The Ancient Greeks For Dummies

The civilisation of the Ancient Greeks has been immensely influential on the language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science and arts of Western culture. As well as instigating itself as the birthplace of the Olympics, Ancient Greece is famous for its literature, philosophy, mythology and the beautiful architecture- to which thousands of tourists flock every year. This entertaining guide introduces readers to the amazing world of the Ancient Greeks. It offers a complete rundown of Greek history alongside fascinating insights into daily life in Ancient Greece and a captivating overview of Greek mythology. Readers will discover how this ancient culture came to be the cornerstone of Western civilisation and the enormous influence it has had on our language, politics, education, philosophy, science, arts and sport.

• The history of Ancient Greece remains a wide topic of interest, particularly renowned for its influential and diverse culture
• This basic guide will allow greater access to this vibrant area of study, and provide a distinct and light-hearted approach to this vast area history

• Covers dozens of topics, including; the early civilisations, war & fighting, home & family, day-to-day life and much, much more!
  About the author

  Steve Batchelor is a lecturer in Classics at Richmond College and has been teaching ancient history for 10 years. He has written reviews for various publications, including History Today, and he has also been involved in running guided historical tours of Greece.

  Autorentext

  Stephen Batchelor is a lecturer in Ancient History and Classical Studies. He writes reviews for History Today and Current Archaeology.

  Inhalt

  Introduction 1

  Part I: Travelling Back in Time 7

  Chapter 1: When, Where, What, Who? Meeting the Ancient Greeks 9

  Chapter 2: Encountering Prehistoric Civilisations: The Minoans and Mycenaeans 21

  Chapter 3: Shedding Light on Ancient Greece's Dark Ages 33

  Chapter 4: Governing by Kings, Tyrants, and (Eventually) Democrats 41

  Chapter 5: Fighting and Warring: Greece Gets Heavy 55

  Chapter 6: East versus West: The Persian Wars 67

  Part II: Athens to Alexander: The Rise and Fall of Empires 81

  Chapter 7: Athens and Empire Building 83

  Chapter 8: Dealing with the Neighbours from Hell: The Peloponnesian War 97

  Chapter 9: Losing Their Way: The End of Classical Greece 113

  Chapter 10: Rising Quickly to the Top: Macedonia 127

  Chapter 11: Crowning the Undefeated Champion of the World: Alexander the Great 139

  Chapter 12: What Happened Next? 153

  Part III: Living a Greek Life 163

  Chapter 13: Out in the Fields: Farming, Herding, and Travelling 165

  Chapter 14: Home and Family 177

  Chapter 15: Going About Daily Life in Ancient Greece 191

  Chapter 16: Plays and Pugilism: Enjoying Ancient Greek Entertainment 205

  Chapter 17: Depicting Men, Women, and Gods in Art 221

  Chapter 18: Building Beautiful Greek Architecture 237

  Part IV: Mythology, Religion, and Belief 247

  Chapter 19: Going Back to the Beginning: Myths and Gods 249

  Chapter 20: Blending Myth and History: Troy, Homer, and Heroes 267

  Chapter 21: Practising Everyday Religion: 'A God Put It in My Heart to Say' 281

  Chapter 22: Trying to Figure Everything Out: Greek Philosophy 293

  Part V: The Part of Tens 307

  Chapter 23: Ten Great Greek Inventions 309

  Chapter 24: Ten Things to Read Next 315

  Chapter 25: Ten Dodgy Ancient Greek Characters 321

  Chapter 26: Ten Great Places to Visit 327

  Index 333