Democracy and Classical Greece

by John Kenyon Davies

The art of classical Greece, and its political and philosophical ideas, have had a profound influence on Western civilization. It was in the fifth and fourth centuries BC that this culture - material, political and intellectual - reached its zenith, and it is this period that is examined in this book. This text is part of the "Fontana History of the Ancient World" series that also includes "Early Greece" by Oswyn Murray.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Classics, Ancient History, Greece, Reference, European History

308 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

John Kenyon Davies, FBA, FSA (b. 1937) is a British classical historian and retired academic. Between 1977 and 2003, he was Rathbone Professor of Ancient History and Classical Archaeology at the University of Liverpool.

Reviews

[sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful primarily as a reference; Davies passes by issues particular to Athens (citizenship mostly) in order to provide a broader, sweeping overview of the whole Hellenistic Mediterranean. Occasionally it caught my interest and got fun—learning about Boetia, Syracusa, what posts made up Athenian democracy—but the level of detail also made it dense. Probably better to read it with a map.

[Mark Singer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief but detailed survey of Greek history from about 480 BCE up to 336 BCE. Davies manages to summarize the Greco-Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, other events in the area, and concludes with the rise of Macedonia. Includes maps, date chart, primary sources and a long list of further readings.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful for fourth century B.C. Greece, a little on the dry side, though.

[Rob Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and readable introduction - perfect for A-Level students or ab initio students at University.