The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) [Hardcover]

Paul Cartledge (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0521481961 | ISBN-13: 978-0521481960

Sumptuously illustrated in color and packed with information, The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece is now available for the first time in paperback. Offering fresh interpretations of classical Greek culture, the book devotes as much attention to social, economic and intellectual aspects as to politics and war. Paul Cartledge and his team of contributors ask what it was like for an ordinary person to partake in "the glory that was Greece." They examine the influences of the environment and economy; the experience of workers, soldiers, slaves, peasants and women; and the roles of myth and religion, art and culture, and science and education. This is a cultural history from the bottom up, which lays bare the far-reaching linguistic, literary, artistic and political legacy of ancient Greece, and seeks justification for Shelley's claim that "we are all Greeks." Paul Cartledge is Professor in Greek History in the Faculty of Classics at the University of Cambridge and is Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics at Clare College, Cambridge. He is the author of several books about ancient Greece, including Spartan Reflections (California, 2001), Hellenistic and Roman Sparta (Routledge, 2001) and Sparta and Lakonia (Routledge, 2002).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"We are all Greeks..." Shelley

"Whatever, in fact, is modern in our life we owe to the Greeks. Whatever is an anachronism is due to medievalism." Oscar Wilde

"The focus on achievements at all class and cultural levels provides an unusually well-rounded, in-depth focus on Greek culture." The Midwest Book Review

"...no one reading this book will fail to appreciate the complexity of ancient Greece as a society, a competitive, high achieving, innovative world....We have grown up in our understanding of Greeks since the nineteenth century and this book shows how much. A fine achievement." Charles Freeman, History Today

"...this is a good tool for intro survey courses." Brad L. Cook, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"...a thoughtful portrait of the cultural history of ancient Greece for the general reader...this is an interesting and handsome book that might bring new students to the field with its updated approach to an ancient culture." John M. Lawless, New England Classical Journal

"A beautiful addition to the Cambridge Illustrated History series." Peter Krentz, Religious Studies Review

"This is an original and insightful work. Its authors have lucidly synthesized the results of a generation of creative scholarship, and restored the voices of many groups that were often left out of more traditional Greek histories." Stanley Burstein, The International History Review

Book Description

Sumptuously illustrated, The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece offers fresh, novel interpretations of classical Greek culture SH devoting as much attention to the social, economic and intellectual aspects as to politics and war. What did it mean to be a fully enfranchised Greek male citizen of a democracy; or his unenfranchised wife; or a non-Greek slave; or a farmer; or a trader? What formed Greece? And what propels her far-reaching legacy?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521481961
• ISBN-13: 978-0521481960
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,138,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Cartledge is the inaugural A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture in the Faculty of Classics at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Clare College. He is also Hellenic Parliament Global Distinguished Professor in the History and Theory of Democracy at New York University. He written and edited over 20 books, many of which have been translated into foreign languages. He is an honorary citizen of modern Sparta and holds the Gold Cross of the Order of Honor awarded by the President of Greece.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for your average reader, May 29, 2006

By 

Marvin D. Pipher (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)

This is a comprehensive study of ancient Greece which is obviously intended for those scholars particularly interested in the cultural history of the ancient world. Except for the magnificent photographs and illustrations, the average reader will likely find much of the material presented somewhat tedious and at times rather boring.

The book is written very much in line with the modern approach to history in that information is not presented in chronological order, and the exploits of those leaders who made the history happen are minimized or all but left out of the story. On the contrary, most of the book's chapters deal with subjects that would only be of interest to true scholars of the ancient world (e.g. the environment; the rich and poor; the average women, children, and men; etc.). Each chapter is written by a different expert in his or her particular field, and each one is essentially a stand-alone entity. All of the authors are obviously erudite, but just as clearly some are better writers than others. This constant shifting of gears and styles eliminates any possible thread of historical continuity.

So, unless you are a true scholar concerned with all things about ancient Greece or are studying ancient Greece, you would be well advised to first concentrate on reviewing the photographs and reading their captions. Then pick and chose those chapters which are in your realm of interest and skip the rest. In all probability, no one will ever ask you what the average man, woman, or child ate for dinner in ancient Greece and, even if they did you probably wouldn't remember anyway.

25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Superlative book with a diverse perspective, June 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Hardcover)

The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece is dedicated to giving an objective perspective of ancient Greek civilization, and culture. Filled with photos of beautiful Greek pottery, this book is a treasure in both the pictures of pottery that it contains, and the well written descriptions it gives of this glorious culture. Although classified as a reference in most local libraries, The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece can be read like any other chapter book with a historical perspective. Unlike other works on ancient Greece, this book is dedicated to giving an unbiased, factual record of Greek civilization, while devoting as much attention to ancient wars, as to social structure. It will not lead you to one particular conclusion about Greek civilization, as other books do, but will introduce you to the latest theories, and perspectives of ancient Greek lifestyle, and belief systems. This book covers every aspect of Greek civilization, from Socrates to Plato, to Aristophanes, as well as Greek art, religion, myths, wars, etc., devoting a chapter to each main idea. It is a well written, high quality book, which can be read by beginners, and people who are well versed in Greek history alike, and I would recommend The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece to anyone who loves this glorious culture as much as I do.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, February 8, 2003

By 

Michael Chesser (AIKEN, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)

I really like this book. The writing is very informative, but I also appreciated the illustrations. There are lots of them, and they are fully explained. It you take the time to examine each picture and its explanation, you will learn a lot. Sometimes the pictures don't exactly match the accompanying text, and this breaks your train of reading, but that's a minor flaw. This book is good for both beginners and Greek history buffs alike. If you are interested in classical Greek history, read this book.