Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

by Robert Garland

Ancient Greece comes alive in this recreation of the daily lives of ordinary people―men and women, children and the elderly, slaves and foreigners, rich and poor. Taking account of the most up-to-date discoveries, the author provides a wealth of information on such varied facets of Greek life as food and drink, dress, housing, literacy, juvenile delinquency, the plight of the elderly, the treatment of slaves, and much more.

Readers can gain an in-depth understanding of what it was like to live in one of the greatest eras of human history. Garland provides answers to such questions What were the Ancient Greeks' attitudes toward foreigners? What was their life expectancy? How were women treated? Passages from ancient authors enhance the text of this indispensable reference work.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Greece, Ancient History, School, Ancient

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Dr. Robert S.J. Garland is the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics at Colgate University. He earned his B.A. in Classics from Manchester University, his M.A. in Classics from McMaster University, and his Ph.D. in Ancient History from University College London.

A former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the George Grote Ancient History Prize, Professor Garland has educated students and audiences at a variety of levels. In addition to teaching classics at Colgate University, he has taught English and Drama to secondary school students and lectured at universities throughout Britain as well as the British School of Archaeology in Athens.

Professor Garland is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals and books capturing details of all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman life, including The Greek Way of Life: From Conception to Old Age; Introducing New Gods: The Politics of Athenian Religion; and Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. His expertise has been featured in The History Channel's "Last Stand of the 300," and he has repeatedly served as a consultant for educational film companies.

Reviews

[Mel Bossa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. Put everything I'd read in order in my mind. Knocking off one star for the subtle prejudice tone when addressing bisexuality.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks does just what it says on the cover: it provides an overview of the customs, religion, politics, aesthetics, and sensibilities of the ancient Greeks (with focus on the Classical period). The author, Robert Garland, draws heavily upon The Illiad and The Odyssey, the works of Hesiod, and of course archeological evidence to establish this portrait of Greek life, and is refreshingly resistant to making any assumptions that cannot be proven out by one of these sources.

This is definitely one of the more accessible work of history I've read, and the author does a really excellent (and academically responsible) job of reminding you that the bulk of our evidence is coming from Athens, and that one city-state among hundreds can hardly be said to be entirely representative of Greek culture at the time. He also reminds us that because the works left to us by the Athenians are mostly the product of men, our historical picture is almost certainly skewed, and we can't be certain of exactly what life as a woman in ancient Greece was like.

If you have an interest in the daily workings of ancient Greece, then I'd highly recommend this. As historical reading goes, it's pretty light, even amusing at times.

[Uğur Ersöz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitap, Antik Yunanistan tarihi ile başlayıp coğrafya, dil/alfabe, halk, özel hayat ile devam edip kamusal alan, eğlence ve boş vakit ve Antik Yunan'in modern kültür üzerindeki etkisi bölümüyle son buluyor. Kitabın sonundaki Yunanca terimler Sözlüğü ile çok kapsamlı bir araştırma kitabı sunuluyor okuyucuya. Türkçeye çevrilen en kapsamlı Antik Yunan günlük hayat kitaplarından biri.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best textbooks I’ve ever had to read for class.

[Abby]

This is great. A very readable, comprehensive book that answers pretty much all the questions you might think to have about what life was like for Ancient Greeks. And because it’s the Ancient Greeks, you’ll be reading along through the perfectly reasonable and interesting ways they approached life, and then there will be something absolutely, delightfully batshit. The playwright said to have been killed when an eagle mistook his bald head for a rock and dropped a tortoise on it. The mysterious women’s rite during which pigs were pushed into pits of snakes and their carcasses retrieved days later. What bang for your buck with the ancients.

What’s remarkable is how women and slaves did almost literally all the work in ancient Greece, thus freeing up men of means to do the drinking, philosophizing, and arguing for which their culture is famed. I think we’ve seen research in recent years that does a better job imagining the experiences of women and subalterns than this guy, but the book is old and he does his best.

