Ancient Greece: A Political, Social and Cultural History

Written by four leading authorities on the classical world, Ancient Greece, Second Edition, introduces students to the history and civilization of ancient Greece in all its complexity and variety. A comprehensive history, this captivating study covers the entire period from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic Era, integrating the most recent research in archaeology, comparative anthropology, and social history with a traditional yet lively narrative of political, military, cultural, economic, and diplomatic history. Using physical evidence from archaeology, the written testimony of literary texts and inscriptions, and anthropological models based on comparative studies, Ancient Greece, Second Edition, offers an account of the Greek world that is thoughtful and sophisticated yet accessible to students with little or no knowledge of Greece. The book is enhanced by text boxes featuring excerpts from ancient documents, an extensive glossary, and a timeline and general introduction that provide a bird's-eye view of Greek history.

Revised and updated throughout, the second edition features:

* More in-depth coverage of such social and cultural topics as women and family life, material culture, religion, law, homosexuality, slavery, athletics, and life in the countryside
* A revised art program that includes a new 8-page full-color photo insert, 125 black-and-white photographs (55 of them new), 15 line drawings, and 17 new and improved custom-drawn maps
* Key terms--in boldface type when they first appear in the text and listed at the end of each chapter
* Selective, up-to-date recommendations for further reading