Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece

'WE GREEKS ARE ONE IN BLOOD AND ONE IN LANGUAGE; WE HAVE TEMPLES TO THE GODS AND RELIGIOUS RITES IN COMMON, AND A COMMON WAY OF LIFE.' So the fifth-century historian Herodotus has the Athenians declare, in explanation of why they would never betray their fellow Greeks to their 'barbarian' Persian enemy. And he could easily have added other common features to this list, such as clothing, culinary traditions, and political institutions. But if the Greeks understood their kinship to one another, why did so many of them fight for the invading Persians? And why, more generally, is ancient Greek history so often one of internecine wars and other, less violent forms of competition? This extraordinary contradiction is the central theme of Robin Waterfield's magisterial new history of ancient Greece. From their emergence in the Mediterranean around 750 BCE to the Roman conquest of the last of the Greco-Macedonian kingdoms in 30 BCE, this is the complete story of the ancient Greeks. Equal weight is given to all eras of Greek history-the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods-and to the celebrated figures who shaped it, from Solon and Pericles to Alexander and Cleopatra. In addition, by incorporating the most recent scholarship in classical history and archaeology, the book provides fascinating insights into Greek law, religion, philosophy, drama, and the role of women and slaves in ancient Greek society. A brilliant account of a remarkable civilization, Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens presents a comprehensive and compelling portrait of the perennial paradox of ancient Greece: political disunity combined with underlying cultural solidarity.

Review: Waterfield's book is a pleasure to read: his prose is lively, entertaining, humane, and well researched, and contains a wealth of detail for both student and educator. This work could provide a valuable central text for a college-level Greek history course * Mik Larsen, The History Teacher *
Compact and comprehensive.... A very readable political history of ancient Greece, while also providing chapters on Greek religion, literature, social constructs, and arts. * Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology. *
A highly readable and stimulating introduction to a fascinating area of history. Waterfield's accessible but still authoritative tone brings the sights, sounds and citizens vividly to life. This evocative book manages to tread an often fine line between storytelling and scholarly history with a lightness of touch that belies the depth and scope of its approach ... This engaging one-volume history will appeal to a great many readers. * All About History *
'Superlative. . . . The scholarship is thorough, deep, and well-explained. . . . Readers looking for an authoritative account of almost any aspect of ancient Greek history should be thoroughly gratified.' * Kirkus Reviews *
'Judicious, reliable, compendious, limpidly clear, and based on immense research in the primary sources, Waterfield's fresh new history of ancient Greece will be the go-to resource for those seeking a panoptic, periscopic vision of one of the past's most fertile cultures.' * Paul Cartledge, author of Democracy: A Life and After Thermopylae *
'In a clear, engaging style, Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens gives us the grand sweep of the ancient Greeks' 700-year history- from tiny but vibrant city-states, to great empires encompassing the Middle East, and ultimately their violent conquest by the even greater Roman Empire. For everyone interested in this extraordinary story, this is now the place to start.' * Ian Morris, author of War! What Is It Good for? and Why the West Rules-for Now *
'Engaging but rigorously researched narrative history. All you ever needed to know about the Greeks.' * The Lady *
'Waterfield's tone is suitably authoritative and measured... his book is enlivened by its detail.' * Daisy Dunn, Sunday Times *
'Drawing on contemporary literature and inscriptions, informed by the most up-to-date archaeology, illustrated throughout with half-tone photographs and containing an excellent timeline (from 1200 to 27 BC), lists of rulers (of Ptolemaic Egypt, Macedon from the fourth century, Pergamum, Persia, Syracuse and Seleucid Syria), fifteen maps and a glossary, this book provides an invaluable resource for anyone wishing a comprehensive account of Greek history and culture, while reading lists point the way for those who wish to find out more. W's masterly review of how tensions between cultural unity and political disunity unfolded over eight hundred years is to be thoroughly recommended.' * David Stuttard, Classics for All *
'Creators, Conquerors, & Citizens is [...] a highly readable and stimulating introduction to a fascinating [...] area of history. Waterfield's accessible but still authoritative tone brings the sights, sounds and citizens vividly to life. This evocative book manages to tread an often fine line between storytelling and scholarly history with a lightness of touch that belies the depth and scope of its approach. There is much to enjoy here and this engaging one-volume history will appeal to a great many readers, regardless of how much they already know about this history of Ancient Greece.' * All About History *
'With more information, more engagingly presented, than any similar work, this is the best single-volume account of ancient Greece in more than a generation ... A brilliant, up-to-date account of ancient Greece, suitable for history buffs and university students alike, Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens presents a compelling and comprehensive story of this remarkable civilization's disunity, underlying cultural solidarity, and eventual political unification.' * Ancient Origins *