A Companion to the Classical Greek World

Review

by Mark Cartwright
published on 26 January 2013

An excellent and comprehensive overview of the Greek world from the early 5th to late 4th century BCE. Divided into 27 chapters, each written by an expert in the field, all the major themes of Classical Greece are covered: politics, society, war, philosophy, colonies, economics and religion.

Written in an accessible way, it is suitable for general readers and students alike. Each chapter distills the subject into ten to twenty pages for a good summary of the past and current scholarly views. Every chapter suggests further reading and has a short bibliography. There is also an index (although largely resticted to people and places) and around 50 black and white photos and illustrations. As the book is organised along themes rather than chronology, this is perhaps best read as a reference work rather than straight through. It would have been nice to have had a few chapters on pottery, coins and architecture but, nevertheless, this is an excellent starting point to get the 'big picture' of Classical Greece. Thoroughly recommended.

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