Thebes : the forgotten city of ancient Greece / Paul Cartledge.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cartledge, Paul, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Civilization.

History.

Thebes (Greece)--History.

Thebes (Greece).

Greece--Thebes.

Greece--Civilization--History.

Greece.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xxxi, 304 pages, 16 unnumbered leaves of unnumbered plates : photographs, maps ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Abrams Press, an imprint of Abrams, 2020.

Summary:

" Among the extensive writing available about the history of ancient Greece, there is precious little about the city-state of Thebes. At one point the most powerful city in ancient Greece, Thebes has been long overshadowed by its better-known rivals, Athens and Sparta. In Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, acclaimed classicist and 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 the wider politico-cultural traditions of western Europe, the Americas, and indeed the world. From its role as an ancient political power, to its destruction at the hands of Alexander the Great as punishment for a failed revolt, to its eventual restoration by Alexander's successor, Cartledge deftly chronicles the rise and fall of the ancient city. He recounts the history with deep clarity and mastery for the subject and makes clear both the differences and the interconnections between the Thebes of myth and the Thebes of history. Written in clear prose and illustrated with images in two color inserts, Thebes is a gripping read for students of ancient history and those looking to experience the real city behind the myths of Cadmus, Hercules, and Oedipus."--Amazon.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. I PRE-HISTORY

ch. 1 Introduction: From Myth to History

ch. 2 City of Myth: the Theban Cycle

ch. 3 City of Prehistory and Protohistory: Archaeology, the Linear B Tablets and Homer

pt. II ARCHAIC THEBES

ch. 4 Religion

ch. 5 Politics

pt. III CLASSICAL THEBES

ch. 6 Foreign Affairs

ch. 7 City of Song: Pindar and Athenian Tragedy

ch. 8 The Peloponnesian and Corinthian Wars

ch. 9 Theban Heyday: City of Epaminondas and Pelopidas

pt. IV DOWNFALL

ch. 10 Battle of Chaeronea, 338

ch. 11 The Destruction of Thebes, 335

pt. V AFTERLIFE: THE PERSISTENCE OF OEDIPUS

ch. 12 Thebes Rebuilt

ch. 13 Mythic Revivals: the `pigs' bite back

ch. 14 Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 278-286) and index.

ISBN:

1468316060

9781468316063

OCLC:

1140782935