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24 Hours in Ancient History #3
24 Hours in Ancient Athens
During the course of a day we meet 24 Athenians from all strata of society—from the slave to the politician, the fishmonger to the philosopher, the soldier to the vase painter—and get to know what the real Athens was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters—all from different walks of life—every chapter, with each chapter forming an hour in a day in the life of the ancient city. We also get to spy on the daily doings of notable Athenians through the eyes of regular people as the city hovers on the brink of the fateful war that will destroy its golden age.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 18, 2019
316 people are currently reading
6411 people want to read
About the author
Philip Matyszak
62 books280 followersPhilip Matyszak is a British nonfiction author, primarily of historical works relating to ancient Rome. Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St. John's College, Oxford. In addition to being a professional author, he also teaches ancient history for Madingley Hall Institute of Continuing Education, Cambridge University.
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October 5, 2020Σίγουρα ένα βιβλίο ιστορίας διαφορετικό που θα κρατήσει ζωντανό το ενδιαφέρον ακόμα και του περιστασιακού αναγνώστη. Αν και όσα αναφέρονται είναι αρκετά γνωστά σε όσους έχουν εντρυφήσει στην ιστορία της αρχαίας Ελλάδας προσφέρει σίγουρα έναν πλούτο γνώσεων στο ευρύ κοινό, στοχεύοντας στην καθημερινότητα και τα πρακτικά θέματα αν και δεν λείπει και η φιλοσοφία και η πολιτική δοσμένες με εύπεπτο τρόπο.
October 31, 2020
As the title indicates the book gives an hour by hour account of what unfolds one day in ancient Athens. The year is 416 B.C. At this date peace reigned. Five years had elapsed since the Peace of Nicius had been signed. The treaty was between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. It ended the first half of the Peloponnesian War which lasted from 431 B.C. to 404 B.C.
The information is based on archeological finds and reconstruction of information drawn from contemporary material.
We are told that the focus will be on ordinary people, but this is not quite true. Much of the content is about famed Athenians. We read of Plutarch, the sculptor Phidias, Aristocles/Plato, Hippocrates, the historian, philosopher and soldier Xenophon, Socrates and more. They rub shoulders with ordinary people, for example a seller of eels, a couple getting married, a sorceress, a woman having arranged a clandestine meeting with a sexually attractive stranger she bumped into one day on the street. However, there is much less information about ordinary people than the famous. There is interesting historical background information, but the book is not what I was looking for. Nor what is promised. What is provided are small sketches of a large number of historical figures and bits of historical background.
John Telfer reads the audiobook very well. If not acquainted with the Grecian terminology or some of the names, it is not hard to decipher the words so more information can be sought on the web. He reads at a good pace. Four stars for the audio narration.
The author’s 24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There provides more information about ordinary people.
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*24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak 4 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient China: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Yijie Zhuang 4 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient Athens: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak 3 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient Egypt: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Donald P. Ryan 3 stars
*The Life of Greece by Will Durant 5 stars
The information is based on archeological finds and reconstruction of information drawn from contemporary material.
We are told that the focus will be on ordinary people, but this is not quite true. Much of the content is about famed Athenians. We read of Plutarch, the sculptor Phidias, Aristocles/Plato, Hippocrates, the historian, philosopher and soldier Xenophon, Socrates and more. They rub shoulders with ordinary people, for example a seller of eels, a couple getting married, a sorceress, a woman having arranged a clandestine meeting with a sexually attractive stranger she bumped into one day on the street. However, there is much less information about ordinary people than the famous. There is interesting historical background information, but the book is not what I was looking for. Nor what is promised. What is provided are small sketches of a large number of historical figures and bits of historical background.
John Telfer reads the audiobook very well. If not acquainted with the Grecian terminology or some of the names, it is not hard to decipher the words so more information can be sought on the web. He reads at a good pace. Four stars for the audio narration.
The author’s 24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There provides more information about ordinary people.
