Ancient Greeks in Their Own Words

This volume offers an eyewitness account of life in the classical world. The author has selected a series of telling extracts from Greek literature to provide a picture of the customs, concerns and underlying values of the ancient Greeks. The Greeks speak for themselves, both in the formal language of public office and in the colloquial speech of the household and the street. Their words reveal activities and opinions which are sometimes remarkably similar to those of the modern day, but which are otherwise so different that they are difficult for us to understand.

The extracts have been selected from a variety of sources and record not only the lives of famous Greeks, but - perhaps more importantly - offer an insight into the lives of more ordinary individuals. Poetry, hymns and war-songs are included, as are quotations from official documents, inscriptions, laws, histories, funerary monuments, war-memorials and graffiti. This compilation gives an impression of the public and private facets of Greek life, providing an insight into the mentality of the Greeks.