THE ACHIEVEMENTS of the ancient Greeks form the foundation of modern Western civilization. This book traces the course of Greek history from the Minoan and Mycenaean kingdoms to the rival city-states of Athens and Sparta to Alexander the Great's empire and the rise of Rome. The vivid account celebrates the extraordinary legacy of Greek civilization: the epics of Homer; the seminal tragedies of Agamemnon, Euripides, and Sophocles; the transforming philosophy of Plato and Aristotle; the architectural wonders of the Acropolis; and the birth of democracy.

Here is an intelligent and remarkably handsome survey of ancient Greece, designed for anyone who would welcome the chance to learn more about the 1,500-year journey of this extraordinary civilization.