Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History

by Sarah B. Pomeroy, Stanley M. Burstein, Walter Donlan

Revised and updated throughout, the third edition of Ancient Greece presents the political, social, cultural, and economic history and civilization of ancient Greece in all its complexity and variety. Written by five leading authorities on the classical world, this captivating study covers the entire period from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic Era.

FEATURES

* New! Extensively revised coverage of early Greece by new coauthor David Tandy

* New! A revised art program that includes two eight-page color inserts (one new to this edition), 180 black-and-white photos and line drawings, and eighteen maps

* Uniquely in-depth coverage of social and cultural topics including women and family life, material culture, religion, law, homosexuality, slavery, athletics, and life in the countryside

* Excerpts from ancient documents, selective recommendations for further reading, and a timeline and general introduction that provide a bird's-eye view of Greek history

* Key terms (boldfaced at their first appearance) and an extensive glossary

* New! A Companion Website featuring chapter summaries, self-quizzes, discussion questions, flashcards of key terms, maps, a pronunciation guide, links to useful websites, and a film and television guide

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Greece, Classics, Classical Studies, Society

592 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 1998

About the author

Sarah B. Pomeroy, Professor of Classics and History, Emerita, at Hunter College and the Graduate School of the City University of New York. She was born in New York City (1938) and earned her B.A. from Barnard College in 1957. She received her M.A. in 1959 and her Ph.D. in 1961, both from Columbia University. Pomeroy has been recognized as a leading authority on ancient Greek and Roman women since her book Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity was first published in 1975. Her other publications include Xenophon, Oeconomicus: A Social and Historical Commentary (1994), Families in Classical and Hellenistic Greece: Representations and Realities (1998), Spartan Women (2002), and, with Stanley M. Burstein, Walter Donlan, and Jennifer Tolbert Roberts, the textbooks Ancient Greece: a Political, Social, and Cultural History (4th edition, 2017) and A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society, and Culture (3rd edition, 2011).[i]

Reviews

[Binyam Mesfin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested, One of the authors, Donald Kagan, has a very interesting course on "Open Yale Courses"

[Bogdan Raț · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best, most balanced, overall history of Ancient Greece, with a ton of great suggested readings. There a many excerpts from ancient texts, to strengthen the arguments and ideas presented. Could be improved by discussing a little bit more about art. Also, some more coloured illustrations would add even more value to this, since many of them are black-and-white. The language of the text is amazingly clear throughout the whole book, and it does not lack charm.
In my opinion, one of the most amazing things about this book is the possibility to always come back to it and read about a particular topic, even if you have read several side books that focus on that, because it gives you a great overview and refreshment about what you are interested in.

[Damla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kışın sanat tarihi kursu alıyordum, o kurs bitmeden kitaba başlayıp bitireyim dedim, olmadı.
Sonra Mayıs ayında Likya Yolu'nu yürüyeceğim kesinleşti, hadi bare orayı görmeden bitireyim dedim, yine olmadı.
Aylar sonra ancak şimdi bitirebiliyorum. Ansiklopedi olmasa da neredeyse ansiklopedi kıvamındaydı. Kültür ve toplum yapısının anlatıldığı kısımları daha hızlı okudum ama, saf tarih ve savaşların anlatıldığı kısımları okumam uzun sürdü. Şimdi Antik Roma cildini okuyayım diyorum ama, artık bir süre gözüm korkacak sanırım.
Genele baktığımızda Antik Yunan tarihine giriş yapmak isteyen okuyucu için yeterli bilgi içeren, ideal bir kitaptı. Harita ve görseller de tamamlayıcı nitelikte. Sadece benim gibi hemen bir haftada bitirmeye çalışmayın derim.
Bir de tarih kitabı okumanın psikolojik bir etkisi de oluyor. Günümüzde saçmalık olarak gördüğüm davranışların ta Eski Yunandan geldiğini görmek, ironik bir şekilde, rahatlatıyor herhalde. Kendimizden büyük bir şeyin parçası olduğumuzu görmek rahatlatıcıdır ya hani, aynı saçmalıkları sadece bizim yapmadığımızı görmek de öyle bence.

[Orla · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent overview of Greece that doesn't lose the details or the interesting anecdotes. Pomeroy's influence there and on the role of Greek women is clear.

[David Withun · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[. (not active on this account stop adding me)]

gotta love learning the entire semester in one week god bless

[Bogdan Raț · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overall history of Ancient Greece. After reading this online, I couldn't help ordering a copy so that I can take a look in it from time to time.

