The Greeks An Introduction to Their Culture

This fully revised, new edition of The Greeks is a concise but wide-ranging introduction to the culture of ancient Greece, providing a comprehensive survey that covers all the key elements of ancient Greek civilisation from the age of Homer to the Hellenistic period. It opens with an overview of ancient historical sources and their authors and perspectives before delving into early history, legends and excavations, and the famed age of Classical Greece. Chapters follow on politics, religion, daily life, literature, philosophy, and art and architecture, with a concluding chapter on the Greek world following the death of Alexander the Great and during the Roman era. This new edition features: greater discussion of underrepresented groups, especially women and slaves; a chapter on ancient politics that provides a comparison of an ancient aristocracy, democracy, and monarchy in Sparta, Athens, and Macedon; new and revised images, all now with detailed captions to merge the artefacts and texts more fully and bring the narrative to life for every reader; and new translations of all ancient passages revised for accuracy and clarity. Clearly written, with generous references to original source material, The Greeks places ancient Greek culture firmly in its political, social, and historical context. The fourth edition of The Greeks remains an invaluable introduction for all students of Classics and an indispensable guide for students of other disciplines who require grounding in ancient Greek civilisation and history.