Professor of Ancient History at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and honorary curator of the Shefton Museum of Greek Art. His publications include the new edition of "The Oxford Classical Dictionary" (1996), of which he was co-editor, and " Greece: An Oxford Archaeological Guide "(2001). Former assistant director of the British School in Athens, he has excavated in various Greek sites, such as the sanctuary of Helena and Menelaus in the vicinity of Sparta.