Why do the texts of ancient Greece, from Homer to Plato, continue to influence all of European culture? What unique quality does this diverse heritage hide that justifies such a lively presence throughout the centuries? In response to these questions, the great classicist, author of "Ancient Greece in the Discovery of Freedom," provides her answer here. With steadiness and persistence, through tragedy or political science, mythology or history, the Greek spirit seeks the universal, that which concerns every person, in every time and place. Each study in this collection approaches and closely examines a specific example, so that each one is also a fascinating lesson that invites us to discover this heritage with new eyes.