Greek Civilization An Introduction

by Sparkes, Brian A

• ISBN13: 9780631205586
• ISBN10: 0631205586
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-02-04
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This is a survey of the world of classical Greece, its origins and legacy. The book comprises nineteen chapters, written by leading scholars from around the world. It covers all the major themes of Ancient Greek history, set in the context of both the preceding and following periods.The book is organised into four main sections. It opens with discussions of the natural environment of the Greek peninsula and the surrounding islands. The second section then examines the history of the peoples of Greece up to the end of antiquity. It moves from the prehistoric and protohistoric periods, through the era of Bronze Age palace societies - including those of Knossos and Mycenae - surveying the thousand and more years until the transfer of the Roman imperial court from Rome to Constantinople.The third and longest part of the book deals with different aspects of the classical period, to give a kaleidoscopic picture of the most important elements in Greek life: the country, politics, religion, the spoken and written word, philosophy, art, craftsmanship and social behavior. Finally, the book surveys the legacy of classical Greece, assessing its impact for western civilisation as a whole.

Author Biography

Brian A. Sparkes received his training in classics and archaeology at Kings College London and at the British School of Archaeology at Athens. He has recently retired from the Chair of Classical Archaeology at the University of Southampton. His previous publications include Greek Pottery: an Introduction (1991) and The Red and the Black: Studies in Greek Pottery (1996).

Table of Contents

List of Plates

Figures and Tables

List of Contributors

Preface

Landscape, Seascape

The Physical Background

The March of the Past

The Human Foreground

The Bronze Age Palace Societies

Archaic into Classical

Greek Kings and Roman Emperors

Classical Mosaic

The Greek Countryside

Politics and Public Life: the Urban Scene

Greek Religious Practices

The Spoken and the Written Word

Examining Life

Trades and Crafts

Architecture and Sculpture

Crafts in the Private Sphere

Women in Classical Athens

Sex in Classical Athens

Continuity and Change

The Christian Millennium

The Ottoman Centuries

After Independence

The Greek Legacy

Timeline

Sources of Illustrations

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.