[Emerson Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had a pretty rough semester for year 2 history at my current university. Many essays and midterms and in-class seminars and tutorials and whatnot. However, this book stands out as having been a very positive experience to read for my class on Ancient Greece. It does what it sets out to do, covering the political, social and cultural aspects of Ancient Greece artfully and skillfully (and even sending out some military specificities that entertains war lovers like me). It describes many different subjects without feeling like it is going into long diatribes or mentioning details too passively. The book acknowledges the limitations of sources; it may draw much more attention to Athens and Sparta than other poleis, but it makes you understand why this is the case while also providing some insights into the other Greek city-states. I felt that the later parts of the book on the Peloponnesian War and fourth century Greece were where it was at its best. Overall, I do suggest that anyone taking a course with this book as its textbook definitely give it a read rather than just glossing it over.

[Linniegayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the textbook for a Greek history class (general survey) I took this semester. it was easy to read, and had many features I liked. In most chapters the authors included a section early on of sources available for the time period, and discussed the limitations of the sources. The authors also included a lot of information in most chapters about the culture of the time, with sections on the literature, art, and philosophy of the time. At the end of each chapter there was also a brief reference section for additional reading about the period. I think this gives a very nice overview of Greek history, concluding with a short chapter on the Roman period.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch textbook for armchair history buffs. Both readable and credible. This will do wonders if you want a clearer picture of the origins of Western Civilization.

It’s perfect if you’ve already gathered a general interest in Ancient Greece after learning about it thru the typical compartmentalized silos: Iliad/Odyssey, major wars/battles, Plato/Artistotle, popular plays.

This book pulls them all together. Which philosophers fought in which battles, when was this famous person alive relative to another famous person/event, when was this play written, what inspired it, why did these people hate these other people, what was Greece’s relationship with Egypt Europe and Asia, what factors led to that battle or war taking place, how did cultures change after the major wars, how was Pericles or Alexander perceived, and lots of “that’s where that word comes from??”, etc., etc.

—

Every chapter opens with a super interesting discussion of the sources we have for the period and what things remain unknown. After that it hits all the bases: Politics, society, culture, war, etymology, powerful blurbs/paragraphs from significant ancient works

Covers from
-Neolithic to Bronze Age, (agriculture, pottery, Minoans)
-Bronze to Dark, (~1250 Trojan war, “ancient Renaissance”)
- Dark Age to Archaic Period, (~750 first city-state, and first records of Homer’s Iliad/Odyssey)
-Archaic Period to Classical Era, (wars, “democracy”/tyranny, wars, philosophers, wars, playwrights, more wars)
-Classical to Hellenistic Era (Greece conquered by underrated Phillip II of Macedon and expanded by Alexander the Great, Alexander’s death, Macedon weakens and divides into warring kingdoms, Athens and Sparta phase out of significance, new pop philosophies Stoics/Epicureans/Cynics/Skeptics, cultural spotlight shifts to Cyprus/Syria/Mesopotamia/Egypt until Rome happens to everyone

Persia and Macedon play no small part in the subject matter, so you’ll learn quite a bit about them as well.

[Bautista · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pesar de que renegué mucho con este libro por haber sido un manual para la carrera, creo que cumple su función: dar un pantallazo general de la historia de Grecia durante más o menos 1000 años.
Sin embargo, hace hincapié en gran cantidad de temas y explica de una manera sintética ciertos procesos importantes. Los capítulos que más disfruté fueron: Esparta, Desarrollo de Atenas y las Guerras Médicas, Alejandro Magno, La Edad Oscura y el Renacimiento del Siglo VIII.
Es cierto que puede ser pesado por la gran cantidad de hechos, fechas y nombres que menciona, pero es un manual de historia y, por lo tanto, es algo que se le debe pedir. En muy pequeños momentos confundía su redacción, pero puede haber sido una impresión mía.
En conclusión, un buen libro para dar un pantallazo sobre la historia de Grecia, la expansión Macedónica y los reinos helenísticos. También tiene un amplio apartado de bibliografía que me dieron ganas de visitar.

[Brian Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a general history of Ancient Greece, this book is probably the definitive guide - evidenced by the numerous reprints and republication of the "brief" version.

However, the one huge flaw in this otherwise excellent text is the complete lack of academic references in the text, which means there's no way to chase up specific details for further reading.

Otherwise, a book that serves as a very detailed introduction to Ancient Greece, without over-simplifying like some others do.

