How the Present Day Began in Greece

Gabriel Zuchtriegel is a passionate archaeologist with a deep love for Greek antiquity. In this book, he tries to explain why he finds the art of the ancient Greeks so fascinating. Why it is synonymous with timeless beauty and how its stamp can be found absolutely everywhere – from the Renaissance to modernist art.

Before classical antiquity, art brought order into the wild mess of life, with classical antiquity, the natural, unordered, and organic breaks into the ordered reality of human society. What is unique about this art is its discovery of the natural world, which also led to the discovery of scientific enquiry. Human beings begin to research and question nature and themselves, something that continues to shape our relationship with the world to this day. It is for this reason, argues Gabriel Zuchtriegel, that Pompeii and the Pantheon still move us – because we see ourselves in them, despite all the centuries lying between us.

At a time when archaeological departments at universities are facing unprecedented funding cuts internationally, in this accessible yet erudite book, Zuchtriegel shows why the ancient world is not a thing of the past.

»This is not just the best book on Pompeii I've ever read – it's the best book on the glorious realities of archaeology itself. Zuchtriegel will surely inspire a whole new generation in the field with his blend of knowledge, experience and boundless passion. For this reader . . . well, it has left me panting to revisit Pompeii with the new, excited eyes that this magnificent book has given me.« Stephen Fry, actor, producer, and author on The Buried City