Introducing the Ancient Greeks - Hardcover

Edith Hall

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1847922589 ISBN 13: 9781847922588

Publisher: Vintage Digital, 2015

Synopsis

Who were the ancient Greeks? They gave us democracy, philosophy, poetry, rational science, the joke. But what was it that enabled them to achieve so much?

The ancient Greeks were a geographically disparate people whose civilization lasted over twenty centuries – and that made us who we are today. And here Edith Hall gives us a revelatory way of viewing this scattered people, identifying ten unique personality traits that she shows to be unique and central to the widespread ancient Greeks.

Hall introduces a people who are inquisitive, articulate and open-minded but also rebellious, individualistic, competitive and hedonistic. They prize excellence above all things but love to laugh. And, central to their identity, they are seafarers whose relationship with the sea underpins every aspect of their society.

Expertly researched and elegantly told, this indispensable introduction unveils a civilization of incomparable richness and a people of astounding complexity.

About this title

About the Author

Edith Hall is one of Britain’s foremost classicists, having held posts at the universities of Royal Holloway, Cambridge, Durham, Reading, and Oxford. She is the author and editor of more than a dozen works on the ancient world. She teaches at King’s College London and lives in Gloucestershire.

Review

“[Hall’s] insights into cultural history can be penetrating and acute. . . . [She] is an engaging writer and an acute scholar.”
- James Romm, Wall Street Journal

“New and groundbreaking.”
- Paul Cartledge, A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture, University of Cambridge, and the author of The Greeks: A Portrait of Self and Others

“Edith Hall’s characteristically original approach to the world of classical antiquity is on full display. . . . Hall will accompany the reader on a voyage of both pleasure and discovery.”
- Froma Zeitlin, Ewing Professor of Greek Language and Literature, emerita, Princeton University

“Vivacious and learned. . . . Filled with striking anecdotes and little-known facts, this book will delight any student of the ancient Greek world.”
- Adrienne Mayor, Stanford University, author of The Poison King

“A superb introduction, informative and inspiring. With deep expertise and unabashed enthusiasm, Edith Hall surveys the whole history of the ancient Greeks and pinpoints the shared traits that explain their enduring achievements.”
- Sheila Murnaghan, professor of classics studies and Alfred Reginald Allen Memorial Professor of Greek at the University of Pennsylvania

“A hearty, delightful voyage through 2,000 years of Greek history, written with wit and verve and deep insight.”
- Mark Gamin, Cleveland Plain Dealer

Edition details

• Publisher: Vintage Digital
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1847922589
• ISBN 13: 9781847922588
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336