This sourcebook presents nearly 200 specially-translated Greek and Roman texts from Homer to Plutarch, revealing the place of the animal in the moral consciousness of the Classical era. Philosophical, historical, dramatic and poetic texts explore how animals were regarded in all aspects of ancient life, from philosophy to farming.

Table of Contents

• List of Figures
• Series Editors’ Preface
• Preface and Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part I Defining ‘Animal’: Ancient Writers on Animal Nature
• 1 Animal Origins, Minds and Capacities
• 2 Animal Justice and Morals
• 3 The Ancient Idea of Vegetarianism
• 4 Observing and Imagining Animal Behaviour
• 5 Animals and Cultural Identity
• 6 Bucolic Ideals and the Golden Age
• Part II The Treatment of Animals in the Classical World
• 7 Animal Study and Experimentation
• 8 Animals and Warfare
• 9 The Economic Animal: Farming, Food and Trade
• 10 Sacrifice and Sacred Animals
• 11 Hunting Animals
• 12 Animals and Public Entertainment
• Bibliography
• Passage Index of texts
• Subject Index