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Thebes
The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece
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Thebes
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Ideal for readers interested in ancient Greece, Classical history, and myth, as well as those seeking a deeper understanding of political and cultural developments in the ancient world.
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See moreA gripping account of the ancient Greek city of Thebes from the acclaimed author of The Spartans.
A gripping account of the ancient Greek city of Thebes from the acclaimed author of The Spartans.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
'An incisive, inspiring and vitally illuminating account of a city which changed the ancient world and which deserves to be remembered by the modern. A masterful book written by a master historian.' - Bettany Hughes, bestselling author of Istanbul and Helen of Troy
Continuously inhabited for five millennia, and at one point the most powerful city in Ancient Greece, Thebes has been overshadowed by its better-known rivals, Athens and Sparta.
According to myth, the city was founded when Kadmos sowed dragon's teeth into the ground and warriors sprang forth, ready not only to build the fledgling city but to defend it from all-comers. It was Hercules' birthplace and the home of the Sphinx, whose riddle Oedipus solved, winning the Theban crown and the king's widow in marriage, little knowing that the widow was his mother, Jocasta.
The city's history is every bit as rich as its mythic origins, from siding with the Persian invaders when their emperor, Xerxes, set out to conquer Aegean Greece, to siding with Sparta - like Thebes an oligarchy - to defeat Pericles' democratic Athens, to being utterly destroyed on the orders of Alexander the Great.
In Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, the acclaimed classical historian Paul Cartledge brings the city vividly to life, and argues that it is central to our understanding of the ancient Greeks' achievements - whether politically or culturally - and thus to our own culture and civilisation.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Paul Cartledge is praised for his assured scholarship, engaging style, and sense of humour in shedding light on Thebes' vital role overshadowed by Athens. Critics highlight his skill in blending myth and history to bring Theban culture alive and commend his storytelling abilities in tracing the city's complex history. The book is noted for restoring Thebes to its rightful place in the ancient world and is recommended for its outstanding insight into the Classical era.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781509873180
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 May 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Picador
Illustration: 16pp colour plates
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 246g
Pages: 352
About the Author
Paul Cartledge is A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and emeritus A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture in the Faculty of Classics, where he taught from 1979 to 2014. He is the author, co-author, editor or co-editor of well over a score of books, including The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece; The Spartans: An Epic History; Alexander the Great: The Hunt for a New Past; Thermopylae: The Battle that Changed the World; and Democracy: A Life. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and an Honorary Citizen of Sparta, Greece, and holds the Gold Cross of the Order of Honour awarded by the President of the Hellenic Republic.
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