The Greeks: A Global History

Beaton, Roderick

ISBN 10: 1541618297 / ISBN 13: 9781541618299

Published by Basic Books, 2021

About this Item

More than two thousand years ago, the Greek city-states, led by Athens and Sparta, laid the foundation for much of modern science, the arts, politics, and law. But the influence of the Greeks did not end with the rise and fall of this classical civilization. In The Greeks, historian Roderick Beaton reveals how over three millennia, Greek speakers have produced a series of remarkable civilizations whose impact has been felt across the globe. In every era, Beaton reveals, Greeks have reinvented themselves, fighting different enemies, trading with different partners, worshipping different gods, and even calling themselves by different names. The Bronze Age Mycenaeans built powerful fortresses at home and strong trade routes abroad. During the Hellenistic period, the competing city-states of the classical world were united under the control of the powerful, Greek-speaking Alexander the Great, whose dramatic Eurasian conquests transformed Greek into a world language. It was in Greek that the foundational texts of the Christian religion were first written. Later, the pious Greeks of the Byzantine Empire built a far-reaching, monotheistic civilization that for nearly a thousand years was the envy of the West. Today the Greek diaspora flourishes on five continents, and the rich cultural heritage of classical Greece thrives around the world. The product of decades of research, this is the sweeping and enthralling story of the Greeks told as never before. Basic Books, Hardcover, 1st Edition, 1st Printing, 2021 THIS IS A BRAND NEW BOOK.

Seller Inventory # 002418

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Greeks: A Global History
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1541618297
• ISBN 13: 9781541618299
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: New
• Dust Jacket Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

A sweeping history of the Greeks, from the Bronze Age to today.

“With suave latitude and dependable detail, Beaton takes his readers from a bright prehistoric ‘dawn’ in the Aegean to the heavy skies of contemporary geo-politics.” ―The New Criterion

More than two thousand years ago, the Greek city-states, led by Athens and Sparta, laid the foundation for much of modern science, the arts, politics, and law. But the influence of the Greeks did not end with the rise and fall of this classical civilization. As historian Roderick Beaton illustrates, over three millennia Greek speakers produced a series of civilizations that were rooted in southeastern Europe but again and again ranged widely across the globe.

In The Greeks, Beaton traces this history from the Bronze Age Mycenaeans who built powerful fortresses at home and strong trade routes abroad, to the dramatic Eurasian conquests of Alexander the Great, to the pious Byzantines who sought to export Christianity worldwide, to today’s Greek diaspora, which flourishes on five continents. The product of decades of research, this is the story of the Greeks and their global impact told as never before.

“In this magisterial yet readable introduction to Greek history―one of the best of its kind, whether for academic or popular audiences―Beaton reveals the far more complicated reality.” ―Foreign Affairs

About the Author

Roderick Beaton is an Emeritus Professor at King’s College London and Commander of the Order of Honor of the Hellenic Republic. His previous book, Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation, was shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize. He is the four-time winner of the prestigious Runciman Award and lives in Kent, England.