Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece

I hoovered this up over the course of a few days as background reading for Mary Renault's excellent fictionalisations of the era. Great maps, useful timelines, a knack for storytelling, and best of all a sensitivity for the supporting evidence - Waterfield is always clear about when he is inferring from scant evidence. Everything is well referenced and clear. Not just a run through of the great and the good, Waterfield also deals with the everyday lives of the polloi. A stimulating, interesting, and educational read!

I thought that I knew a lot about Greek history, having read the major historians and sources. Reading Robin Waterfield was an almost existential experience for me rediscovering my own culture under completely innovative narratives.The book is written with passion and love but also in a very objective way. Dark sides of the Greek history are put together with the most luminous aspects of this civilization. Greece, along with Israel and Rome is of the pillars of the Western civilization. A deep knowledge of all three is a necessity for modern westerners. Robin Waterfield’s book is a major contribution to the self knowledge of the West.Aristotelis GavriliadisBrussels

The dust jacket describes the author Robin Waterfield as "an independent scholar", which presumably means he does not hold an academic tenure. However seeing the list of his previous publications presented opposite the title page, including two previous histories on the post-Alexander period and the Roman conquest of Greece respectively, and nearly a score of translations of Greek histories and literature, it is clear that he is steeped in the sources.Structured as partly narrative history and partly thematic chapters on subjects including politics, economics, religion, and family life, it covers a time span from the Archaic period through the 'Classical' period and thence to the downfall of the last of the Hellenistic kingdoms. Throughout there is something of a focus on what the Greeks had in common and how they differed.Necessarily in covering over seven centuries the narrative proceeds at a considerable pace and detail can be limited - for example at the end with the conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, the discussion of Cleopatra VII, Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Octavian fills just over half a page, but it's a judicious balance shown by the author to not let such more well known events overshadow the totality of ancient Greek history.Pitched at a general reader or possibly beginning undergraduate level, this is a good introduction to and overview of the period.

I think this is the clearest and best overview of greek history in a single volume. As well as the narrative it provides a good introduction to key themes across the periods. Would thoroughly recommend.

The key objective of this book is to give an accessible and up to date history of the ancient Greeks. Waterfield reminds us that Greece was then made up of many peoples, living in several city states (towns). Other 'Greeks' were scattered around the Mediterranean coastlines and the Black Sea. In all there were more than one thousand of these states. There was no shared homeland and one gave your loyalty to your state. Hence you were not a Greek your were, for example,an Athenian of a Spartan. Often they fought each other. Their political cultures motivated them and governed their behaviour.The library shelves are weighed down with histories of the ancient Greeks so why another? The author says because new information and current conceptions make it necessary. For example, new archaeological data have shone light on the era and environmental history has progressed. New social science models has cast new light on old knowledge. A good example is Spartan society about which our knowledge has altered significantly. Alexander the Great's character and achievements has also been reassessed. The author breaks with tradition by covering all three of the major periods of Ancient Greek history-archaic, classical, and hellenistic, rather than stop at the end of the fourth century after the Greeks became subject to the Macedonians. Sources for these three periods are uneven, the first one is particularly short of reliable sources.There are two very informative introductions covering the environmental and historical backgrounds, three Acts covering each of the three periods, and twenty five chapters. There is a useful glossary and recommended reading.Waterfield has written a very wide-ranging account full of detail much of which will be new to many readers. The book is a searching and revelatory approach to the nature of Greek identity. The vast majority of books claim that they developed their identity through wars with non Greeks, for example in the Persian Wars of the 5th century. The author argues that they were too competitive for their own good. Competition did indeed become central to Greek culture. He is dismissive of criticism of so-called tyrants. He says they were not crooked despots.As one would expect war features widely in this engaging account. Plato is quoted as saying that conflict in general was endemic among the states. They vied to be top dog . This meant that there was an absence of common purpose. Waterfield discusses the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC showing that it split the Greek World in two as individual states joined either Athens or Sparta. He also demonstrates with persuasive evidence that the Greeks were interrogators of their place in the world. They were not only conquerors.Waterfield's book justifies his claim that another account of the ancient Greeks was needed. He has written a very informative and erudite book replete with detail, some new. It is balanced and engaging. The style and tone are admirable. Anyone wishing to understand this fascinating period of history could do no better than read it. Students will find it particularly useful.

My knowledge of ancient Greece was sadly lacking until I discovered this book. It brings all aspects of the period to life in an entertaining and readable manner.Highly recommended.

Great book! The writing is clear and interesting.

Got the book as a gift, haven’t read it personally.

Muy mala relación calidad precio.

Great book for lovers of Ancient Greece! Arrived intact

Waterfield does an excellent job at guiding the reader through the meanderings of Ancient Greek history. The book is captivating, reasonably comprehensive, and very accessible. From the Archaic period and the formation of the first states to the Classical Period mostly centered on the rivalry between Athens and Sparta, to the Hellenistic period during which the Greek city states fell under Macedonian control, all the way to the Roman conquest. The main message one gets from the story is that human beings are fools: we build beautiful things through painstaking efforts, then destroy them because of jealousy or greed. Just pay attention to how many men died senselessly in all the conflicts described in the book and you'll see what I mean. George Santayana famously said that "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Those of us who do learn from history are, it seems, doomed to see others repeat it. And that applies to current times as well.