C.A. Hagerman is Associate Professor of European History at Albion College, Michigan, USA. He earned his Ph.D. in History from the University of Toronto after completing a MA in Classical Archaeology from the University of British Columbia, Canada.

• Acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. Classical Education and Britain's Imperial Elite 3. Empires and Imperialism in British Classical Discourse 4. Classical Discourse and British Imperial Identity: the Nature of Empire 5. Classical Discourse and British Imperial Identity: the Civilizing Mission 6. Classical Discourse and British Imperial Identity: the Imperial Character 7. Classical Discourse and the Decline and Fall of Empires 8. Classical Discourse and British Conceptions of India 9. Classical Discourse in British India I: Coping with Life in India 10. Classical Discourse in British India II: Secret Knowledge 11. Conclusion References Endnotes