A Social and Cultural History of the Hellenistic World

Explore the detailed and personal stories of real people living throughout the Hellenistic world.

In A Social and Cultural History of the Hellenistic World, author Gillian Ramsey Neugebauer paints a vivid picture of the men and women of the Hellenistic period, their communities, and their experiences of life. Assuming only minimal knowledge of classical antiquity, this clear and engaging textbook brings to life the real people who lived in the Mediterranean region, the Balkans, around the Black Sea, across North Africa, and the Near East.

Rather than focusing on the elites, royals, and other significant figures of the period, the author draws from a wide range of ancient evidence to explore everyday Hellenistic people in their own context. Reader-friendly chapters offer fresh perspectives on well-studied areas of ancient Greek culture while providing new insights into rarely discussed aspects of day-to-day life in the Hellenistic world. Topics include daily technology, food, clothing, housing, travel, working life, slavery, education, temple economies, and more.

Containing numerous references, further readings, photographs, and figures, A Social and Cultural History of the Hellenistic World is an excellent textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in Ancient History or Classical Studies programmes, particularly those dedicated to Hellenistic history.