Sumptuously illustrated in colour and packed with fascinating information, The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece is now available for the first time in a revised paperback edition. Offering fresh interpretations of classical Greek culture, the book devotes as much attention to social, economic, sexual and intellectual aspects as to politics and war. Paul Cartledge and his team ask what it was like for an ordinary person to partake in 'the glory that was Greece'. They examine the influences of the environment and economy; the effect of interstate tensions; the implications of sexuality; the experience of workers, soldiers, slaves, peasants and women; and the roles of myth and religion, art and culture, and science and education. This is a cultural history which reveals the far-reaching linguistic, literary, artistic and political legacy of ancient Greece, and seeks justification for Shelley's claim that 'we are all Greeks'.
- International team of nine experts
- Joint winner of the John D. Criticos Prize awarded by the London Hellenic Society
- Richly illustrated throughout in colour, with over 280 pictures and maps
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Awards
- Paul Cartledge is the joint winner of the 1998 John D. Criticos Prize awarded by the London Hellenic Society
Reviews & endorsements
'We can throw our hats in the air in welcoming this excellent addition to an already excellent series … Sumptuously illustrated and superbly informative illustrations and pictures surround the text on every page … As an introduction for the sophisticated adult reader and a powerful stimulus for the classicist, it is hard to see how this book could be bettered. At the price, it is a terrific bargain.' Peter Jones, The Sunday Telegraph
'This is a beautifully produced book, well worth its price. It succeeds in giving a well-rounded - indeed a holistic (in the tradition of Moses Finley) - introduction to ancient Greece and its culture.' Philip Warnock, The Times Higher Education Supplement
'Paul Cartledge has signed up a world-class team, who all appreciate that the visual material, both ancient and modern, must be integral to their subject, like the fruit in a cake, and not mere decoration.' Oliver Taplin
'… an unconventional, multifaceted, post-modern … contemporary and clear-sighted history of Classical Greece …'. Kathimerini
'A fine achievement … no one reading this book will fail to appreciate the complexity of ancient Greece as a society, a competitive, high-achieving, innovative world, based on exploitation and cruelty.' History Today
'The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece edited by Paul Cartledge, written by Paul and eight other world-class experts, considers ancient Greece in its widest context. It deals not only with politics and war, but with the environment, with people (men, women, children, slaves), with work and play, with performance and the visual arts, with philosophy and religion. The plentiful and relevant illustrations, fully and informatively captioned, bring each subject to vivid life, richly enhancing the reader's understanding of life in ancient Greece.' Classical Association News
A beautiful addition to the Cambridge Illustrated History series. Peter Krentz, Religious Studies Review
'This is an original and insightful work. Its authors have lucidly synthesized the results of a generation of creative scolarship, and restored the voices of many groups that were often left out of more traditional Greek histories.' Stanley Burnstein, The International History Review
'The book is a first-rate lesson in how to illustrate a publication well … This is a superb and enormously useful volume. At every turn, you find clarity about the whole picture mixed with fascinating detail, and the thematic approach works.' JACT
'This well illustrated glossy reference book will not only answer your questions as to what happened when and where and who the main players were in Ancient Greece, but also give an insight to the lives of the ordinary people …' Greek-o-File
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Product details
- Date Published: November 2002
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521521000
- length: 400 pages
- dimensions: 260 x 210 x 34 mm
- weight: 1.63kg
- contains: 170 b/w illus. 13 maps
- availability: Unavailable - out of print June 2015
Table of Contents
Introduction: The glory that was Greece? Paul Cartledge
Part I. The World of Greece:
1. History and tradition Paul Cartledge
2. Environment Sue Alcock
3. Peoples: who were the Greeks? Paul Cartledge, Intermezzo: historical outline Paul Cartledge
Part II. The Life of Greece:
4. Rich and poor Nick Fisher
5. Women, children and men Marilyn Katz
6. Power and the state Paul Cartledge
7. War and peace Paul Cartledge
8. Work and leisure Nick Fisher
9. Performance Edith Hall
10. Visual Arts Karim Arafat and Catherine Morgan
11. Philosophy and science Lesley Dean-Jones
12. Religion and myth Richard Buxton
Epilogue Paul Cartledge.
Editor
Paul Cartledge, University of Cambridge
Paul Cartledge is Reader in Greek History, and Fellow and Director of Studies at Clare College, University of Cambridge.
Contributors
Paul Cartledge, Sue Alcock, Nick Fisher, Marilyn Katz, Edith Hall, Karim Arafat, Catherine Morgan, Lesley Dean-Jones, Richard Buxton

Awards
- Paul Cartledge is the joint winner of the 1998 John D. Criticos Prize awarded by the London Hellenic Society