[Yucel Inanogullari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Günlük hayata dair bilgilerin büyük kısmı, Homeros'un eserlerinden ve günümüze ulaşabilmiş tiyatro eserlerindeki anlatılardan ibaret. Doğrusu bu kadar büyük bir medeniyetten, daha fazla kaynaktan bilgilerin aktarılabileceğini beklerdim. Ayrıca, kitapta aktarılan bilgilerin sıralamasında da sorun var : tekrarlanan ve sanki o an aklına gelen bir başka konuyu da anlatayım derdinde olan, düzensiz bir kurgusu var.

[Antny · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a feeble book. Spends 100% listing various exotic, often shocking facts about Greek life supposed to make you think the culture is -ist, and -ist, and -ist... and spends no time whatsoever trying to reconciling why such facts might've seemed natural or expedient at the time and place in geohistory.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author admits that much of what we know about the daily life of ancient Greeks is based on upper class Athenians, with some input from Sparta for contrast. With that unavoidable limitation, I found this attempt for the layman readable, well organized, and thought-provoking.

[Lisa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've listened to this author's Great Courses on this topic as well. I find ancient cultures fascinating. Reading this is like going to a college class, but more convenient, more fun, and definitely less expensive = )

[Edgar Pangbourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, readable.

[Kailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative, but a bit dry.

[Ryan Schaller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid collection of information about religion, education, health, food, living conditions, economy, and many other matters. Garland's style is approachable and easy to read.

[Nyah Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

i h8 reading schoolbooks. my teacher also literally pointed out things that were fully incorrect in this<3

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful resource for history!

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This had a lot of really good practical information on aspects of Grecian daily life that a novelist might need; however, some of the author's conclusions I didn't agree with. Also, this book is nearly twenty years old, so I wonder what new things have come to light about the Greeks since then.

[Janna G. Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to help inform a writing project set in Ancient Greece. The book is a great introductory text on life in ancient Athens and Sparta, particularly during the Classical and Hellenistic periods.

Incredibly informative, every single sentence is dense with useful facts on such topics as the geography of the landscape, different classes of people (citizens, slaves, and women), work, warfare, clothing, food and drink, art, literature, and drama, governance and democracy, the gods and mythology, and countless others.

The illustrations helped me visualize the aesthetic of the time period and the chronology of individual periods comprising Ancient Greek history. Meanwhile, the suggested reading list at the end of the book will be invaluable in helping direct subsequent research into the ancient world.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most shining example of what the Daily Life series has to offer. I realize most of the evidence of Greek life is anecdotal and based on little evidence, but this left me with more questions than answers. The book did not claim to cover a larger period of time or geography than it did, but I wish they'd titled it "Daily Life in 500 BC Athens and Sparta," leaving someone else room to cover more ground. Disappointing, based on my previous experience with this series.

[Elysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text provided excellent information. The writer writes as though the reader had no prior knowledge (always a plus). He thinks everything is important, which it is, and he even has sections discussing food. The only problem with the book is organization. The chapters are very long, and the information in them is not related enough to be in the same chapter. If the chapters were labeled as parts and the subheadings as chapters, it would make much more sense.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an excellent general text, but some aspects of daily like are left to mystery. Sure, women did the spinning and weaving, but how the hell did they do it? If I were to write a description of an every day chore from this book, I would fail miserably. This text is a starting point, but not in-depth enough for an interesting read.

[Alfred Shull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Garland's 2nd edition Dailey Life of the Ancient Greeks is a great book. It brings to light how the Greeks thought about life. This book opened my eyes to the huge differences that existed between the Greeks and the Romans. I highly recommend this book. I will now have to purchase a copy for my own library.

[Benni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came away with more knowledge than not, I suppose, but this book is highly slanted towards ancient Greek lit as opposed to archaeology and other sources. The author also expresses some stances rather awkwardly (e.g., about slavery).

[Jenine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of good information. I found the writing a bit uneven and watch out here come some cliches!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very interesting and informative, even though more illustrations would have been nice. I used it to teach a high school Ancient Cultures class, and I think that they found it accessible.

[faith :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love greek history😩