Greek Civilization : An Introduction

"This is a survey of the world of classcial Greece, its origins and legacy. the book comprises 19 chapters, written by leading scholars from around the world. It covers all the major themes of Ancient Greek history .The book is organized into 4 main parts. It opens with a discussion of the natural environment of the Greek peninsula and the surrounding islands. The second part examines the history of Greece up to the end of antiquity. It moves from the prehistoric and protohistoric periods, through the era of the Bronze Age palace societies - including Knossos and Mycenae - surveying the thousand and more years until the transfer of the Roman Imperial court from Rome to Constantinople. The third and largest part of the book deals with different aspects of the classical period to give a kaleidoscopic picture of the most important elements of Greek life : the country, politics, religions, the spoken and written word, philosophy art,craftsmanship,and social behaviour. Finally the book surveys the legacy of classical Greece, assessing its impact for western civilization as a whole.344p. illus biblliographies,index (this copy ahs a few pages highlighted by a student)