NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The bestselling author of How the Irish Saved Civilization takes us on a journey through the landmarks of art and bloodshed that defined Greek culture nearly three millennia ago.
“A triumph of popularization: extraordinarily knowledgeable, informal in tone, amusing, wide ranging, smartly paced.” —The New York Times Book Review

In the city-states of Athens and...

The contribution of the Ancient Greeks to modern western culture is incalculable. In the worlds of art, architecture, myth, literature, and philosophy, the world we live in would be unrecognizably different without the formative influence of Ancient Greek models. Ancient Greek civilization was defined by the city - in Greek, the polis, from which we derive 'politics'. It is above all this feature of Greek civilization that has formed its most enduring...

"Learn about the art and cultural contributions, family life, religions and people of ancient Greece"--Provided by publisher.

"Greece has been called the birthplace of Western civilization. However, its plunge into illiteracy during a dark age that lasted centuries has made much of its early history an intriguing mystery. This volume examines what historians know and what they can only surmise based on the archaeological record. In-depth sidebars highlight interesting facts, and full-color photographs allow readers to imagine ancient Greece at the height of its glory. Additionally,...

A masterly investigation into the Classical roots of Western civilization, taking the reader on an illuminating journey from Troy, Athens, and Sparta to Utopia, Alexandria, and Rome. An authoritative and accessible study of the foundations, development, and enduring legacy of the cultures of Greece and Rome, centered on ten locations of seminal importance in the development of Classical civilization. Starting with Troy, where history, myth and cosmology...

A scholarly chronicle describes how Persian invaders were defeated by Greek defenders in the Battle of Marathon, in an account that reveals how an alternate outcome would have posed historical consequences to western civilization.