Ancient Greece: The Definitive Visual History (DK Classic History)

Ancient Greece: The Definitive Visual History (DK Classic History) traces more than 3,000 years of Greek history, charting its rise, decline and enduring legacy across the Western world. It follows the story from Minoan and Mycenaean beginnings through the height of the rival city-states of Athens and Sparta, and from the death of Alexander the Great to Greece’s eventual defeat by Rome.

Combining sumptuous photography with authoritative, engaging text, the book examines daily life and culture in depth. It covers art, entertainment and schools of thought alongside politics, medicine and war, and explores Greek myths and religious beliefs. Detailed maps illuminate key battles, while CGI artworks recreate sites such as buried palaces and the Athenian Agora, where Plato and Socrates debated philosophy. Eyewitness accounts and original artefacts help retell the experiences of figures ranging from ordinary citizens to lawmakers and the first Olympic athletes.

Synopsis

Spanning over three millennia, this visual history explores ancient Greece from its earliest civilisations to its final defeat by Rome. Along the way, it examines the peak of Athens and Sparta, the era of Alexander the Great, and the culture’s lasting influence on the Western world.

Photography, maps, CGI reconstructions, eyewitness accounts and artefacts are used to present Greek life and ideas, including art, entertainment, philosophy, politics, medicine, warfare, mythology and religion.