In addition to his lectures on Pre-Platonic philosophy, Nietzsche also ‘discovered’ the pronunciation of ancient Greek, as he claimed, out of the ‘spirit of music,’ given his theory of “quantititative rhythm.” This ‘spirit’ is reflected in Nietzsche’s engagement with classical music traditionally understood, particularly Beethoven but also Bizet and Wagner. The contributions to this book are drawn from essays and lectures given over a range of years on Nietzsche’s less well-known reflections on classical antiquity, poised between ascendance and decadence. In addition to Classics, literature, and philosophy, this book foregrounds the history of art, reading ancient Greek polychromy via the Laocoon. Babette Babich writes and teaches philosophy at Fordham University in New York City.