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The Long Shadow of the Ancient Greek World
Length: 24 hrs and 59 mins
Immerse yourself in this comprehensive survey of ancient Greece from 750 to 323 B.C. - from the emergence of Greece at the end of the Dark Ages to the final disintegration of Greek autonomy through the Macedonian kings Philip II and Alexander the Great.
These 48 riveting lectures tell the story of ancient Greek institutions and the people who molded them during the Archaic and Classical periods.
Concentrating on the city-states of mainland Greece, with a special focus on Athens, Professor Worthington guides through some of history's most hard-fought struggles - from armed conflicts (such as the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and the campaigns of Alexander the Great) to political and social struggles (including the late 6th-century civil war in Athens that pitted nobles against the lower classes and eventually produced the first stirrings of democracy).
As you explore innovative Athenian approaches to democracy, law, and empire, you discover how these approaches served as the bedrock for ideas and practices that you live with every day. You also encounter a wealth of intriguing links to many of our own contemporary institutions and attitudes about democracy, law, and empire.
By the end of Professor Worthington's final captivating lecture, you discover that there was nothing inevitable about democracy, the Western concept of justice, or any of the other traditions and institutions that now play such central roles in the politics of the modern Western world. The story of how this tentative structure transformed into the firm foundation of our contemporary world is gripping, enlightening, and immensely rewarding.
Immerse yourself in this comprehensive survey of ancient Greece from 750 to 323 B.C. - from the emergence of Greece at the end of the Dark Ages to the final disintegration of Greek autonomy through the Macedonian kings Philip II and Alexander the Great.
These 48 riveting lectures tell the story of ancient Greek institutions and the people who molded them during the Archaic and Classical periods.
Concentrating on the city-states of mainland Greece, with a special focus on Athens, Professor Worthington guides through some of history's most hard-fought struggles - from armed conflicts (such as the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and the campaigns of Alexander the Great) to political and social struggles (including the late 6th-century civil war in Athens that pitted nobles against the lower classes and eventually produced the first stirrings of democracy).
As you explore innovative Athenian approaches to democracy, law, and empire, you discover how these approaches served as the bedrock for ideas and practices that you live with every day. You also encounter a wealth of intriguing links to many of our own contemporary institutions and attitudes about democracy, law, and empire.
By the end of Professor Worthington's final captivating lecture, you discover that there was nothing inevitable about democracy, the Western concept of justice, or any of the other traditions and institutions that now play such central roles in the politics of the modern Western world. The story of how this tentative structure transformed into the firm foundation of our contemporary world is gripping, enlightening, and immensely rewarding.
25 pages, Audible Audio
Published July 8, 2013
4 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Ian Worthington
65 books21 followersIan Worthington has been Professor of Ancient History at Macquarie University since 2017. Before then, he held an endowed chair as Curators' Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Missouri, USA. He hails from northern England, taking his B.A. at Hull and M.A. at Durham, before moving to Monash University to do his Ph.D.
Worthington specializes in Greek history and oratory. To date, he has written 9 sole-authored books, 1 co-authored book, edited 9 books, translated 2 volumes of the Greek orators (in the University of Texas Oratory of Classical Greece series), and written over 100 articles and essays on Greek history, oratory, epigraphy, and literature.
Worthington specializes in Greek history and oratory. To date, he has written 9 sole-authored books, 1 co-authored book, edited 9 books, translated 2 volumes of the Greek orators (in the University of Texas Oratory of Classical Greece series), and written over 100 articles and essays on Greek history, oratory, epigraphy, and literature.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 25, 2025
The lecturer is quite possibly the most annoying one I've yet come across, but the content is good.
June 15, 2021
I decided to listen to this course as a companion to Will Durant’s The Life of Greece. As the title of this audiobook suggests, the shadow the ancient Greek world is indeed very long. The U.S. government, its laws and institutions, the architecture of its buildings, even the language – all of it is tinted with the colors of that great ancient civilization.
Professor Ian Worthington guides us through the many social and political upheavals of the Hellenistic world. He introduces us to Solon, considered the “Father of democracy” and responsible for many reforms. We meet Herodotus, the “Father of history’, along with the famous historians Thucydides and Xenophon. We learn about the terrible Persian and Peloponnesian Wars and the scars left behind from those frenzied battles. The courses end with a biography of Alexander the Great and a tour of the grand empire he formulated that spread from Macedonia all the way to present day Pakistan.
I learned a good amount from this course. I think it is a nice introduction to someone who has no prior knowledge of the Greek world. Worthington does a great job at narrating and I found him pleasant to listen to. He also has a good sense of humor! Other reviewers here mention his constant ‘heresies’ but I found them entertaining – It’s good to see historians be critical over “established truths”.
Overall, a great course if you’re interested in learning about this amazing and influential civilization.