************************
*24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak 4 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient China: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Yijie Zhuang 4 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient Athens: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak 3 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient Egypt: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Donald P. Ryan 3 stars
*The Life of Greece by Will Durant 5 stars
October 2, 2025
I liked the idea and the structure of this book: 24 hours in Ancient Athens, 416 BC, described in 24 chapters, with each hourly chapter written as a fictionalized story closely based on ancient written sources and on archaeological findings (the sources are quoted and the findings are mentioned in parallel with the fictionalized retelling).
The goals and the benefits of this structure are obvious: present the ancient history in an accessible and entertaining form, at the same time preserving the high level of quality and trustworthiness of the information.
Unfortunately, this form is accompanied by an almost unavoidable danger of falling into the dreadful pitfall of too much exposition presented as thoughts and speeches of the characters. Almost in each of the 24 chapters we meet ancient Athenians who engage in lots of thinking and talking about how their Ancient Greek/Athenian life and history was, is, and will be, with 99% of this information obviously being pumped through their brains and mouths solely for the benefit of modern readers who need to find out more about the history of Ancient Athens.
Nevertheless, there is a lot of interesting information in this relatively short book, and some of the fictionalized retellings surely manage to bring the ancient history to life. My favorite episode is teenage Plato (aka wide, broad-shouldered) in a gymnasium, where his wrestling coach is facing a dilemma with which of the other students to pair this precocious wrestler.
Read in 2021.
The goals and the benefits of this structure are obvious: present the ancient history in an accessible and entertaining form, at the same time preserving the high level of quality and trustworthiness of the information.
Unfortunately, this form is accompanied by an almost unavoidable danger of falling into the dreadful pitfall of too much exposition presented as thoughts and speeches of the characters. Almost in each of the 24 chapters we meet ancient Athenians who engage in lots of thinking and talking about how their Ancient Greek/Athenian life and history was, is, and will be, with 99% of this information obviously being pumped through their brains and mouths solely for the benefit of modern readers who need to find out more about the history of Ancient Athens.
Nevertheless, there is a lot of interesting information in this relatively short book, and some of the fictionalized retellings surely manage to bring the ancient history to life. My favorite episode is teenage Plato (aka wide, broad-shouldered) in a gymnasium, where his wrestling coach is facing a dilemma with which of the other students to pair this precocious wrestler.
Read in 2021.
February 10, 2020
I've read a couple of Matyszak's fictional-non-fiction works before, and I find his style refreshing. 24 Hours in Ancient Athens doesn't disappoint, and delivers an excellent education resources - packaged in easy to consume storytelling.
What to Expect
This isn't fiction in the normal sense - no plot and characters as such. Instead, Matyszak reconstructs daily life in ancient Athens from original sources into a collection of loosely-interconnected scenes. These bring to life the both the concerns of regular people and historical figures.
Original historical sources and modern works naturally concentrate on the grand personalities and events of the period. Matyszak flips this around, showing us everyone from Socrates to Alcibiades, from Aristophanes to Xenophon through their interactions with the common people. His Athens is a living, breathing, city, full of colourful characters with their quintessential human concerns.
What I liked
I love this way of learning and the subject matter. Covering the progress of history is one thing, but all too often one misses the experiences of the "man on the street", what was life like during those times. Matyszak brings expert scholarship, quoting, referencing, and rewriting original sources, and the result is an easy-to-digest learning experience. Add a bit of chasing down rabbit holes, and this becomes a springboard to learning more about the period, providing a solid basis as you read more advanced works.
What to be aware of
This isn't a book about the history of ancient Athens, in the sense of covering major events and the people behind it. Rather, it focuses on what daily life looked like, on the concerns of citizens (and metics, foreigners, and slaves) throughout their comings and goings.
Summary
This is an excellent resource to learn about daily life in Ancient Athens. If the subject intrigues you, if you like historical fiction set in antiquity, this is a must read.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
This isn't fiction in the normal sense - no plot and characters as such. Instead, Matyszak reconstructs daily life in ancient Athens from original sources into a collection of loosely-interconnected scenes. These bring to life the both the concerns of regular people and historical figures.
