If ancient history is all Greek to you, then this is the lively and straighttalking guide you’ve been waiting for. From academics and athletes, wars and warriors, to Athens and epic empire building, Ancient Greeks For Dummiesintroduces you to the fascinating history and culture of ancient Greece. You’ll discover who the ancient Greeks were, where they came from, how they lived, and how their influence can still be felt around the world today.
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
How This Book Is Organised
Part I: Travelling Back in Time
Part II: Athens to Alexander: The Rise and Fall of Empires
Part III: Living a Greek Life
Part IV: Mythology, Religion, and Belief
Part V: The Part of Tens
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I: Travelling Back in Time
Chapter 1: When, Where, What, Who?
Meeting the Ancient Greeks
Understanding Why the Ancient Greeks Matter
Falling for all things ancient Greek
Noting the Greeks’ contributions
Meeting the People of Ancient Greece
Locating Ancient Greece
Separating the region
Touring the islands and beyond
Clarifying When It All Happened
Playing the dating game: BC or AD?
Figuring out dates for the ancient Greeks
Establishing chronology
Talking the Talk: Ancient Greek Language
Developing differences
Creating the Greek alphabet
Chapter 2: Encountering Prehistoric Civilisations:
The Minoans and Mycenaeans
Starting at the Beginning: The Minoan Civilisation
Organising the civilisation
Engaging in retail therapy
Trying to meet the mysterious Minoans
Mythologising the Minoans
Going out with a bang
Meeting the New Kids on the Block: The Mycenaeans
Separating Minoan and Mycenaean: Trade versus conquest
Burying the dead
Conspiring religion
Organising socially
Working for a living
Expanding in all directions
Chapter 3: Shedding Light on Ancient Greece’s Dark Ages
Surviving the Dorian Invasion
Travelling into a New (Dark) Age
Heading east
Going west
Chapter 4: Governing by Kings, Tyrants, and
(Eventually) Democrats
Shaping the New Societies
Meeting the ruling class
Introducing the new middle class
Surviving the Cycle of Tyranny
Kylon: Discovering that tyranny is harder than it looks
Drakon: Changing the rules
Enter Solon: A Man of the People
Making changes
Stepping out of the limelight
Bouncing Back to Tyranny
Peisistratos: Playing the system
Out, in, and back out again
Regrouping abroad
Enjoying the benefits of tyranny
Hippias: Tyranny as a family business
Getting to Know the Spartans
Growing up Spartan
Getting involved in Athens
Considering Kleisthenes: The Beginnings of Democracy
Reforming and reorganising
Taking small steps toward democracy
Challenging the new order
Chapter 5: Fighting and Warring: Greece Gets Heavy
Joining the Fight
Dressed to kill: Hoplites
Considering other troops
Getting tactical: Hoplite formations
Let battle commence
Living for Killing: The Spartans
Sink or Swim: At War on the Waves
Getting on board the Greek trireme
Meeting the crew
Being nautically tactical
Chapter 6: East versus West: The Persian Wars
Powering Up the Persians
Taking charge with Cyrus
Rebelling with the mainland: The Ionian revolt
Going the Distance: The Battle of Marathon
The battle: First blood to Athens
Athens hits the jackpot
Having Another Go: Greece versus Persia II
Regrouping in Greece
Heating up at Thermopylae and Artemision
Seeking safety in Salamis
Entering the endgame: The battle of Plataea
Fighting the forgotten battle – Mykale
Heralding the Real Winner: Athens
Part II: Athens to Alexander:
The Rise and Fall of Empires
Chapter 7: Athens and Empire Building
Establishing the Delian League: Athens Comes Out on Top
Let’s stick together
Adding another brick in the wall: Themistocles’s return
Expanding its Influence: The Delian League Goes into Action
Representing the Delian League – or the Athenian empire?
Extracting protection money
Pestering the Persians
Transforming the league into an empire
Taking all: Athens in control
Navigating Athenian Democracy
Getting organised
Participating in the ekklesia
Joining the boule
Meeting the VIPs: Very important politicians
Examining the Athenian Legal System
Meeting the legal players
Prosecuting cases
Determining the fitness of a witness
Trying a case
Chapter 8: Dealing with the Neighbours from Hell:
The Peloponnesian War
Engaging in the First Cold War
Sparta in the doldrums
Decision time in Athens
Enduring the first Peloponnesian War (460–446 BC)
Fighting the Main Event: The Second Peloponnesian War
Initiating a crisis in Kerkyra
Figuring out how to fight
Dealing with the plague
Responding to the Mytilenean revolt
Going international: A situation in Sicily
Putting up a fight for Pylos
Swaying the north-east cities: Brasidas
Brokering a precarious peace deal: Nikias
Complicating the mix: Argos and Alcibiades
Engaging in siege warfare in Melos
Attempting – again! – to take Sicily
Pondering the end of Athens
Chapter 9: Losing Their Way: The End of Classical Greece
Weathering Tough Times: Athens
Preying on Athens: Another round of Persian intrigue
Over-extending itself: Athens pesters Persia
Staging a coup in Athens
That’s the way the ‘coup’ crumbles
Wrapping Up the Peloponnesian War
Enduring great losses at Arginoussai
Running out of options
Bowing to the Spartans: Athens after the war
Winning at a cost: Sparta
Mounting Problems in the Persian Empire
Marching through the desert with Cyrus
Seeking support from Sparta
Waging the Corinthian War
Forging an alliance with Thebes
Everybody fighting everybody else .................................................122
Portending a dim future: Defeat at Lekhaion
Taking a breather – the King’s Peace (386 BC)
Forming the Athenian League
Figuring out the Battle of Leuktra: Greece versus Sparta – and Thebes wins!
