The Birth of Classical Europe: A History from Troy to Augustine

by Simon Price, Peter Thonemann

Overview

An innovative and intriguing look at the foundations of Western civilization from two leading historians; the first volume in the Penguin History of Europe

The influence of ancient Greece and Rome can be seen in every aspect of our lives. From calendars to democracy to the very languages we speak, Western civilization owes a debt to these classical societies. Yet the Greeks and Romans did not emerge fully formed; their culture grew from an active engagement with a deeper past, drawing on ancient myths and figures to shape vibrant civilizations. 

In The Birth of Classical Europe, the latest entry in the much-acclaimed Penguin History of Europe, historians Simon Price and Peter Thonemann present a fresh perspective on classical culture in a book full of revelations about civilizations we thought we knew. In this impeccably researched and immensely readable history we see the ancient world unfold before us, with its grand cast of characters stretching from the great Greeks of myth to the world-shaping Caesars. A landmark achievement, The Birth of Classical Europe provides insight into an epoch that is both incredibly foreign and surprisingly familiar.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143120452
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/27/2011
Series:	The Penguin History of Europe
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	247,802
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Simon Price is a former lecturer at the University of Oxford, where he taught Greek and Roman history.
Peter Thonemann has taught Greek and Roman history at Wadham College, Oxford, since 2007.

Table of Contents

List of Figures vi

List of Maps x

List of Plates xiii

Acknowledgements xvii

Introduction 3

1 The Aegean World: Minoans, Mycenaeans and Trojans: C. 1750-1100 bc 11

2 The Mediterranean, the Levant and Middle Europe: 1100-800 bc 45

3 Greece, Phoenicians and the Western Mediterranean: 800-480 bc 77

4 Greece, Europe and Asia: 480-334 bc 113

5 Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World: 334-146 bc 145

6 Rome, Carthage and the West: 500-146 bc 175

7 Rome, Italy and Empire: 146 bc-ad 14 217

8 The Roman Empire: ad 14-284 257

9 The Later Roman Empire: ad 284-425 301

Further Reading 335

Date Chart 347

Index 357

Editorial Reviews

Price and Thonemann, both historians of ancient Greece and Rome (Price is currently at Oxford University, Thonemann taught there previously), have created a multidisciplinary study with emphasis on three themes: memory (including the ancient Greeks' and Romans' memory of their own past); communal identity as defined by the ancients; and changing definitions of what constitutes "Classical." The book is saved from excessive, and specialized, detail in its first half by the frequent use of well-placed vignettes that enliven the text with fascinating anecdotal background. Covering two millennia, the book begins with the myth of Europa, and the authors traverse the distance from the mysterious Minoans to the Greeks, with appropriate attention to Hellenism and on to the Romans of the early Latin kingdom, the republic, and the establishment of the empire. Maps, diagrams, building plans, and illustrations are used effectively, and the narrative becomes truly enjoyable in the book's second half, especially regarding the Roman settlement of Britain. A coda describing the later history of the Roman Empire wisely details the competition among religions and the extraordinary impact of militant belief on politics, culture, and civilization in the West. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly