The British Museum Concise Introduction To Ancient Greece

"This book distils centuries of history into a concise yet rich introduction to the entire Greek world." "Starting with its rediscovery in modern times, the author traces the development of ancient Greece from its earliest Bronze Age origins to the Roman conquest, encompassing the influence of neighboring civilizations. She explores topics such as writing and art, government and philosophy, warfare and hunting, trade and colonization, gods and heroes, entertainments and domestic life. Drawing on the world-famous collections of the British Museum, she shows how the ancient Greeks were able to play such a major role in the subsequent development of Western culture."--BOOK JACKET.

This book is a lively and readable overview of the fascinating history of ancient Greece, from its earliest origins through to its legacy in the modern world. Beginning with the rediscovery of the Classical Greeks, the author then traces their evolution from Bronze Age civilizations through the emergence of the city state, discussing topics such as writing and art, government and philosophy, warfare and hunting, trade and colonization, gods and heroes, entertainments and domestic life. This accessible book will appeal to a wide range of general readers, museum visitors, undergraduate students and life-long learners.

This introduction to Greek and Roman art begins with the Greek Bronze Age and continues through the Geometric, Classical and Hellenistic periods and the Etruscans of pre-Roman Italy, to the Romans themselves, whose influence extended across the Mediterranean.

An accessible and beautifully illustrated survey of the world of Ancient Rome

Artists and Artistic Production in Ancient Greece questions many long-held ideas and provides a deeper understanding of particular artists and architects.

This book takes a fresh look at visual representations of women in the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and analyzes them for indications of women's roles in these societies. After examining their traditional functions as wives and mothers, the author presents evidence of women's participation in the public and religious spheres. Juxtapositions comparing images and attitudes of each society reveal whether the women portrayed are meant to be examples of perfect femininity or the object of scorn, faithful wives or untouchable priestesses or high-living prostitutes. Depictions of goddesses and the dress and adornments of women are analyzed for what they divulge about ideals of feminine beauty and attitudes toward female nudity. The text is packed with quotations from contemporary sources that reveal details about women in the ancient world, often with surprising resonance for our own time. The illustrations, many specially commissioned, include public art and domestic artifacts: sculptures, wall and mummy case paintings, engravings, silver objects, and jewelry.

The Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum are unrivalled examples of classical Greek art that have inspired sculptors, artists, poets and writers since their creation in the fifth century BC. This book serves as a superb visual introduction to these magnificent sculptures. The book showcases a series of specially taken photographs of the different sculptural elements: the pediments, metopes and Ionic frieze. It captures the vitality of the sculptures in a group, an individual sculpture or an exquisite eye-catching detail, such as the mane of a horse, a human foot, the swish of drapery or a youthful head bowed in thought.