Interpreting The Athenian Empire

This title explores new approaches to the key phenomenon of 5th-century Greek history, the growth and collapse of the Athenian Empire.

This volume in the LACTOR Sourcebooks in Ancient History series offers a generous selection of primary texts on the Athenian Empire in new English translations, with accompanying maps, tables and figures, a glossary and short contextualising introductory notes. It provides for the needs of students at schools and universities who are studying ancient history in translation and has been written and reviewed by experienced teachers. The texts presented include extracts from the important literary sources but also numerous inscriptions and coin legends, some of which were previously difficult for students to access.

This very useful volume translates part of Hill's Sources for Greek History (478-431 BC) with other material relating to the Athenian Empire. This revised edition builds on the work of previous editors (Davies, Clayton and Meiggs) and includes a detailed bibliography.

In the fourth and final volume of his magisterial history of the Peloponnesian War, Donald Kagan examines the period from the destruction of Athens' Sicilian expedition in September of 413 B.C. to the Athenian surrender to Sparta in the spring of 404 B.C. Through his study of this last decade of the war, Kagan evaluates the performance of the Athenian democracy as it faced its most serious challenge. At the same time, Kagan assesses Thucydides' interpretation of the reasons for Athens' defeat and the destruction of the Athenian Empire.

The contributors in this volume present a systematic survey of the struggles of Athens, Sparta and Thebes to dominate Greece in the fourth century - only to be overwhelmed by the newly emerging Macedonian kingdom of Philip II. Additionally, the situation of Greeks in Sicily, Italy and Asia is portrayed, showing the geographical and political diffusion of the Greeks in a broader historical context. This book will provide the reader with a clearly drawn and vivid picture of the main events and leading personalities in this decisive period of Greek history.