Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society and Culture

The story of the ancient Greeks is one of the most improbable success stories in world history. A small group of people inhabiting a country poor in resources and divided into hundreds of quarreling states created one of the most remarkable civilizations. Comprehensive and balanced, A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society, and Culture, Second Edition is a shorter version of the authors' highly successful Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History, Second Edition (OUP, 2008). Four leading authorities on the classical world offer a lively and up-to-date account of Greek civilization and history in all its complexity and variety, covering the entire period from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic Era, and integrating the most recent research in archaeology, comparative anthropology, and social history. They show how the early Greeks borrowed from their neighbors but eventually developed a distinctive culture all their own, one that was marked by astonishing creativity, versatility, and resilience. The authors go on to trace the complex and surprising evolution of Greek civilization to its eventual dissolution as it merged with a variety of other cultures. Using physical evidence from archaeology, the written testimony of literary texts and inscriptions, and anthropological models based on comparative studies, this compact volume provides an account of the Greek world that is thoughtful and sophisticated yet accessible to students and general readers with little or no knowledge of Greece. Ideal for courses in Greek Civilization and Ancient Greek History, A Brief History of Ancient Greece, Second Edition offers a revised art program featuring more than 125 illustrations and 17 original maps, along with a new 8-page full color photo insert. Numerous "document boxes" provide primary source material and updated suggested readings provide students with additional resources. Also new to this edition, key terms have been boldfaced at their first appearance and listed at the end of the chapter; each one is defined in the expanded glossary. And, for the first time, a Companion Website for students will accompany the text.