They provide background information and may provide bibliographies of additional resources for your topic. The easiest way to find reference works on your topic is to browse the library's reference collection under the appropriate Library of Congress classification. Ask a reference librarian at the Information Desk for assistance. This multi-volume work covers the Near East, Greece, and Rome. Each volume includes an extensive bibliography and index.
Some volumes have a supplement with illustrations.
This one volume dictionary provides brief entries on people, places, and topics relating to the classical world. This one volume history covers aspects of the literature, culture, art, religion, philosophy, and history of Greece and Rome. Each chapter includes a bibliography. Brief entries with some illustrations and maps. Also includes list of emperors, genealogical charts, a short glossary, and a short bibliography.