Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Olynthus, an ancient city in northern Greece, was preserved in an exceptionally complete state after its abrupt sacking by Phillip II of Macedon in 348 B.C., and excavations in the 1920s and 1930s uncovered more than a hundred houses and their contents. In this book Nicholas Cahill analyzes the results of the excavations to reconstruct the daily lives of the ancient Greeks, the organization of their public and domestic space, and the economic and social patterns in the city.
Cahill compares the realities of daily life as revealed by the archaeological remains with theories of ideal social and household organization espoused by ancient Greek authors. Describing the enormous variety of domestic arrangements, he examines patterns and differences in the design of houses, in the occupations of owners, and in the articulations between household and urban economies, the value of land, and other aspects of ancient life throughout the city. He thus challenges the traditional view that the Greeks had one standard household model and approach to city planning. He shows how the Greeks reconciled conflicting demands of ideal and practice, for instance between egalitarianism and social inequality or between the normative roles of men and women and roles demanded by economic necessities.
The book, which is extensively illustrated with plans and photographs, is supported by a Web site containing a database of the architecture and finds from the excavations linked to plans of the site.
Synopsis
Olynthus, in Northern Greece, provides an excellent case study for exploring the ideals and realities of the Greek city since its occupation was short lived, lasting only three generations, and it was not re-occupied and subjected to later building. Nicholas Cahill utilises archaeological evidence excavated from the city in the 1920s and 1930s and compares it to literary references on subjects such as the planning and design of the city, its houses, the organisation of public and private space, the economy and social activities of the city and the lives of its inhabitants. He concludes by challenging the traditional view that the Greeks had a single, standard model and approach to the household and city planning.
Synopsis
Olynthus, one of the best-preserved ancient Greek cities, was excavated in the 1920s and 1930s, revealing more than a hundred houses and their exceptionally complete contents. In this copiously illustrated book, Nicholas Cahill analyzes this archaeological information and provides important new insights into the daily lives of the ancient Greeks, the organization of their public and domestic space, and the economic and social patterns in Olynthus.