In the correspondence of Leo Strauss and Seth Benardete, we witness two extraordinary thinkers in action. Political philosopher and philosophic classicist share ideas with an immediacy that complements their carefully crafted published works. The exchange, which continues until close to Strauss's death, begins with Benardete writing his dissertation in Athens and Rome, while Strauss is established as a professor in Chicago, publishing some of his most influential books. He has been making his way back from the early moderns, Maimonides, and Arabic philosophers to his recovery of ancient political philosophy, for which Benardete is a crucial interlocutor. The letters track the development in their diverse studies--Strauss, to take a prominent example, conveying breakthroughs in his work on Machiavelli. It is the universe of Greek thought, however, that lies at the heart of their mutual concerns. Benardete is excited to send Strauss his insights on the ILLIAD, Herodotus, or Plato. Strauss is eager to report his discoveries as he moves through the speeches of the SYMPOSIUM and later through the plays of Aristophanes, seeking Benardete's response at every stage. The path that leads Strauss to the comic poet, Benardete to Greek tragedy, and both to Plato is rooted in their shared understanding of the essential significance of Homer. With fewer Benardete letters available, this volume includes four pieces he wrote that shed light on Strauss's way of reading and thinking while providing keys to his own rewarding but demanding writings. That double benefit is only possible because of their common ways of proceeding, on which each, of course, placed his own unique stamp.