Original historical sources and modern works naturally concentrate on the grand personalities and events of the period. Matyszak flips this around, showing us everyone from Socrates to Alcibiades, from Aristophanes to Xenophon through their interactions with the common people. His Athens is a living, breathing, city, full of colourful characters with their quintessential human concerns.
What I liked
I love this way of learning and the subject matter. Covering the progress of history is one thing, but all too often one misses the experiences of the "man on the street", what was life like during those times. Matyszak brings expert scholarship, quoting, referencing, and rewriting original sources, and the result is an easy-to-digest learning experience. Add a bit of chasing down rabbit holes, and this becomes a springboard to learning more about the period, providing a solid basis as you read more advanced works.
What to be aware of
This isn't a book about the history of ancient Athens, in the sense of covering major events and the people behind it. Rather, it focuses on what daily life looked like, on the concerns of citizens (and metics, foreigners, and slaves) throughout their comings and goings.
Summary
This is an excellent resource to learn about daily life in Ancient Athens. If the subject intrigues you, if you like historical fiction set in antiquity, this is a must read.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
August 7, 2021
Treća knjiga u ediciji 24 sata u starom svetu je došla kao odmor za dušu. Nakon prethodne knjige koju sam čitao, a koja me totalno umorila, ovo je došlo kao poslastica i olakšanje. Uživati u svakoj stranici, to je neopisivo.
Filip Metizak, autor 24 sata u starom Rimu, ovde se vraća u punom svetlu. Putujemo u staru Atinu, taj drevni grčki polis (grad-država) na 24 časa. Tokom 24 časa upoznajemo se sa stanovništvom, običajima i religijom. Uprkos tome što sam voleo istoriju u srednjoj školi, a celokupan period pre nove ere najviše, bilo je dosta nepoznatih činjenica. Na primer, da li ste čuli za Arefore - sveštenice boginje Atine, uzrasta od sedam do jedanaest godina?
Ove knjige jednostavno vuku da ih završite. Poglavlje, po poglavlje, nisam imao volju da napravim pauzu.
Upoznajemo se sa statusima i običajima naroda, a pored toga bliže upoznajemo čuvene filozofe, ratnike i političare iz ovog perioda, a sve iz perspektive običnog naroda. Pratimo jedan sat u životu robinje, jednog od čuvenih hoplita, projektanta grada, slikara caze, pa čak prisustvujemo i jednoj svadbi. Filip Metizak ima prost, ali vrlo zanimljiv stil i način predstavljanja radnje i istorijskih činjenica. Interesovanje u toku čitanja samo raste, a utisak upotpunjuju fotografije, crno-bele ilustracije i istorijski zapisi.
Zavoleo sam ovu ediciju i zaista se nadam da će biti još novih knjiga u serijalu. Ostalo mi je da pročitam još Kinu, a do tad vam preporučujem da i sami nabavite neku od ovih knjiga i proverite zašto uživamo u njima.
Filip Metizak, autor 24 sata u starom Rimu, ovde se vraća u punom svetlu. Putujemo u staru Atinu, taj drevni grčki polis (grad-država) na 24 časa. Tokom 24 časa upoznajemo se sa stanovništvom, običajima i religijom. Uprkos tome što sam voleo istoriju u srednjoj školi, a celokupan period pre nove ere najviše, bilo je dosta nepoznatih činjenica. Na primer, da li ste čuli za Arefore - sveštenice boginje Atine, uzrasta od sedam do jedanaest godina?
Ove knjige jednostavno vuku da ih završite. Poglavlje, po poglavlje, nisam imao volju da napravim pauzu.
Upoznajemo se sa statusima i običajima naroda, a pored toga bliže upoznajemo čuvene filozofe, ratnike i političare iz ovog perioda, a sve iz perspektive običnog naroda. Pratimo jedan sat u životu robinje, jednog od čuvenih hoplita, projektanta grada, slikara caze, pa čak prisustvujemo i jednoj svadbi. Filip Metizak ima prost, ali vrlo zanimljiv stil i način predstavljanja radnje i istorijskih činjenica. Interesovanje u toku čitanja samo raste, a utisak upotpunjuju fotografije, crno-bele ilustracije i istorijski zapisi.
