supremacy.

Aristotle is often considered to be the greatest philosopher of all time-period. He is remembered for his expansive works which touch on everything from the movement of the cosmos, to the structure of the human soul, to the purpose of a human life. Click on this module to learn more about this impressive philosopher and his masterpiece of ethical philosophy, The Nicomachean Ethics.