THE CLASSICAL GREEKS

The brilliance and glory of Greek civilization from the early fifth century B.C. to the rise of Alexander the Great--all masterfully illustrated here by renowned historian Grant through miniature biographies of leading figures, including Themistocles, Aeschylus, Pericles, Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato. The ideals and philosophies that constitute much of the heritage of Western civilization were incubated in the strife-torn Greek city-states during a remarkably brief period of time. Grant argues that it is best to interpret the history of fifth-century Greece ""by accepting that its outstanding deeds and thoughts were produced not by communities but by individuals."" After all, Grant's use of biographical sketches is itself a technique drawn from antiquity, e.g., Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. This period saw the defeat of the Persians, the disastrous Peloponnesian Wars, the building of the Parthenon, the trial of Socrates, the founding of the Academy, etc. The reader meets the ""Father of History,"" Herodotus; the creator of tragedy, Aeschylus; and the founder of medical science, Hippocrates. The volume also includes numerous maps and illustrations of Greek art and architecture. Once again, Grant provides a superb popular history--in this case, an introductory study intended as part of a trilogy that includes The Rise of the Greeks (1988) and From Alexander to Cleopatra (1982).