Zavoleo sam ovu ediciju i zaista se nadam da će biti još novih knjiga u serijalu. Ostalo mi je da pročitam još Kinu, a do tad vam preporučujem da i sami nabavite neku od ovih knjiga i proverite zašto uživamo u njima.
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August 28, 2021An interesting and enjoyable account of 'everyday' jobs and the people who lived in Ancient Athens.
August 3, 2024
This book disappointed me a little in the sense that it did not actually describe much of the ins and outs of the daily lives of ancient Athenians.
Most of this book was trivia and fun facts about ancient Athens. It was informative but quite boring.
Most of this book was trivia and fun facts about ancient Athens. It was informative but quite boring.
July 30, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
Following a different person every hour for the course of 24 hours in Ancient Rome is such an effective approach to presenting what living in the city was like. Looking forward to reading the other cities stories in the future.
Following a different person every hour for the course of 24 hours in Ancient Rome is such an effective approach to presenting what living in the city was like. Looking forward to reading the other cities stories in the future.
May 11, 2024
Σαν να περνάς μια "πραγματική" ημέρα στην Αρχαία Αθήνα...
November 30, 2019
Didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as 24 hours in Ancient Rome . Compared to the Rome version, this book focused on famous Greek figures, sometimes through the eyes of fictional characters. The book kept the unique style of following the city through 24 hours, with each chapter focusing on a different character, however the book lost some of its charm by not just focusing on an ordinary day or on ordinary citizens. The various narratives also overlapped over the chapters much more than in Rome and as a result it was sometimes difficult to keep track of the various characters and plots, especially as I only tended to read one chapter at a time.
On the positive side I did learn a lot about Greek history and famous Greek figures and there were some very enjoyable chapters. A lot of the chapters were retellings or adaptations from original sources, giving the book a lot of credibility.
I might have personally enjoyed this book more if I had the same level of interest and knowledge of Greek history as I have of Roman and this might be a book I return to in time when I can appreciate it more.
On the positive side I did learn a lot about Greek history and famous Greek figures and there were some very enjoyable chapters. A lot of the chapters were retellings or adaptations from original sources, giving the book a lot of credibility.
I might have personally enjoyed this book more if I had the same level of interest and knowledge of Greek history as I have of Roman and this might be a book I return to in time when I can appreciate it more.
April 21, 2022
4 stars /
88%
A really good delve into the everyday world of the Ancient Greeks. It followed a similar structure to 24 Hours in Ancient Rome but was a little looser with detail. I can only assume this is because we have a lot less evidence about the Athenian Empire than we do about the Romans. All the same I learnt a lot, but it wasn't quite as good as its predecessor.
Absolutely worth a read.
88%
A really good delve into the everyday world of the Ancient Greeks. It followed a similar structure to 24 Hours in Ancient Rome but was a little looser with detail. I can only assume this is because we have a lot less evidence about the Athenian Empire than we do about the Romans. All the same I learnt a lot, but it wasn't quite as good as its predecessor.
Absolutely worth a read.
June 1, 2022
Livre docu-fiction très bien écrit et accessible. Je l'ai lu pendant mes vacances en Grèce (notamment Athènes) et je le recommande si vous en avez l'occasion. En effet les musées et sites archéologiques sont plutôt avares en informations concernants les athéniens et leurs habitudes.
L'auteur y glisse habilement de nombreuses références bibliographiques d'époque et ça donne envie de s'y plonger. N'hésitez pas si vous êtes curieux de la période. Ce livre est une très bonne porte d'entrée.
L'auteur y glisse habilement de nombreuses références bibliographiques d'époque et ça donne envie de s'y plonger. N'hésitez pas si vous êtes curieux de la période. Ce livre est une très bonne porte d'entrée.
February 14, 2021
“Niektorí zajatci nižšej triedy sú zruční remeselníci - dajú sa kúpiť a zamestnať v dielni. V tom prípade otrok pracuje tak ako iní remeselníci, s tou výnimkou, že raz týždenne prichádza do dielne jeho majiteľ a vezme si podstatnú časť jeho zárobkov. Otrok sa zvyčajne motivuje tým, že keď týmto spôsobom vyplatí dopredu dohodnutú sumu, získa slobodu.”
