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Hellas - A Short History of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece was the most fascinating and influential civilization of all time, and this concise history tells you why. From the Myceneans and Minoans to the Spartans and Athenians, the full panoply of Greek civilization is represented in this short work. And there is hardly any aspect of importance in our own civilization today that cannot point to its origin in that great Aegean society of city states and warrior tribes.
Cyril Robinson's method is to touch lightly upon the main events of Greek history and the major phenomena of its culture, to explain them in current terms, and to point out modern parallels. Anyone who is aware of world events of the past century cannot but be struck by the similarities in ancient Greece.
"In Greek history, little that happened mattered much; it is what the Greeks thought that mattered," says Mr. Robinson. In fact, it has mattered so much that not a single one of us can contemplate his own European heritage without encountering some tangible legacy of that Greek intellect. Because that experience will remain permanently relevant and perennially capable of providing illumination to all Western people for as long as there is a civilization based on those ideals, the study of their incredible achievements will always find a place in our society. And it was with this aim of illumination that this book was written: to present the aspects of Greek history and thought that are of abiding and direct interest to thoughtful persons today.
Cyril Robinson's method is to touch lightly upon the main events of Greek history and the major phenomena of its culture, to explain them in current terms, and to point out modern parallels. Anyone who is aware of world events of the past century cannot but be struck by the similarities in ancient Greece.
"In Greek history, little that happened mattered much; it is what the Greeks thought that mattered," says Mr. Robinson. In fact, it has mattered so much that not a single one of us can contemplate his own European heritage without encountering some tangible legacy of that Greek intellect. Because that experience will remain permanently relevant and perennially capable of providing illumination to all Western people for as long as there is a civilization based on those ideals, the study of their incredible achievements will always find a place in our society. And it was with this aim of illumination that this book was written: to present the aspects of Greek history and thought that are of abiding and direct interest to thoughtful persons today.
201 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1955
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 8, 2018
Read this book on my way to Greece at my grandmothers suggestion. It provides a fine introductory history of Ancient Greece, particularly Athens. It did make seeing the ruins more interesting.
March 23, 2015
C. E. Robinson is well informed and writes with purpose but doesn't take it too seriously. This book is informative without being dry and is accompanied by photos of ruins, art, ect. A nice intro to Greek history.
April 6, 2009
This should be fun; the guy lays his biases right out on the table.
September 27, 2013
Everything history can be and more. Watch 300 after and drink wine.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews