Hellas - A Short History of Ancient Greece

by Cyril Edward Robinson

In Greek History, someone has said, little that happened mattered much; it was what the Greeks thought that counted. This, broadly speaking, is the truth; and here I have tried to lay the main emphasis on Greek ideas, setting them against the background of historic events. Obviously the best clue to their understanding is to be found in what the Greeks themselves wrote; and, though no English version can be an adequate substitute, I have given in translation whatever passages appear to me most revealing. With these it has been my object to convey effectively the author's meaning rather than slavishly to reproduce his phraseology; and I have taken, I confess, some liberty with the task, abbreviating by frequent omissions of words, clauses and even whole sentences, occasionally elaborating to bring out the full sense, and above all recasting the original syntactic construction in approximation to our own modern idiom. In the illustrations, similarly, I have here and there allowed myself the licence of reconstruction when details have suffered through accident or age. I have to record with gratitude my great debt to Mrs. Eric James and Mr. W. H. Plommer and Mr. L. F. R. Audemars for valuable criticisms and suggestions. My thanks are also due to Messrs. Methuen, the publishers of my "History of Greece," for permission to produce this complementary volume. It may be that the reader will be encouraged to further study of the subject; and on certain points-few among many which limits of space have compelled me to summarize or omit-I have ventured to insert a cross-reference.

Genres: History, Greece

220 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1955

About the author

1884-

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book on my way to Greece at my grandmothers suggestion. It provides a fine introductory history of Ancient Greece, particularly Athens. It did make seeing the ruins more interesting.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

C. E. Robinson is well informed and writes with purpose but doesn't take it too seriously. This book is informative without being dry and is accompanied by photos of ruins, art, ect. A nice intro to Greek history.

[Katrinka · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should be fun; the guy lays his biases right out on the table.

[Jeremy Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything history can be and more. Watch 300 after and drink wine.