Ancient Greece and the origins of the Western Tradition.
Greece: the land, the light, the people.
The Indo-European invaders.
The Bronze Age Charioteers.
Homer and Troy
REQUIRED READING
Homer, Iliad, Book I
Partial copy will be provided to you.
RECOMMENDED READING
This is the best new introduction to the world of the ancient Greeks. Edith Hall takes you back to the beginning and then covers the whole Greek story through Alexander the Great. She is both a brilliant writer and an engaging lecturer. If you would like to see her lectures go to Youtube and look her up.
Edith Hall,
Introducing the Ancient Greeks: From Bronze Age Seafarers to Navigators of the Western Mind,
W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (June 16, 2014),
ISBN 0393239985
Reviews
“[Hall’s] book is a hearty, delightful voyage through 2,000 years of Greek history, written with wit and verve and deep insight.”
- Mark Gamin, Cleveland Plain Dealer
“In Edith Hall’s new and groundbreaking study of ancient Greek culture, society, and mentality over a millennium and more, from Agamemnon to Constantine, she acutely identifies and brilliantly explains why we simply cannot do without the ancient Greeks.”
- 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 in this introductory survey of the ancient Greeks and their enduring accomplishments.”
- Froma Zeitlin, Ewing Professor of Greek Language and Literature, emerita, Princeton University
“In this vivacious and learned book, Edith Hall distills the essence of Hellenic culture to discover the secrets of its success and stamina. Filled with striking anecdotes and little-known facts, this book will delight any student of the ancient Greek world.”
- Adrienne Mayor, Stanford University, and author of The Poison King
“Introducing the Ancient Greeks is 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, University of Pennsylvania
About the Author
Edith Hall is one of Britain’s foremost classicists, having held posts at the universities of Cambridge, Durham, Reading, and Oxford. She is the author and editor of more than a dozen works and now teaches at King’s College London.