A History of the Classical Greek World: 478 – 323 Bc

Thoroughly updated and revised, the second edition of this successful and widely praised text offers an account of the ‘classical’ period of Greek history, from the aftermath of the Persian Wars in 478 BC to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, Rhodes details the evidence on which his narrative is based, including inscriptions, coins, and material remains, and outlines the considerations which have to be borne in mind in using this evidence. The new edition offers increased value to students with its wide breadth of scholarship, including the addition of two new chapters covering life and culture in the classical Greek world. New pedagogical tools to assist students in mastering the material include: textboxes, a comprehensive chronological table of the West, mainland Greece, and the Aegean, and a glossary. The bibliography has been completely updated, and background sections have been added to three chapters.

Contents. List of Illustrations. List of Figures. List of Maps. Preface. Note on References. Chronological Table. 1. Introduction. 2. The Formation of the Delian League. 3. The Peloponnese in the Early Fifth Century. 4. Athens After the Persian Wars. 5. The Athenian Empire in the Mid Fifth Century. 6. Periclean Athens. 7. The Greeks in the West: The Rise of Syracuse. 8. The Peloponnesian War: Origins. 9. The Peloponnesian War: Resources and Strategies. 10. The Peloponnesian War: 431–421. 11. The Athens of Cleon. 12. The Peloponnesian War: 421–413. 13. The Peloponnesian War: 413–404. 14. Athens in the Late Fifth Century. 15. The Athenian Empire: Retrospect. 16. Life in the Classical Greek World. 17. Culture in the Classical Greek World. 18. Introduction to the Fourth Century: The Common Peace. 19. Sparta’s Imperialism and Collapse. Appendix: Persia and its Rebels. 20. The Second Athenian League. 21. Thebes and Northern Greece. 22. Athens After the Peloponnesian War. 23. The Western Greeks from Dionysius I to Timoleon. 24. Philip II of Macedon. Appendix: Persia and the Greeks in the Reign of Artaxerxes III. 25. Demosthenic Athens. Appendix: Sparta. 26. Alexander the Great: Sources and Outline. 27. Alexander the Great: Topics. 28. Epilogue. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

P. J. Rhodes is Honorary Professor of Ancient History at the University of Durham. He is the author of many books on Greek history, including The Athenian Boule (1972), A Commentary on the Aristotelian Athenaion Politeia (1981), Aristotle: The Athenian Constitution (1984), The Decrees of the Greek States (with D. M. Lewis, 1997) and Greek Historical Inscriptions, 404–323 BC (with R. Osborne, 2003). Most recently he has written the Introduction and Notes for Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War (translated by M. Hammond, 2009).