[Dave Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

H.D.F. Kitto's "The Greeks" being rather old now, I was looking for a good overview of ancient Greece, published within the last five years or so, aimed at entry-level university students. I picked up this 2008 edition second hand and it seems to be perfectly aimed at what I wanted.

[David Eckl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good single volume introduction to Ancient Greek history. Engaging and interesting without being too simple. Thorough and detailed without becoming boring. The book does very well in covering Archaic and Classical Greece, from the development of the polis in the seventh century through to the conclusion of the Peloponnesian War.

After the end of the Peloponnesian War, though, the book starts to lose its footing, though not without cause. The entry of Macedon into the picture very quickly leads to the scope of the book expanding from its focus on Southern and Central Greece to include all the vast areas conquered by Alexander and the sweeping and lasting political and cultural impacts on those areas. Greece itself becomes a side plot in its own story. You find yourself reading passing mentions of random, unexplained Greeks leagues and wars, with the names of (likely significant) people peppered in with little detail.

This is all very understandable given that the expansion of the Greek universe following Alexander is probably a lot more historically significant than whatever little things might have been going on in Greece itself at the time. However, the dramatic scope of that expansion means that even the areas and times that are focused on are covered lightly. The book rushes from the death of Alexander through the impact of Imperial Roman rule in only 60 pages. I can't help but feel that there are one or two missing chapters that could make it all make more sense.

Sidenote: for all the disappointment of the end of the book, the chapter on Alexander's conquests is riveting (how can it not be?). 35 pages fly by, with hugely interesting descriptions of Alexander the person.

Overall, though, the book is a terrific choice for a serious introduction to Ancient Greek history. The coverage of Archaic and Classical Greece is deep and includes plenty of color on how scholarship of those periods has evolved and shaped Western thinking through the years. Especially valuable are extensive references to Ancient sources and chapter-by-chapter lists of suggested readings, both of which are great resources of anyone who wants to go further beyond this book and read more on the topic. After reading this, you will be well-prepared to read any book on Ancient Greece. It has opened up the doors to a lot of future reading about Ancient history, literature, and philosophy, and I plan to follow it up with more exhaustive histories such as Donald Kagan's history of the Peloponnesian War and the Blackwell History of the Ancient World.

[☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/5) It explains very adequately all the periods of ancient Greece. It's a very complete and good book to get you started on this topic. My favorite part is when it relates the Greco-Persian and Peloponnesian wars, it is a very sentimental part.

[Brandon Skanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well-done, and the style of writing makes the information easy to grasp as a reader.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very good history of ancient Greece, with a particular emphasis on politics, culture, and social history as mentioned in the subtitle. I felt like the book was well written, with good detail but without being overwhelming, and I was pleased and satisfied with this book. I learned a lot about Greek history and culture that I had not had any idea about previously, and I was very fascinated to learn about the political legacy of ancient Greece and also some of their rather unique cultural values, such as the huge emphasis on the individual, on personal freedom and autonomy, competitiveness, and how that played out in the creation of hundreds of tiny poleis and their constant wars and squabblings with each other. I was also intrigued by how remarkably resilient many aspects of Greek culture were and are, and how widely they were spread during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It was also interesting learning about ancient Greek religion and the role that it played in their society. I enjoyed learning more about the art, drama, literature, philosophy, and developments of science, medicine, and political theory that developed in ancient Greece. I also enjoyed learning a little something about agriculture, economics, commerce, colonization, and so forth. I was saddened to learn about the violence, war, sexual immorality, slavery, drunkenness, infanticide, civil unrest, the denigration of women, and some of the other widespread moral and social problems that plagued ancient Greek society. It was clear that there was a lot of people experiencing a lot of suffering in many of these times and places throughout ancient Greek history.

[Kimberly Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading Ancient Greece (Fourth Edition) by the following academics: Sarah B. Pomeroy, Stanley M. Burstein, Walter Donlan, Jennifer Tolbert Roberts, David W. Tandy, and Georgia Tsouvala. In this post, I would like to share my thoughts with you.

What is this book about? It follows the political, social, and cultural history of Greece from the bronze age to the Roman occupation. It also provides excepts of ancient writing; in addition, it includes plenty of illustrations and pictures.

What do I like about this book? I like that each chapters covers a particular episode of Greek history with minimal bouncing around to different time periods and switching to unrelated topics. Also, the authors cover each topic in great detail but not to the extent that it will overwhelm the reader.

