Customer Reviews

Echo of Greece

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Edith Hamilton did it again with the Echo of Greece. This book looks at and explains, in a colloquial manner, the rise, apex, and decline of Greece during their golden age (from the beginning of the 5th century B.C. to the end of the 4th century B.C.). After finishing this book, the reader comes away not only with a better understanding of the Greek ethos, but also with an explanation of why things happened the way that they did. It is the latter accomplishment, I think, that readers will most appreciate.

Hamilton's book is divided into 10 chapters: I. Freedom, II. Athens' Failure, III. The School of Athens, IV. The School Teachers, V. Demosthenes, VI. Alexander the Great, VII. Menander, VIII. The Stoics, IX. Plutarch, and X. The Greek Way and the Roman Way.

The organization is brilliant, and leads the reader by their hand through the intellectual and artistic accomplishments of Greece not only during her height, but as you can see from chapters VI.-X., examines her influece on the world she helped create.

There are, however, a couple of frustrating parts about Hamilton's book as well. She provides excellent quotes throughout, but never explains where the reader can find them. A typical example appears on page 157, where she states that Aristotle said "The true nature of anything is what it becomes at its highest." But in which of Aristotle's myriad books should the reader begin to look to find this quote? Sometimes, even worse, Hamilton will just say "And a Stoic said that ..." Which Stoic?

A second complaint I have is that Hamilton spends a good deal of time talking about Greece's political, philosophical, and artistic achievements, but never really delves into Greece's artistic accomplishments. If she would have done so, it would have greatly improved an already great book.

But in comparison to the strengths of this book, these complaints are minor. Overall, I highly recommend this book both to the novice and expert alike. I couldn't put it down.

Few writers have captured the miracle and magic that was ancient Greece as compellingly as Edith Hamilton.Classical Greece (appx 450-325BC) can safely be viewed as the crucible in which modern thought & sensibility were wrought .The "modern" values we take for granted____democracy,freedom,human dignity,resisting tyranny,free speech & the Promethean quest for knowledge___all trace their umbilical cord to that fleeting,lifegiving period in human history when Man became HUMAN for the first time .Whether it is the sublime majesty of the Parthenon or the heartrending pathos of Euripedes___humanity pervades every word & stone. Hamilton's love for classical Greece shines forth through each page of this delightful book .After a brief introduction in which she contrasts the achivements of Classical Greece with the preceding civilisations in Egypt and Babylonia ,she touches upon some of the characters in this extraordinary period____the soaring mysticism of Plato, the oratory of Demosthenes ,the scientific rigor of Aristotle,the "Academy" at Athens and a brief chapter on the poet Menander .Alexander's enigmatic character is touched upon ("he set out to Hellenise the whole world but ended up dying an oriental despot " etc) followed by chapters on the Stoics and Plutarch.Ms.Hamilton's prose itself is almost Hellenic in its simplicity ,elegance and directness.In a word___SUPERLATIVE.

Edith Hamilton, known best for her anthology of ancient Greek mythology, describes brilliantly the origins of democracy and political freedom in Western civilization. Building on her vast knowledge of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, she explains the miraculous emergence and practice of these concepts in a small country, sparsely populated, and surrounded by hostile despotic civilizations from the East. Her simple but hardly superficial account of about 300 years of intellectual history helps both historians and weekend-readers to understand why these and other ideas, such as the sacred relationship between man and the divine, were so strong then and have endured for 2,500 years, despite the destruction of most of the ancient writings and the brief period of their expression, roughly 200 years, known as the Golden Age of Greece, a half century before the life of Jesus. Edith Hamilton's description of the heroic victories of Athens and other Greek city-states reads like an exciting novel and will make readers appreciate the vital yet fragile nature of our freedoms and our responsibility for practicing them as caretakers, not only beneficiaries, of a precious history.

Edith Hamilton does a great job of painting a great picture of how Greece was formed, their general ideology, and how they have impacted out modern world, and the prose she uses to describe it is excellent.

I think that anyone trying to learn a little bit about Greek history and its influence in society, this is definitely a great read.

I had pursued and read Ms. Hamilton's earlier volume "The Greek Way" based on an article about Bobby Kennedy, related to the 30th anniversary of his assassination. I found it thought provoking.

I purchased the "Echo of Greece" at a used book sale for $1 basically to have the companion to "The Greek Way"--both are hardcopy editions. The first chatper enthralled me as Ms. Hamilton reviewed the qualities of a dying democracy. We live in a Republic, which uses democratic principles. I could draw many parallels to Ancient Greece and the America of today. A resounding principle: When the term "freedom means freedom from responsibility" to the populus. Many Americans want their freedom, but want to be free from responsibility. We want to be free from being involved in the detailed decisions in governing a society, but not give up our freedom to complain about the "poor job" civil servants attempt to perform. One small example, but excellent thought provoking stuff.

The middle chapters focus on ideas and individuals in the final centuries before Christ. Building a context of where Greek thinking had evolved to during a 500 year period. To have dialogue as the basis of increasing their knowledge and understanding about themselves and their society. Not having a strong Western Civilization background, both of Ms. Hamilton's books were an excellent source to build my foundation upon.

The last chapter is equal in thought provocation to the first, yet in an entirely different perspective. She discusses the differences between the Greek Way and the Roman Way and how the fledging origins of the Christian church had to decide which Way to go. The Greeks were the powerhouse of thinkers and artisans. While the Romans were the powerhouse of efficincy and organization, and, of course, the military. Ms. Hamilton poses the thought as to what the world would have been like without the fear aspects of the Spanish Inquisition aspects of Christianity's history, all based on the Roman Way, had the Christian Church gone the path of the Greek Way. Of course, the concern is would Christianity survived the Roman Church, had she gone the Greek Way.

I already was aware that the new testament was written in Greek. I was not aware that the earliest teachers of Christianity were Greek. But it made sense. Christ's teachings and the Greek Way are directed towards the individual finding truth deep within themselves. The Roman Way added all of the ceremonies and group policies, making people feel inadequate to be God's servant. It is an excellent read for a person who has an open mind to learning about the roots of mankind based on written accounts and not based on myth and folklore.

I believe that I may be biased... as a Mythology major, I have always had a deep love and respect for Edith Hamilton. This book is not only informative, but beautifully written...the prose leaps off of the page..I loved it!

Edith Hamilton was one of the greatest writers on ancient cultures of all time. This is yet another triumph for her.