Athens - Hardcover

McGregor, James H. S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674047729 ISBN 13: 9780674047723

Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 2014

Synopsis

Revered as the birthplace of Western thought and democracy, Athens is much more than an open-air museum filled with crumbling monuments to ancient glory. Athens takes readers on a journey from the classical city-state to today’s contemporary capital, revealing a world-famous metropolis that has been resurrected and redefined time and again.

Although the Acropolis remains the city’s anchor, Athens’ vibrant culture extends far beyond the Greek city’s antique boundaries. James H. S. McGregor points out how the cityscape preserves signs of the many actors who have crossed its historical stage. Alexander the Great incorporated Athens into his empire, as did the Romans. Byzantine Christians repurposed Greek temples, the Parthenon included, into churches. From the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, the city’s language changed from French to Spanish to Italian, as Crusaders and adventurers from different parts of Western Europe took turns sacking and administering the city. An Islamic Athens took root following the Ottoman conquest of 1456 and remained in place for nearly four hundred years, until Greek patriots finally won independence in a blood-drenched revolution.

Since then, Athenians have endured many hardships, from Nazi occupation and military coups to famine and economic crisis. Yet, as McGregor shows, the history of Athens is closer to a heroic epic than a Greek tragedy. Richly supplemented with maps and illustrations, Athens paints a portrait of one of the world’s great cities, designed for travelers as well as armchair students of urban history.

About this title

About the Author

James H. S. McGregor is Emeritus Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Georgia.

Reviews

The fifth century BCE is often referred to as the golden age of ancient Greek civilization. In truth, it should more properly be considered the golden age of Athens, where icons of Western civilization, including Socrates, Euripides, Sophocles, and the sculptor Phidias, held sway. Naturally, visitors to Athens are initially drawn to the Acropolis and the gleaming jewel of the Parthenon, which loom over the old city center. But contemporary Athens and Athenians are heir to a far more lengthy, diverse, and rich heritage than just that golden age. McGregor, emeritus professor of comparative literature at the University of Georgia, uses a chronological approach to paint a vivid and engaging portrait of the city and its inhabitants from the preclassical period to the development of Athens as a modern metropolis. McGregor pays the necessary tribute to the classical heritage, but he also sheds light on aspects of the Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern periods, and he deftly shows both the elements of continuity and the breaks with the past. The result is a well-deserved tribute to a great city. --Jay Freeman

Edition details

• Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674047729
• ISBN 13: 9780674047723
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256