What do I dislike about this book? In some chapters, the narrative flowed smoothly and the writing sustained my undivided attention, while in others, the narrative felt janky and the writing dry as sawdust. In those chapters, I struggled to stay engaged, and my thoughts ran rampant. I know that the inconsistent writing quality boils down to the fact that six different academics worked on this book, and that it's the fourth edition.

What do I rate this book? I rate this book a four out of five stars.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. But only if you have a deep interest in Ancient Greece.

Why would I recommend this book? I would recommend this book because it provides a detailed introduction to the Mycenaean and Ancient Greek civilizations. It also provides some useful information on the civilizations they interacted with, such as the Carthaginians, Persians, and Romans.

To whom would I recommend this book? I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Ancient Greeks and want to learn more about their political, social, and cultural history.

Note: If you'd like to read a less academic book about the Ancient Greeks, I would highly recommend Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens by the estimable Robin Waterfield.

[Austin Barselau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History offers a comprehensive account of Greek civilization, spanning from the Bronze Age of the second millennium BC to the Hellenistic era following the death of Alexander the Great. First published in 1999, this foundational text was written by a team of distinguished scholars: Sarah Pomeroy, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Classics at Hunter College; the late Walter Donlan, Professor of Classics at the University of California, Irvine; Stanley Burstein, Professor Emeritus of History at California State University, Los Angeles; and Jennifer Roberts, Professor of History and Classics at the City University of New York.

This substantial volume serves as a multidimensional introduction to Ancient Greek history, well-suited for undergraduate courses. Blending political, military, social, cultural, and economic narratives—and drawing on a broad range of carefully documented source material—the authors illuminate what they describe as “one of the most improbable success stories in all of world history.” With accessible prose and a rich array of pedagogical features, including maps, photographs, diagrams, glossaries, and timelines, the book presents an inclusive and academically trusted account of Ancient Greece.

Note: I reviewed the First Edition (1999) of this textbook.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this is a very comprehensive book for people who wanted to know more about Ancient Greek history. As a textbook format, it did a good job on covering many aspects of the place. However, if the targeting readers are people who don't have much knowledge about Ancient Greece, it might appear a bit too overwhelming considering the huge amount of wars, kings, and places. At the same time, the book emphasized on the narration of historical progress a bit too much while cultures, ideas, and people's daily became the minority of the book.

[Rochu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predeciblemente, me tocó leer esto para la facultad. El libro es completísimo pero por eso mismo su información es bastante superficial. Personalmente lo que más me molestó fue el énfasis en intrigas políticas personales y figuras individuales. Una serie de nombres completamente innecesarios podrían fácilmente haber sido reemplazados con un énfasis mayor en la Historia Social.

[Shinji007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew! This is a beast of a work to get through. I found it very comprehensive and really did come away with a fantastic overview from Early Greece and the Bronze Age all through Alexander the Great, his successors, ending with the arrival of the Romans at the end of the third century BC. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. Just take your time with it to digest what it offers.

[Alejandro Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro-manual introductorio a la historia de la antigua Grecia. A pesar de tener más de 500 páginas, la lectura es amena, las imágenes y citas directas de fuentes complementan bien el libro. Me gusto que en cada apartado de cada periodo se hablaran de las fuentes para el estudio.

[Bookreadingnarcissist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information on neolithic Greece up to Alexander the Great. Written in a succinct and coherent manner. It doesn't delve into much detail in any polis (especially Sparta), but I'd say this is a great resource for an enthusiastic amateur to start with.
4/5

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her şeyi kapsamasa da görselleri ve içerdiği bilgilerle yeterli, başlamak için iyi bir kitap.
Seçmeli dersin sınavlarına bu kitapla ekstra çalıştık. Aralara çok bilgi sokulmaya çalışıp cümle bütünlüğünün kaybedildiği yerler var bazen anlaması akışı bozduğu için zor olabiliyor.

[Lector45 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obra rigurosamente histórica de índole académica. Para quien quiera realmente conocer en profundidad el maravilloso mundo clásico helénico con detalles y un análisis preciso sobre los distintos períodos, héroes, leyendas, filósofos.

[Michael]

The one-volume overview of Ancient Greek history that I've been looking for a while. I found an odd number of typos and strangely constructed sentences for a book like this, but otherwise, the book does a good job covering a long period of history in a concise manner.

[Wandi]

Al fin 😫😝

[Kiko Montanari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Información bastante ordenada, fácil de seguir. Te da un panorama amplio y suficiente si lo que buscas es una introducción a la historia de la cultura griega antigua.

[Bob Newby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting stuff but I feel like I didn’t retain as much information as I should have. There’s just so many people and wars it all feels meaningless by the end