Table of Contents
Acknowledgements viii
Introduction ix
Timeline xi
Things You Should Know 1
What makes Classical Athens so special? 2
What you should know about Athenian history 3
What Athens looks like 6
What life is like in the city 8
How the city is run 10
How religion works 11
What the 'family' means in ancient Greece 15
How slavery functions 16
What divides the wealthy from the poor? 18
How to get around Athens 18
How to get rid of waste 19
What to do about crime 20
What to do about germs 20
Other things to be aware of 21
How to survive without the Internet, email, or Twitter 22
Introduction to Your New Home 23
What your house looks like 23
Women and the Family 25
How men regard women 25
The kind of work that Greek women do 26
How women have to behave 27
How husbands treat their wives 30
How women give birth 33
How you treat your children 35
How you educate your children 36
What to do if you don't have any children 42
How a woman can beautify herself 43
Getting married 44
How to treat your domestic slaves 48
Pets 49
What it's like being elderly 49
Shopping 51
Where to shop 51
The life of a retailer 53
Food and Diet 55
What you'll eat 55
How to cook 56
Clothing and Appearance 57
What to wear 57
Work 59
What you'll think about having to work for a living 59
Types of work 60
How to learn a craft 60
Working conditions 61
The status of people who work 61
Health and Hygiene 63
Diseases that are rampant 63
Whether you should consult a physician if you fall sick 63
The sort of physical shape you're likely to be in 67
The age structure of Greek society 68
Social Structure 70
The divisions in Greek society 70
What it's like to be wealthy 71
What it's like to be poor 74
What's it like to be a slave 75
Athens' diversity 76
Politics 79
What being an Athenian citizen means 79
The political arena 81
Beliefs and Rituals 83
How to deal with death 83
What to expect in the Afterlife 89
The sort of gods you're going to believe in 90
How to get the gods on your side 94
What happens at a religious festival 98
Why you might want to consult an oracle 98
Relaxation and Entertainment 101
How to relax 101
How to keep fit 106
Public entertainment 108
War 111
What it's like to serve in the military 111
Casualties and veterans 116
Law and Order 120
How Athens is policed 120
Crime and criminality 120
Going to trial 121
Travel 123
Ways of travel 123
Where to stay when travelling 124
A Final Word of Advice 126
Testimonials 130
Hippocleia, an aristocratic Athenian girl 130
Phainarete, a widow 133
Diogenes, a politician 134
Autocrates, a victim of crime 137
Euthyphro, an aspiring philosopher 139
Sosippe, a Milesian call girl 141
Makareus, a blind beggar 143
Bion, an enslaved merchant from Ephesus 145
Memnon, a Spartan hoplite 147
Gnotho, a helot 148
Glossary 151
Credits 154