Professor Ian Worthington guides us through the many social and political upheavals of the Hellenistic world. He introduces us to Solon, considered the “Father of democracy” and responsible for many reforms. We meet Herodotus, the “Father of history’, along with the famous historians Thucydides and Xenophon. We learn about the terrible Persian and Peloponnesian Wars and the scars left behind from those frenzied battles. The courses end with a biography of Alexander the Great and a tour of the grand empire he formulated that spread from Macedonia all the way to present day Pakistan.
I learned a good amount from this course. I think it is a nice introduction to someone who has no prior knowledge of the Greek world. Worthington does a great job at narrating and I found him pleasant to listen to. He also has a good sense of humor! Other reviewers here mention his constant ‘heresies’ but I found them entertaining – It’s good to see historians be critical over “established truths”.
Overall, a great course if you’re interested in learning about this amazing and influential civilization.
April 30, 2023
Ian Worthington's history lectures on ancient Greece, available through the Great Courses, helped fill a gap from my college education. Even though I had advanced courses on the history of science in ancient Greece in college, studied Koine Greek in seminary, and was familiar with much of Greek history through Western Civ courses, I appreciated this 48 lecture series that began with prehistoric artifacts, covered the pre-archaic period, Archaic Greece, Classical Greece, and the rise and fall of Alexander the (not-so) Great.
The lectures covered political leaders, wars, legal developments, social and family life, and religion. Of particular concern to the modern student were the observations Professor Worthington made about democracy: the progress it brings to society, but also its limitations and over-reaching. I often thought about another book I read last fall on the presidents Adams and their writings about democracy, and its vulnerability to demagogues.
Ancient Greece is so much a part of how the present day western world functions that it was a valuable 24 hours spent listening to these lectures on Audible.
The lectures covered political leaders, wars, legal developments, social and family life, and religion. Of particular concern to the modern student were the observations Professor Worthington made about democracy: the progress it brings to society, but also its limitations and over-reaching. I often thought about another book I read last fall on the presidents Adams and their writings about democracy, and its vulnerability to demagogues.
Ancient Greece is so much a part of how the present day western world functions that it was a valuable 24 hours spent listening to these lectures on Audible.
February 10, 2022
It doesn't really fulfill the promise of "the long shadow," which implies that the history of ancient Greece continues to impact the modern world. It barely addresses that topic, right at the end. A better title would be "The Long Recounting of Minutia of the Ancient Greek World." I would very much have liked to have this book/course spend much more space on why the history Greece should, or does, still matter.
August 23, 2018
The content and delivery of these lectures was excellent. Ancient Greece was brought to life by Worthington; his series was a balanced discussion of political, military and social developments - and why they were so important. His detailed analysis and enthusiastic delivery made this a joy to listen to. I will now be going on to read some of the books he has written on Philip and Alexander.
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September 4, 2023The title suggests that this course covers the legacy of Ancient Greek and its impact to the Western tradition. However, the first several lectures show that it is a historical suvery limited to the political system of Ancient Greek. It does not discuss Greek philosophy and technology. So I stopped reading.
June 1, 2025
Very thorough course about Greek history from the early archaic period to the death of Alexander. Worthington has three areas of focus: democracy, law and imperialism. I especially liked the treatment of the democracy and legal system of Athens.
Worthington is opinionated and challenges the common wisdom, which is very welcome as a way to spark engagement with the material.
Worthington is opinionated and challenges the common wisdom, which is very welcome as a way to spark engagement with the material.
April 28, 2020
The professor was engaging and provides nice resources. Each lecture has an overall scope, outline, suggested reading, and questions to consider. He frequently had his own “heresies” and explained why there was debate on certain events and figures. It was great to hear the differing opinions. The course covers the archaic and classical periods, ending after Alexander the Great around 300 BC.
September 25, 2022
Great narration. Really engaging. Brought the subject to life.
September 10, 2017
Loved the detail of the course, and, unlike another reviewer, I didn't find the professor's dash of humor off-putting at all. Quite the opposite.
August 28, 2019
No one:
Literally nobody:
Not even a single soul:
Prof Worthington: So here’s another heresy of mine
Literally nobody:
Not even a single soul:
Prof Worthington: So here’s another heresy of mine
November 14, 2023
Have you wondered how the Greeks effected us? Good listen. Nah Great listen
September 22, 2014
These comments address the audiobook:
Extra points for a delightful speaking voice.
While I found parts of this lecture stimulating and others somewhat tedious, Worthington won me over completely by the time he reached Macedonian hegemony, with his rousing assessment of Philip's abilities and his son Alexander's shortcomings. If you want to know why some find Alexander so overrated, give this a listen.
Extra points for a delightful speaking voice.
While I found parts of this lecture stimulating and others somewhat tedious, Worthington won me over completely by the time he reached Macedonian hegemony, with his rousing assessment of Philip's abilities and his son Alexander's shortcomings. If you want to know why some find Alexander so overrated, give this a listen.
April 9, 2015
Have you wondered how the Greeks effected us? Good listen. Nah Great listen
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews