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¿Por qué Grecia?
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263 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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About the author
Jacqueline de Romilly
89 books38 followersJacqueline Worms de Romilly (March 26, 1913-December 18, 2010) was a French philologist, Classical scholar and writer of fiction of Jewish ancestry.
Born in Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, she studied at the lycée Molière, where she was the winner of the Concours général de latin and took the second prize in Greek in 1930. She then prepared for the École Normale Supérieure at the lycée Louis-le-Grand. She entered ENS Ulm in the class of 1933. She then passed the agrégation of Classics in 1936, and became a doctor of letters in 1947.
After having taught for some time in a school, she became a professor first at the University of Lille and subsequently at the Sorbonne (from 1957 to 1973). She was then elevated to the chair of Greek and the development of moral and political thought at the Collège de France — the first woman nominated to this prestigious institution. In 1988, she was the second woman (after Marguerite Yourcenar) to enter the Académie française, being elected to Chair #7, previously occupied by André Roussin. In 1995, she obtained Greek nationality and in 2000 was nominated Ambassador of Hellenism by the Greek government.
She was at one time president of the Association Guillaume Budé, and remains the honorary president of that institution.
Born in Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, she studied at the lycée Molière, where she was the winner of the Concours général de latin and took the second prize in Greek in 1930. She then prepared for the École Normale Supérieure at the lycée Louis-le-Grand. She entered ENS Ulm in the class of 1933. She then passed the agrégation of Classics in 1936, and became a doctor of letters in 1947.
After having taught for some time in a school, she became a professor first at the University of Lille and subsequently at the Sorbonne (from 1957 to 1973). She was then elevated to the chair of Greek and the development of moral and political thought at the Collège de France — the first woman nominated to this prestigious institution. In 1988, she was the second woman (after Marguerite Yourcenar) to enter the Académie française, being elected to Chair #7, previously occupied by André Roussin. In 1995, she obtained Greek nationality and in 2000 was nominated Ambassador of Hellenism by the Greek government.
She was at one time president of the Association Guillaume Budé, and remains the honorary president of that institution.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 22, 2022
POR QUÉ GRECIA? (1997), was originally written in French by Jacqueline de Romilly, a French philologist, classical scholar and expert on Thucydides. She was the first woman nominated to the Collège de France, and in 1988, the second woman to enter the Académie Française.
This book is a really wonderful introduction to the culture of Classical Greece. Unfortunately, it has only been translated into Spanish and Greek, as far as I know.
De Romilly recognizes that one of Greece's significant legacies to the Western world was the production of the first true corpus of literature, so she analyzes those literary texts which are still influential today. She explains that in tragedies and in political science, in myth and in history, the Greek spirit strove towards universality, it aspired to understand humanity, all that is true for each one of us, at any time and in any place. Homer and Pindar, Athens, its democracy and political science, the invention of History (Herodotus and Thucydides), tragedy and philosophy are examined closely in order to help the reader understand why this legacy was so unique, extraordinary and influential.
Though it was required reading for a class I took about Classical Greek culture in university, this book is not overly academic. It is truly accessible to all kinds of readers.
This book is a really wonderful introduction to the culture of Classical Greece. Unfortunately, it has only been translated into Spanish and Greek, as far as I know.
De Romilly recognizes that one of Greece's significant legacies to the Western world was the production of the first true corpus of literature, so she analyzes those literary texts which are still influential today. She explains that in tragedies and in political science, in myth and in history, the Greek spirit strove towards universality, it aspired to understand humanity, all that is true for each one of us, at any time and in any place. Homer and Pindar, Athens, its democracy and political science, the invention of History (Herodotus and Thucydides), tragedy and philosophy are examined closely in order to help the reader understand why this legacy was so unique, extraordinary and influential.
Though it was required reading for a class I took about Classical Greek culture in university, this book is not overly academic. It is truly accessible to all kinds of readers.
June 30, 2021
An eloquent ode to (5th-century) Hellenism, though some of the modern-day analogies are perhaps a tad problematic and out of fashion. The most spectacular passages occur in the author’s discussion of Thucydides’ "History of the Peloponnesian War", which is to be expected. The ground is perhaps most unstable around the traditional neat lines from the philosophy of Socrates/Plato to that of Aristotle, of the Neoplatonists, of Christian thinkers in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, as the Greek universality thesis darts around the place and zooms out whenever convenient. It is pertinent to remember that a claim to universality does not by itself constitute universalism.
Concerning the problematic modern-day analogies, some elements need to be outlined. By enjoining the Greek “love of freedom” to “Western liberalism”, in contrast to the now-outdated trope of “Oriental despotism” which binds “authoritarian Persians” to the “Eastern” absolutisms of the twentieth century, such as that of “Kadhafi ou Khomeyni, Assad ou Saddam Hussein”, or “la dictature personnelle, le stalinisme ou l’intégrisme”, the authoress takes a number of liberties and risks conflating the entire “Western tradition” with one of tolerance. The ideological roots of Stalinism do not lie in the east, but in Trier, Germany. Ideas around Orientalism need not be further developed here, one need only consider the problematic representations of "free" Greeks and "slave" Persians in Zack Snyder’s "300".
The more salient components of Greek and specifically Athenian democratic culture are only addressed in the book’s conclusion, such as its reliance on slavery, exclusionary democratic politics, imperialist atrocities, conquests and so on. While the authoress then defends the ideas formulated by the Greeks (read mostly Athenian), such as tolerance, the hatred of war and violence, political freedom and so on, one might argue that a greater point is to be made in terms of how these ideas are employed despite the reality of events which would appear to contradict them. In other words, the Athenians very often said one thing and did another in the scope of their imperial project. This is perhaps the true heritage of the classical world for later nations, empires and intellectuals, that is to say, the justifications for and ideologies behind all kinds of deeds. The book concludes with a reference to Pericles’ oration in Thucydides, which claims that Athens is an “education” (paideusis) for the rest of Greece. While the culture of Athens is to be intellectually celebrated, one must also read into the implications of this kind of message, which posits Athens’ imperial influence as a “civilising” force in the Greek world. How is this cultural superiority spread on a practical level? Conquest, and similar tropes and justifications are to be found in imperial and colonial projects across history.
Concerning the problematic modern-day analogies, some elements need to be outlined. By enjoining the Greek “love of freedom” to “Western liberalism”, in contrast to the now-outdated trope of “Oriental despotism” which binds “authoritarian Persians” to the “Eastern” absolutisms of the twentieth century, such as that of “Kadhafi ou Khomeyni, Assad ou Saddam Hussein”, or “la dictature personnelle, le stalinisme ou l’intégrisme”, the authoress takes a number of liberties and risks conflating the entire “Western tradition” with one of tolerance. The ideological roots of Stalinism do not lie in the east, but in Trier, Germany. Ideas around Orientalism need not be further developed here, one need only consider the problematic representations of "free" Greeks and "slave" Persians in Zack Snyder’s "300".
The more salient components of Greek and specifically Athenian democratic culture are only addressed in the book’s conclusion, such as its reliance on slavery, exclusionary democratic politics, imperialist atrocities, conquests and so on. While the authoress then defends the ideas formulated by the Greeks (read mostly Athenian), such as tolerance, the hatred of war and violence, political freedom and so on, one might argue that a greater point is to be made in terms of how these ideas are employed despite the reality of events which would appear to contradict them. In other words, the Athenians very often said one thing and did another in the scope of their imperial project. This is perhaps the true heritage of the classical world for later nations, empires and intellectuals, that is to say, the justifications for and ideologies behind all kinds of deeds. The book concludes with a reference to Pericles’ oration in Thucydides, which claims that Athens is an “education” (paideusis) for the rest of Greece. While the culture of Athens is to be intellectually celebrated, one must also read into the implications of this kind of message, which posits Athens’ imperial influence as a “civilising” force in the Greek world. How is this cultural superiority spread on a practical level? Conquest, and similar tropes and justifications are to be found in imperial and colonial projects across history.
November 28, 2024
Muy buena síntesis de la cultura griega antigua, sus iconos y sus particularidades, un gran estudio de lo que la hace tan apasionante y especial, y sobre todo en como sus contribuciones aún afectan nuestro pensamiento colectivo incluso de manera inconsciente.
July 24, 2022
Ce livre de Jacqueline de Romilly est difficile par endroits, touffu à d'autres, érudit bien sûr, magnifique à d'autres passages.
L'auteur souhaitait se mettre au clair sur cette civilisation à laquelle elle a consacré sa vie entière. Et avec quel talent !
Le bilan qu'elle dresse de l'unicité de la culture grecque reste néanmoins particulièrement convaincant et bien sûr éblouissant.
L'auteur souhaitait se mettre au clair sur cette civilisation à laquelle elle a consacré sa vie entière. Et avec quel talent !
Le bilan qu'elle dresse de l'unicité de la culture grecque reste néanmoins particulièrement convaincant et bien sûr éblouissant.
July 8, 2023
Great title, even if I was misled by it. You see, I was looking for a book explaining why ancient Greece rose so high when it did, why Greece and not China, Egypt etc. Perhaps my question does not make sense, and anyway, it is not answered by this book (except perhaps a tiny little bit in the conclusion).
No. This book is about why Greece has had the influence it had on the Western world, which is not quite the same thing.
But anyway, it is an enlightening read even for someone like me who has not studied ancient Greece.
This is not an easy read, not only because much of the assumed references to 'common' knowledge inevitably went over my head but also because of the writing style, which is quite indirect and academic; the author probably assumes too much of its reader.
As pointed out by others, the lack of mention of mathematics and pre-science progress and ideas is more than peculiar. It is totally bonkers. I understand that it is not easy to be a master of such a vast body of materials as provided by the ancient Greeks, but nevertheless, the author appears totally blind on one side. In the same way, I should have paid more attention in history classes, de Romilly should have paid more attention in mathematics classes. It is even more baffling when you consider her argument of simplicity and universality led them to establish the notion of mathematical proof (no less), which would have brought much more wind to her sail, given our societies based on techne (rather than on the beauty of words).
I shall now endeavour to complete my knowledge of ancient Greece using more traditional, bu perhaps less lyrical, history books.
No. This book is about why Greece has had the influence it had on the Western world, which is not quite the same thing.
But anyway, it is an enlightening read even for someone like me who has not studied ancient Greece.
This is not an easy read, not only because much of the assumed references to 'common' knowledge inevitably went over my head but also because of the writing style, which is quite indirect and academic; the author probably assumes too much of its reader.
As pointed out by others, the lack of mention of mathematics and pre-science progress and ideas is more than peculiar. It is totally bonkers. I understand that it is not easy to be a master of such a vast body of materials as provided by the ancient Greeks, but nevertheless, the author appears totally blind on one side. In the same way, I should have paid more attention in history classes, de Romilly should have paid more attention in mathematics classes. It is even more baffling when you consider her argument of simplicity and universality led them to establish the notion of mathematical proof (no less), which would have brought much more wind to her sail, given our societies based on techne (rather than on the beauty of words).
I shall now endeavour to complete my knowledge of ancient Greece using more traditional, bu perhaps less lyrical, history books.
September 14, 2025
Un essai vraiment lumineux où Jacqueline de Romilly se concentre sur le siècle de Périclès (le Vème avant JC), avec des incursions, avant cela, dans Homère et Pindare, pour souligner ce qui, de la poésie à la philosophie, en passant par la tragédie et la politique, a fait la spécificité de la pensée à Athènes, l'a l'a fait parvenir jusqu'à nous et assure son rayonnement incomparable : l'élan vers l'universel. Les héros grecs sont peu particuliers, ils n'ont pas de détails, ils pourraient être de tous les temps et de tous les pays ; Thucydide a observé les phénomènes historiques en essayant de dégager les lois générales ; ce rattachement à l'universel était aussi le rôle du Choeur dans la tragédie. Intérêt pour l'universel, et aussi pour l'humain : les tragédies saisissent les héros des mythes non au moment de leurs exploits, mais à des moments de leur vie où ils sont plus fragiles et confrontés à des dilemmes humain. Des liens extraordinaires sont faits entre les domaines : c'est l'amour de la démocratie, du débat, qui, en poussant à développer un art de la conviction et de l'argumentation, a suscité la philosophie. Et le tout, avec un grand amour de la vie, sans quoi (c'est moi qui ajoute) tout cela serait peut-être resté à l'état de parchemins tout gris... Ceux qui ont fait des études grecques classiques auront le bonheur de voir tracer des perspectives et des liens inattendus entre des sujets qu'ils connaissaient ; ceux qui, comme moi, n'ont pas eu cette chance, en sortiront avec l'heureuse illusion d'y connaître quelque chose.
November 15, 2025
In „Pourquoi la Grèce“? stellt die legendäre Gräzistin Jacqueline de Romilly (1913 - 2010) – erste Frau am Collège de France und als „Unsterbliche“ der Académie française eine Hüterin der griechischen Seele – ihre provokante Titelfrage nur, um sie mit unübertroffener Autorität und Eloquenz selbst zu beantworten. Es ist ein leidenschaftliches, gelehrtes Plädoyer gegen das moderne Vergessen der Antike. Romilly zeigt, dass Griechenland kein museales Fossil ist, sondern der lebendige Ursprung unserer zentralen Konzepte: Demokratie, Freiheit, kritisches Geschichtsdenken (ihre große Liebe: Thukydides) und rationaler Diskurs. Dieses Buch ist ihre ultimative Verteidigungsschrift – und legt offen, dass die Frage „Warum Griechenland?“ letztlich bedeutet: „Warum wir selbst?“.
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August 31, 2025Remarquable développement de Jacqueline de Romilly pour répondre à la question : Pourquoi la Grèce? Pourquoi le Vème siècle avant JC a-t-il tellement influencé le monde ? Pourquoi les textes de la Grèce antique continuent d'influencer la culture européenne ? En effet, l'héritage grec, fondé sur l'aspiration à l'universel, est devenu l'esprit même de notre civilisation occidentale.
February 2, 2017
<< La Grèce [Antique] n'a rien inventé d'aussi direct et affectif que l'amour chrétien englobant toutes les créatures au nom du message du Christ ; mais son aspiration à l'universel lui a fait trouver dans la commune qualité d'hommes la source d'une communication fraternelle ; ayant conscience d'être homme, en effet, on se "met à la place" des autres hommes. Et, de même que l'universalité des idées chez Platon se fait pôle d'attraction et objet de joie ou de désir, de même l'universalité des situations humaines, à laquelle renvoie toujours la pensée grecque, devient source de sympathie et de tolérance à l'égard des autres hommes.>>
November 7, 2016
Wy does literature of Ancient Greece still influence the culture of the western world?
Some of the answers in this little book.
Some of the answers in this little book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews