Greece in the Ancient World

by Jeremy McInerney

Spanning the Minoan and Mycenaean origins of Greece to its eventual conquest by Rome, this new single-author survey combines an authoritative and engaging retelling of the history of ancient Greece with an assessment of the relevance of the Greeks today. Beautifully illustrated with examples of art, archaeology and architecture – from the frescoes of Akrotiri to the spectacular discovery of the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior in 2015 – this account foregrounds the variety and diversity of what it meant to be Greek. Dedicated chapters on Athens and Sparta highlight the differences of culture and civic structure within the Greek world, as well as the political tensions that would precipitate the Peloponnesian War and the subsequent Macedonian Hellenistic Age. Numerous maps and timelines support the clear chronological narrative, while ‘Spotlight’ features at the end of each chapter offer a visual commentary on specific concepts, places and institutions, such as the oracle of Delphi and the image of Alexander the Great.

Greece in the Ancient World is the story of a culture that transformed the Western world. The Greeks’ achievements and failures, their ideals and their faults, established a legacy that remains at the heart of our modern life.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Greece, Historical

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book!

Not that you'll learn anything new if you read another non-fiction about ancient Greece (that's of course about all the historical eras and not just one specific) but it's worth it to check it out just for the facts that gives and the pop culture that bring in the different specific times and people in it. Something that another historical book from Montanari (my favorite so far) didn't have. It also didn't have a lot of pictures, like this one. You'll find a lot of artifacts and tombs and what the ancient created from depicting everyday life in various forms of art to of course war and traditions that go back ages.

Recommended of course but personally, I have a few books that I'd choose before this one to read about ancient Greece.

[Dejanira Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

*reading it for my Greece class*

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as preparation for exams as I am a graduate student in Classics. I thought the chapters on prehistoric Greece were masterful, with great references to recent excavations. Some chapters fell into traditional narratives, but I think it’s somewhat impossible to avoid that. McInerney has firm opinions about certain ongoing debates that I would say could have been presented more even-handedly. Additionally, the author underscores the end of the Classical period as destruction, which is a little reductive, and, when discussing the fragility of classical heritage, mentions the destruction of Palmyra but not the appropriation of this heritage by white supremacists and/or fascists. Overall, I’d say this was an excellent history and I would teach with it happily.

[Carlos S. Vogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent introduction into the study of Greece, particularly around the Classical times to which the book is mainly devoted. The style is easy to read and is littered with interesting primary sources and colourful illustrations, so it is light on the lay reader.

What makes this book a very good introduction is that it focuses on Classical Greece, but it is not limited or blinded by it; contrary to other works I’ve leafed through. Rather, Jeremy McInerney demonstrates profound knowledge in Antiquity throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and its numerous changes across time. He is therefore able to navigate through these changes amidst a vibrant world and, at any point of the journey, manages to point out the Aegean's role in participating in that network of exchange across time and space. Thus, the colourful world of Knossos and Mycenae gradually fades into the apsidal structures that housed Homer, before flowing into the vibrant, yet violent, polities of the Archaic Age.

Also, like the philosophers he admires, but without idolising them, McInerney captures the beauty in every step of the aforementioned journey into the Hellenistic period. Despite the obvious decision to center on Classical times, no point of Greek history is really neglected and every period plays its part. McInerney has its own opinions about much of the phenomena he describes, and he is very aware of the reasons why Greek history and Classical culture matters; but he never states his points in a disingenuous manner.

Perhaps my only concern, minor to be clear, with this book is related to this last point. Given that it is intended as an introductory work, it obviously doesn’t go into much detail about most topics and it only ever glances scholarly disputes. This is a sensible decision, but perhaps more weight could have been given to the discussions that continually change our understanding of Ancient Greece, instead of briefly summarising such questions and McInerney's opinion about them. Again, this is a sensible choice and the vast majority of readers shouldn’t give much worry to it; intellectual honesty and humility is sufficient for this book. This helps give the book a narrative flow that would be compromised otherwise.

For those more experienced with Greek history, I can’t comment on what this book will offer them that they do not know already, because I’m not among you myself.

Overall, this work left a very good impression on me and I consider it to be a precious stepping stone into Greek history. I would like to conclude by echoing McInerney's words: the story of the Greeks tells us about the long-lasting and and precious nature of culture, and it rests upon our shoulders the obligation to cherish it and defend it for time to come.

[Edward Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A readable enjoyable text book on the Greeks from the Neolithic, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Ancient Period, Classical Period through Alexander and finally the Romans. Book Looks at their beginnings, the Greek Myths, Art, Government, Wars, Trade and Culture.

Book was part of a class but could be read as a standalone for anyone looking to gain a bit more knowledge on the Greeks.

[Meow558 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good! It does a super good job of explaining the entire history of Ancient Greece, from the Minoans to the Romans, in a very concise way. Easy to understand and read, with lots of pictures to aid in your learning.

[Kevin Nobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Assigned to my Greek civ class. Great for: new and expanding research, pictures of relevant artifacts, appropriate excerpts from Greek writings. Not great: giving Greek instead of Latin spellings of words, not giving Greek singular and plural, only one of them

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

had to read it for university, loved the random homoerotic stories n facts though

[Ava]

Read this as I was auditing the undergraduate Ancient Greek history lecture course taught by the book’s author.

[Gerry Cragun]

Saw on Great Courses as 'Greece and the Western World'.