Birds played an important role in the ancient world: as indicators of time, weather, and seasons; as a resource for hunting, medicine, and farming; as pets and entertainment; as omens and messengers of the gods. Jeremy Mynott explores the similarities and surprising differences between ancient perceptions of the natural world and our own. Mynott provides a detailed picture of ancient understandings of birds-whether as food source or literary symbol - in the context of the literary passages and the social order of the time ... He includes a time line of ancient writers and historical events as well as a biographies section, which summarizes the contributions of various ancient authors in documenting birds. Further scholarly apparatus include a general index, a bird index, and extensive endnotes. This title complements Birds in the Ancient World A-Z (2012) and belongs in robust classical studies collections and in ornithology departments.