Takéto a množstvo iných zaujímavostí ponúka táto kniha. Niektoré kapitoly boli zaujímavé menej, niektoré viac, napr. témy manželstva a vzťahov, homosexualita, otroctvo, morová epidémia, ale aj politické procesy a architektúra starovekých Atén. Všetky kapitoly sú doplnené o fotografie a rôzne faktografické odbočky, čo ma občas zaujalo viac ako samotné príbehy, ktoré boli do veľkej miery založené na skutočných udalostiach doplnené fikciou.
Takéto a množstvo iných zaujímavostí ponúka táto kniha. Niektoré kapitoly boli zaujímavé menej, niektoré viac, napr. témy manželstva a vzťahov, homosexualita, otroctvo, morová epidémia, ale aj politické procesy a architektúra starovekých Atén. Všetky kapitoly sú doplnené o fotografie a rôzne faktografické odbočky, čo ma občas zaujalo viac ako samotné príbehy, ktoré boli do veľkej miery založené na skutočných udalostiach doplnené fikciou.
October 22, 2023
A very informative book about life in ancient Athens and the daily habits of its citizens. Highly recommended
February 27, 2023
It hurts me to give a history book one star, but I personally did not find this entertaining at all, which is all on me. I was expecting a more clinical analysis of what daily life for the people of Ancient Athens would have been life, not stories with a cast of characters. While I know it was not, being as the author is a historian, at times this felt a lot like poorly written historical fiction. Again, that's one me; I'm sure if I'd bothered to read any of the reviews of this book before picking it up I would have realized it was not strictly the facts-only book I was looking forward to.
One thing I actually didn't like though, was the ending. No outro to sum up the things we've learned? It just ends like that? If you're gonna try and make history more accessible by turning it into a story the least you could do is give it a satisfying ending.
Again, though, this review is my fault; I should have looked into this book more before blindly assuming it was a series of essays.
One thing I actually didn't like though, was the ending. No outro to sum up the things we've learned? It just ends like that? If you're gonna try and make history more accessible by turning it into a story the least you could do is give it a satisfying ending.
Again, though, this review is my fault; I should have looked into this book more before blindly assuming it was a series of essays.
April 9, 2020
Third book in the series “24 hours in ancient [city]”, it is clear that the author knows a lot about the subject and it is obvious that he strives to make the information entertaining. I fear, however, that most of the historical background flies over the reader’s head and it is rather difficult to keep track of the different characters, some of them are related but most are not. I liked the chapters on the fig smuggler and the one on plague best. Personally I find that the first book, set in Rome, was more cohesive in tying the many storylines together and it remains the best book of the series IMO.
April 17, 2021
Absolutely love this series, such a great insight into the day to day of the normal folks in ancient times.
December 8, 2024
Cartea ne propune să fim martorii a 24 de întâmplări din Grecia antică, secolul V î.Hr., fix în timpul Războiul Peloponeziac (când Liga de la Delos, condusă de Atena se lupta cu Liga din Peloponez, condusă de Sparta și susținută financiar de Imperiul Persan); bineînțeles, avem câte o întâmplare pentru fiecare oră din zi, cu toate că la fel ca romanii antici, și grecii de atunci împărțeau noaptea și ziua în 12 părți egale, care variau în lungime în funcție de anotimp.
Aceste "ore din Grecia antică" sunt practic o urmare a cărții sale publicată anterior, cu același subiect și conformație despre o zi în Roma imperială, diferența fiind doar geografică. De aceea se poate cita lejer din recenzia de mai jos:
"Stilul este informativ, se bucură de o oralitate neacademică împotmolită în dictoane și ani enumerați sec, are un umor sănătos fără a deranja prin ubicuitate, iar singurul dezavantaj de remarcat ar putea fi lungimea modestă a operei. Erudiția autorului britanic este mai mult decât aparentă - dincolo de doctoratul obținut în istoria romană, se poate observa cu ochiul liber pasiunea acestuia pentru materialul publicat, pentru anticii pe care-i citează și pentru "știați-că"-urile cu care își condimentează ingenios interacțiunile dintre personaje. Trecutul său jurnalistic îl ajută foarte mult în comunicarea poveștilor, fie acestea și inventate, conversia profesională fiind foarte ridicată. În ciuda a tuturor acestor puncte pozitive, lucrarea de față nu este o operă de istorie profesională și serioasă (nu că ar fi prezentată în acest fel undeva), alegând ca public țintă o plajă mai largă de cititori, mai comercială și mai permisivă."