Celebrating the Hegemony of Thebes
Dismantling the Athenian League
Signalling the end of classical Greece
Chapter 10: Rising Quickly to the Top: Macedonia
Meeting the Macedonians
Growing very good at war
Crowning a new kind of king: Philip II
Considering Macedonian warfare
Taking Over: Philip’s Successes
Continuing despite criticism
Agreeing to peace (sort of)
Invading everywhere except Athens
Battling in Chaeronea (338 BC)
Enjoying Prosperity at Pella
Taking Over the Family Business: The Rise of Alexander the Great
Slaying Philip
Separating the man and the myth
Following in his father’s footsteps
Quieting Illyria and Thrace
Squelching the Theban revolt
Chapter 11: Crowning the Undefeated Champion of the World:
Alexander the Great
Popping In on the Persian Empire
Spin versus Reality: The Reasons for Invasion
Overwhelming Persia at the battle of the Granicus River
Liberating the Greeks
Slipping by at the battle at Issus
Getting Tyre’d out
Taking a Surprising Turn: Alexander in Egypt
Walking like an Egyptian
Turning into a god
Founding the first Alexandria
Hunting Down Darius
Going into the Battle of Gaugamela
Meanwhile, back at home
Moving on to Babylon
Pressing further east
Taking a new queen
Making a passage to India
Suffering a defeat – and returning home
Returning to Babylon and Ruling the Empire
Creating a new master race
Contemplating the death of a god
Chapter 12: What Happened Next?
Having a Bad Heir Day: Alexander’s Successors
Auctioning off an empire
Revolting (again) in southern Greece
Ending democracy in Athens (322 BC)
Raising Hell: The Hellenistic Kingdoms
Developing dynastic struggles
Laying siege on Rhodes: Demetrius
Attending the greatest show on earth: Alexandria
Fading Away: The End of Ancient Greece
Meeting the Romans
Tangling with the Romans: Pyrrhus of Epirus
Clashing cultures: The Battle of Cynoscephalae
Becoming a Roman province
The last Greek hurrah
Living On: Rome and Beyond
Part III: Living a Greek Life
Chapter 13: Out in the Fields: Farming, Herding, and Travelling
Scratching a Living
Growing crops
Honouring Demeter, the friend of the farmer
Working the land
Following the herd
Hunting high and low
Growing Grapes and Making Wine
Getting Around in Ancient Greece
Going by horse
Burning sandals
Venturing into Poseidon’s realm: Travelling by sea
Fishing
Chapter 14: Home and Family
Appreciating the Household: The Oikos
Touring the typical Greek house
Meeting the extended family
Spending Time with the Women of Ancient Greece
Marrying and Divorcing
Getting hitched: It’s all about the money
Packing up and moving on
Starting Out in Life: Children
Clearing a difficult first hurdle: Birth
Getting an education
Examining Slavery
Defining a slave
Establishing the going rate for a slave
Dividing up the labour
Buying your freedom
Connecting with Alien Life: Metics
Chapter 15: Going About Daily Life in Ancient Greece
Biding Their Time: The Greek Calendar and Clock
Figuring out the day
Exploring the Athenian calendar
Working from dawn till dusk
Managing Your Money
Dining and Delighting
Enjoying a simple meal
Favouring fish
Sampling side orders
Cooking up a storm
Shopping for ingredients
Drinking It Up
Imbibing publically – and privately
Sipping at a symposium
Pondering Sex and the Ancient Greeks
Acknowledging the oldest profession
Contemplating homosexuality
Seeking Medical Assistance
Turning to the gods
Meeting the Father of Medicine: Hippocrates
Treating all manner of ills
Chapter 16: Plays and Pugilism: Enjoying
Ancient Greek Entertainment
Making Art Onstage: Greek Theatre
Getting in a festive mood
Touring the theatre
Acting up
Competing: And the winner is
Delving into tragedy: Tears and fate
Considering comedy: Sex and satire
Aristophanes: Old comic genius
Menander: ‘Alternative’ comedy
Extending to today: The influence of Greek theatre
Getting Physical: Athletics and the Olympic Games
Working out at the gym
Attending the original Olympic Games
Heralding the new Olympics
Chapter 17: Depicting Men, Women, and Gods in Art
Defining Greek Art
Surveying Greek Sculpture: Men with No Noses
Sculpting, old-school style
Analysing Archaic sculpture: Naked Egyptians
Contemplating Classical sculpture:
Even better than the real thing
Surveying Hellenistic sculpture: Art mirrors life
Inviting the Gods to Dinner: Greek Vase Painting
Getting into shape
Vase painting basics
Finding Beauty Elsewhere: Other Arts and Crafts
Getting dressed: Clothing
Looking sharp: Jewellery
Chapter 18: Building Beautiful Greek Architecture
Building for the Masses: Ancient Greek Temples
Appreciating the role of the temple
Going back to the temple’s beginnings
Evolving style: Three architectural orders
Constructing Temples
Bearing the cost
Selecting an architect
Making it happen: Building tools and techniques
Getting your message across through decoration
Building More than Temples
Agoras
Stoas
Stadiums and theatres
Part IV: Mythology, Religion, and Belief
Chapter 19: Going Back to the Beginning: Myths and Gods
Demystifying Myths
Passing on myths
Starting Out: Greek Creation Myths
Hesiod’s version
Other versions
Remembering the Titans
Bridging the gap between gods and man
Figuring out where it all went wrong
Putting the Gods in Their Place
Understanding the role of gods
Worshipping many
Defining the gods
Visiting Olympus – a home fit for the gods
Working like a god: Attributions and divine job descriptions
Separating fate from dumb luck
Mocking the gods
Meeting the Olympians: X-Rated Deities
Zeus, the king of the gods
Poseidon, the earth-shaker
Hades, the king of the dead
Hera, the queen of heaven
Hestia, the quiet one
Apollo, lord of the silver bow
Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual love
Ares, the god of war
Athena, the intelligent one
Artemis, the hunter
Hephaestus, the god of the forge
Hermes, the messenger god
Demeter, the life-giver
Dionysus, the god of good times
Transitioning from Greek to Roman
Chapter 20: Blending Myth and History:
Troy, Homer, and Heroes
Separating Myth and History
Mining the myth of the Trojan War
Figuring out the facts of Troy
Passing On – and Pumping Up – the Story of Troy: Homer
Sharing stories: The oral tradition
Doing battle: The Iliad
Returning home: The Odyssey
Meeting Other, Earlier Heroes
Heracles: A hard worker!
Theseus: Founder of Athens
Perseus: Medusa slayer
Jason: Leader of the Argonauts
Bellerophon: Mystery man
Where heroes go to die
Chapter 21: Practising Everyday Religion:
‘A God Put It in My Heart to Say’
Dying – In Theory and Practice
Venturing into the underworld: The mythological take
Dealing with the dead: Practicalities
Worshipping the Gods
Seeing the gods in person: Idols
When to worship
Having gods in your home
Sacrificing: Giving the gods gifts
Pondering and Predicting the Future
Consulting oracles
Looking to signs
Taking Oaths: ‘I Promise!’
Having Fun with the Gods: Festivals and Cults
Observing the religious year
Getting cultic: Swimming with pigs and other oddities
Chapter 22: Trying to Figure Everything Out: Greek Philosophy
Making the Case for Philosophy
Meeting the Early Greek Philosophers
Using their eyes: Thales and Anaximander
Pondering existence: Parmenides, Heraclitus,
Pythagoras, and others
Creating the ‘New Philosophy’ with Socrates
Talking with Socrates: Socratic dialogue
Getting better at being good
Selling philosophy: The sophists
Leaving Philosophy to the Professionals: Plato
Living in an ideal world: The Republic
Exploring the Theory of the Forms
Meeting the Man Who Knew Everything: Aristotle
Thinking scientifically
Checking out some of Aristotle’s greatest hits
Venturing into Aristotle’s Ethics
Moving On: Hellenistic Science and Beyond
Part V: The Part of Tens
Chapter 23: Ten Great Greek Inventions
Archimedes’s Inventions
The Railway
The Steam Engine
Vending Machines
Writing
History
Comedy
Money
Musical Notation
Democracy
Chapter 24: Ten Things to Read Next
The Iliad:Homer
The Odyssey:Homer
Oedipus the King:Sophocles
The Histories:Herodotus
Parallel Lives:Plutarch
Early Socratic Dialogues: Plato
The Ethics:Aristotle
Frogs:Aristophanes
The Idylls:Theocritus
The Romans For Dummies:Guy de la Bedoyere
Chapter 25: Ten Dodgy Ancient Greek Characters
Alcibiades (451–403 BC)
Odysseus
Pausanias (died circa 450 BC)
Demetrius (336–283 BC)
Theseus
Olympias (circa 370–316 BC)
Alexander the Great (356–323 BC)
Diogenes the Cynic (circa 412–321 BC)
Jason
Kleon of Athens (died 422 BC)
Chapter 26: Ten Great Places to Visit
The British Museum, London
The Acropolis, Athens
Knossos, Crete
Delphi
Olympia
A Greek Play
Samos or Another Greek Island
Google Images
The National Gallery, London
The Agora, Athens
Index