Companion Archaic Greece - (Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World) by Kurt A Raaflaub & Hans Van Wees (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the Back Cover

Recent years have seen powerful developments in the study of archaic Greece, with the emergence of new areas of interest, new ways of thinking about old problems, radical new approaches to the sources, and new evidence. A Companion to Archaic Greece brings together the strands of these developments in a comprehensive survey of one of the most influential periods in Greek history.

The archaic age, c.750-480 BCE, witnessed the rise of cities and states, of social and economic structures, political, religious and military institutions and ideas, and cultural expressions which we see today as typically Greek. No less fascinating are the lesser-known institutions and ideas which were characteristically archaic and did not survive into the classical period.

In 31 chapters, this Companion systematically covers the literary and archaeological evidence for all regions of the Greek world and all aspects of archaic Greek society and culture, including their Mediterranean context and the impact of non-Greek cultures on their development. It will be a welcome introduction for undergraduate students and an invaluable reference tool for the professional historian.

Review Quotes

"For those interested in Classical Greece, this volume is an essential." (Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin, 11 December 2013)

"This is a varied, wide-ranging, stimulating and exciting volume which should open the way to even further investigations of archaic Greece." Bryn Mawr Classical Review, February 2011

"Offers an unprecedented range and depth of perspectives and material, much of which has been otherwise unavailable in English." Ancient West and East

About the Author

Kurt A. Raaflaub is David Herlihy University Professor and Professor of Classics and History, Royce Family Professor in Teaching Excellence (2005-8) and Director of the Program in Ancient Studies at Brown University. His recent publications include The Discovery of Freedom in Ancient Greece (2004), Social Struggles in Archaic Rome (Blackwell, 2005) and War and Peace in the Ancient World (Blackwell, 2006).

Hans van Wees is Professor of Ancient History at University College London. His publications include Status Warriors: War, Violence and Society in Homer and History (1992) and Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities (2004), and he has co-edited four volumes on archaic Greece, war and violence, and Herodotus.