Aceste "ore din Grecia antică" sunt practic o urmare a cărții sale publicată anterior, cu același subiect și conformație despre o zi în Roma imperială, diferența fiind doar geografică. De aceea se poate cita lejer din recenzia de mai jos:
"Stilul este informativ, se bucură de o oralitate neacademică împotmolită în dictoane și ani enumerați sec, are un umor sănătos fără a deranja prin ubicuitate, iar singurul dezavantaj de remarcat ar putea fi lungimea modestă a operei. Erudiția autorului britanic este mai mult decât aparentă - dincolo de doctoratul obținut în istoria romană, se poate observa cu ochiul liber pasiunea acestuia pentru materialul publicat, pentru anticii pe care-i citează și pentru "știați-că"-urile cu care își condimentează ingenios interacțiunile dintre personaje. Trecutul său jurnalistic îl ajută foarte mult în comunicarea poveștilor, fie acestea și inventate, conversia profesională fiind foarte ridicată. În ciuda a tuturor acestor puncte pozitive, lucrarea de față nu este o operă de istorie profesională și serioasă (nu că ar fi prezentată în acest fel undeva), alegând ca public țintă o plajă mai largă de cititori, mai comercială și mai permisivă."
January 26, 2023
3.5/5 rounding down for Goodreads. Read over the course of a month or so in short chunks.
The book covers the daily life of quite a wide range of professions, roles, and other groups (the young, slaves etc). Each chapter covers a different group by following the life of a semi-fictional person. So it is a mix of the individual's story and the true facts of life that would be applicable to all people from that group, with some primary sources and subsections for wider context (such as biographies). It is focused on 416BC, a lull period in the Peloponnesian War where there was a ceasefire and with the backdrop of Athens preparing to invade Sicily. The writing is fine and accessible.
Personally though I enjoyed the author's '24 hours in Ancient Rome' a lot more. Some of that might just be liking the Roman Empire more than Ancient Greece but also I found the kinds of people covered in the Roman book to be more interesting. The Rome book also gave a lot more wider background and facts compared to this which focuses more on famous individuals.
The book covers the daily life of quite a wide range of professions, roles, and other groups (the young, slaves etc). Each chapter covers a different group by following the life of a semi-fictional person. So it is a mix of the individual's story and the true facts of life that would be applicable to all people from that group, with some primary sources and subsections for wider context (such as biographies). It is focused on 416BC, a lull period in the Peloponnesian War where there was a ceasefire and with the backdrop of Athens preparing to invade Sicily. The writing is fine and accessible.
Personally though I enjoyed the author's '24 hours in Ancient Rome' a lot more. Some of that might just be liking the Roman Empire more than Ancient Greece but also I found the kinds of people covered in the Roman book to be more interesting. The Rome book also gave a lot more wider background and facts compared to this which focuses more on famous individuals.
May 13, 2021
I simply love this „24 hours in...“ history book series. It puts you in the shoes of ordinary people living thousands years ago, only to make surprising discovery that they are closer to us than we’ve ever imagined. Despite lack of technology, they were equally smart, and dealt with the very same problems that everyday life brings. This one about ancient Athens is especially charming, as Athens had perhaps the highest density of geniuses per square kilometer living in the city at that time, who you could meet at any time in the streets or at the market. So if you ever wondered how it would feel to shake hand and have a small talk with Plato, Aristophanes or Euripides, this book is the best choice.
