Short History of Ancient Greece

 Classical Greece and its legacy have long inspired a powerful and passionate fascination. The civilization that bequeathed to later ages drama and democracy, Homer and heroism, myth and Mycenae and the Delphic Oracle and the Olympic Games has, perhaps more than any other, helped shape the intellectual contours of the modern world. P J Rhodes is among the most distinguished historians of antiquity. In this elegant, zesty new survey he explores the archaic (8th - early 5th centuries BCE), classical (5th and 4th centuries BCE) and Hellenistic (late 4th - mid-2nd centuries BCE) periods up to the beginning of Roman hegemony. His scope is that of the people who originated on the Greek mainland and Aegean islands who later migrated to the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and then (following the conquests of Alexander) to the Near East and beyond. Exploring topics such as the epic struggle with Persia; the bitter rivalry of Athens and Sparta; slaves and ethnicity; religion and philosophy; and literature and the visual arts, this authoritative book will attract students and non-specialists in equal measure.

Review: Peter Rhodes's expert new history of ancient Greece (of the Archaic through Hellenistic periods) is very clearly and economically written, packing in a tremendous amount of accurate information and making abundantly clear the perennial interest and importance of the subject. Readers looking for a reliable and brief introductory account of the major political, diplomatic and military events and episodes need look no further than here. Paul Cartledge, A G Leventis Professor of Greek Culture, University of Cambridge "This vivid and clearly written account of Greece from the Bronze Age to the Roman conquest will be eagerly welcomed by students and general readers who want to know not only the history of the region but also some of the scholarly debates surrounding the interpretation of ancient texts, inscriptions, coins and archaeological remains. Professor Rhodes' widely acknowledged mastery of the material allows him to compress an immense amount of information into crisp and direct prose without ever sacrificing the most important details." Jonathan M Hall, Phyllis Fay Horton Distinguished Service Professor in the Humanities and Professor of History and Classics, University of Chicago