Books on Ancient Greece

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I skip around a lot in what I read, but generally go back to Ancient Greece when I don't have anything particular to read. Over the past 8 months or so I've read Homer, Herodotus, some of Aeschylus and Sophocles, some of Plato and Aristotle, and just finished Thucydides. Anyway, I think it's pretty easy to get an idea of what ancient books to read, but I have a harder time figuring out what more recent books on the subject are worthwhile. The only one I've read so far is "Shame and Necessity" by Bernard Williams, which was more philosophical, quite good.

I like military history but generally want more than just battles. Any recommendations?

[CBR]

Maybe "Soldiers and ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity" by J.E. Lendon. Although it does involve the Romans too I found it an illuminating read about the impact cultural tradition had on warfare.

[Montmorency]

Peter Green, Donald Kagan, and Adrian Goldsworthy are three well-regarded authors.

Maybe Victor Davis Hanson - occasionally.

[Kralizec]

Donald Kagan

I absolutely loved his work The Peloponnesian War (2003). Long, but worth the time.

It's about a war of course, but it also gives a perspective of the differences between Athenian and Spartan societies.

Beforehand I would never have imagined that the threat of executing a 100 or so POW's could be a credible reason for a major power to agree to peace. This only makes sense when you realise how few "Spartiates" there actually were.

It also led me to the conclusion that anyone who admires Spartan society is either ignorant or a closet-fascist.

[Montmorency]

Oh shoot, I misread the title here as. Ignore Goldsworthy.

[Arjos]

For archaic and classical periods:

"Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities" by Hans van Wees

"The Western Way of War" by Victor Davis Hanson

For the hellenistic period:

"Hellenistic and Roman Sparta" by Paul Cartledge and Antony Spawforth

"The Cambridge companion to the Hellenistic world" by Glenn Richard Bugh; this one is a collection of articles, so its topics are very broad, hope you fine what you were looking for :)

[Reenk Roink]

Maybe "Soldiers and ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity" by J.E. Lendon. Although it does involve the Romans too I found it an illuminating read about the impact cultural tradition had on warfare.

Seconded. This is one of the "more than battles" books. It will tie in your previous reading of the Homeric epics nicely, and is a very fluid read, not at all academic.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Thanks for the suggestions I just finished Soldiers and Ghosts, which was excellent, and I have Donald Kagan's "The Peloponnesian war" waiting. Although I can't predict whether I will read it next or something else.

I read a "guide to the roman world" oxford book just after I finished thucydides that was a series of articles, it was good but I'd rather read full books on the various topics.

I'm also going to need a book on Alexander, any recommendations?

[Reenk Roink]

Of what I've read, Peter Green has the best general biography of Alexander, and Robin Lane Fox has a very good one too. I like Green because he happens to share my own critical perspective, however, I would say Fox is more neutral to his subject and importantly, doesn't moralize as much. In many cases his book is superior, especially if you haven't read so much about Alexander yet. Green seems to have a low opinion of the Hellenistic age in general.

Getting past just biography or battles, I think Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army is just great because it's such a unique book. Might want to skim through it to see if it's your cup of tea though.

Lastly, I have always been fascinated with the Alexander Romances. There is a translation of the Greek Alexander Romance out there. If you want to see how people in late antiquity saw Alexander, this will be very interesting.

[phonicsmonkey]

I enjoyed Alexander by Theodore Ayrault Dodge

[Beirut]

I skip around a lot in what I read, but generally go back to Ancient Greece when I don't have anything particular to read. Over the past 8 months or so I've read Homer, Herodotus, some of Aeschylus and Sophocles, some of Plato and Aristotle, and just finished Thucydides. Anyway, I think it's pretty easy to get an idea of what ancient books to read, but I have a harder time figuring out what more recent books on the subject are worthwhile. The only one I've read so far is "Shame and Necessity" by Bernard Williams, which was more philosophical, quite good.

I like military history but generally want more than just battles. Any recommendations?

That's a great list of books.

I would suggest the plays of Aristophanes. I think he inspired Monty Python. Brilliant social commentary on ancient Greece and laugh out loud funny. "Lysistrata" is fantastic. The play "Antigone" by Sophocles, though I'm sure you've read it, is also one of my favorites.

"Plutarch's Lives" is also a must have.

[ShadesWolf]

My only suggestion would be two Roman works...
Virgil - The Aenid
Ovid - Metamorphoses

Both are Roman, but very Greek in nature.

Aenid is the Story of a Trojan who has a journey like Homers works and ends up founding Rome.
Metamorph is a Roman work on Mythhology, and includes a very good breakdown of all Myths, mainly with a total Greek slant on things, even though they used the Roman Gods names and not the Greek one, but you can easily pick up who they are talking about. ie Jupiter, Jove and Zeus.....

[SoFarSoGood]

The 'Hellenica Oxyrhynchia', some papyrus fragments found in Egypt, give a contemporary account (though we don't know who wrote them) of some areas of the latter part of the Peloponnesian War.