April 25, 2021
I've read these types of books before and I really enjoy them. A day, hour by hour, in the life of an ancient civilisation. Each hour lead by a different person, a different work person. These try and put us back into the times and real lives of people. How they lived. How hard their lives were (usually). In Ancient Athens life was run by the rolling festivals to various gods. Their whole lives were ruled by that; how you behaved in order for them to take good care of you (and not punish you). This wasn't the most readable book of this type that I've read but I think that that is more a reflection of me and my having very little previous knowledge of Ancient Greece. I need to read more!
April 29, 2024
I'm a fan in general of Matyszak's work. His books are always thoroughly researched but he writes in a manner that is accessible to non-scholars. Each of the book's 24 chapters describe an event or activity in Athens. Each chapter is deeply enrichened with copious amounts of context and detail. Many of the anecdotes and stories come from or are based on original Greek texts. And they're not the just the ones your average reader has heard of either. He draws from minor writers like Aelian and Antiphon in addition to Thucydides, Xenophon, Plato, and Plutarch.
October 22, 2024
Spend 24 hours in Ancient Athens and the people who lived there.
This was good but not what I was wanting it to be. I thought this would get more into the day-to-day lives of ordinary people living in a fascinating time in history. It was more about the famous people who lived in Ancient Athens- and occasionally brushed against the ordinary citizen. I did enjoy it, but I was wanting something more in-depth with the average person. I hear others are better though, so I’m willing to try another in the series.
This was good but not what I was wanting it to be. I thought this would get more into the day-to-day lives of ordinary people living in a fascinating time in history. It was more about the famous people who lived in Ancient Athens- and occasionally brushed against the ordinary citizen. I did enjoy it, but I was wanting something more in-depth with the average person. I hear others are better though, so I’m willing to try another in the series.
May 29, 2024
Pretty enjoyable reading. This book will give you an idea about the life of a sailor, a prostitute, a slave or how a wedding was held in Ancient Athens.
I liked how the author based the narration on stories found in ancient Greek masterpieces, such as the Lives of the Eminent Philosophers or the Symposium, but altered them by including other famous people or placing them somewhere else than the original place.
I liked how the author based the narration on stories found in ancient Greek masterpieces, such as the Lives of the Eminent Philosophers or the Symposium, but altered them by including other famous people or placing them somewhere else than the original place.
July 18, 2024
As with the author's book 24 Hours in Ancient Rome, this book features on a different character during each of the hours in a 24-hour period. The book is set before the Great Peloponnesian War, and we get some glimmerings from various characters of what is to come.
Unlike the book set in Rome, this one includes many more real characters from the time, which I found interesting. I enjoyed the book itself, and liked the mix of real and fictional characters.
Unlike the book set in Rome, this one includes many more real characters from the time, which I found interesting. I enjoyed the book itself, and liked the mix of real and fictional characters.
April 9, 2022
Not what i expected, but it gives us a general view of society. What they did and when.
It doesn't follow the story of just one person or group of persons, but each hour it gives us another perspective of life in Ancient Athens.
It doesn't follow the story of just one person or group of persons, but each hour it gives us another perspective of life in Ancient Athens.
July 6, 2023
This book was very fascinating. Some chapters slower than others but I definitely learned a lot and it kept me entertained. I wish I got to read this when I was taking my classes on Ancient Greece it would’ve helped a lot.
July 29, 2024
I enjoyed the historical information, but I was put off by the tone of some of the fictional episodes. The effort to portray people who did not write their own stories is interesting, but the author’s talents do not appear to lie with fiction. I think in future I’ll stick with histories that take a less hybrid approach or historical novels.
August 14, 2024
DNF: got 52% through before my library loan was up and don’t feel like waiting to keep reading it. It was an interesting book, almost a collection of short stories about different aspects of the common person in ancient Athens pulled from actual historical data but displayed in a fun manner. Definitely recommend if you like nonfiction and/or Greek history
August 28, 2024
4,5 zvaigznes. Šī man ir jau 3. grāmata sērijā, kurā iepazīstam kādu no senajām kultūrām, izejot cauri vienai dienai, kurā katru stundu nomainām fokusu uz kādu konkrētu cilvēku. Man, protams, atkal patika, tikai likās mazliet par daudz pieminēti jau zināmas vēsturiskas personības.
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