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The Greek World: A Study of History and Culture
The ancient Greeks, more than any other early culture, have give us the template for Western civilization, as seen in their superlative achievements in the fields of architecture, political theory, philosophy, science and art - not the least of which are their inventions of democracy and drama. In these 24 compelling lectures, Professor Garland guides you in a richly illuminating exploration of what the ancient Greeks have given us, and why they're still important to us today.
This course delves into the origins of Greek civilization, the great Classical and Hellenistic periods, and takes you through the succeeding epochs of the Roman and Byzantine eras to the Renaissance, culminating with Greece's dramatic modern history.
You'll discover the elements of Greek culture that have so deeply imprinted the west in examples such as:
●1●
The Phenomenon of Hellenism - Learn how Greek culture flowered during the Classical Age, then spread through Alexander's conquests across the Mediterranean world.
●2●
Athenian Democracy - Grasp the features of democracy as it arose in Athens in the 5th century BCE as a bold political experiment.
●3●
Religion and the Olympians - Explore the nature of Greek religious belief, and the panoply of gods and goddesses, from Zeus, Apollo, and Dionysus to Athena, Aphrodite, and Persephone.
●4●
Greek Drama, Literature, and Philosophy - Study the plays of Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles, and Aristophanes; the essence of Homer's great epic poems; and the seminal ideas of philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
●5●
Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture - Survey the techniques and aesthetics of Greek sculpture; discover the superlative qualities of Greek vase painting; and study the elements of Greek architecture that have so deeply impacted Western architecture and art.
'THE GREEK WORLD' offers you a multilevel immersion in greek civilization, and an unforgettable view of the civilization, and unforgettable view of the extraordinary power ancient Greece exerts over the Western imagination.
RUNNING TIME ⇒ 12hrs. and 44mins.
This course delves into the origins of Greek civilization, the great Classical and Hellenistic periods, and takes you through the succeeding epochs of the Roman and Byzantine eras to the Renaissance, culminating with Greece's dramatic modern history.
You'll discover the elements of Greek culture that have so deeply imprinted the west in examples such as:
●1●
The Phenomenon of Hellenism - Learn how Greek culture flowered during the Classical Age, then spread through Alexander's conquests across the Mediterranean world.
●2●
Athenian Democracy - Grasp the features of democracy as it arose in Athens in the 5th century BCE as a bold political experiment.
●3●
Religion and the Olympians - Explore the nature of Greek religious belief, and the panoply of gods and goddesses, from Zeus, Apollo, and Dionysus to Athena, Aphrodite, and Persephone.
●4●
Greek Drama, Literature, and Philosophy - Study the plays of Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles, and Aristophanes; the essence of Homer's great epic poems; and the seminal ideas of philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
●5●
Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture - Survey the techniques and aesthetics of Greek sculpture; discover the superlative qualities of Greek vase painting; and study the elements of Greek architecture that have so deeply impacted Western architecture and art.
'THE GREEK WORLD' offers you a multilevel immersion in greek civilization, and an unforgettable view of the civilization, and unforgettable view of the extraordinary power ancient Greece exerts over the Western imagination.
RUNNING TIME ⇒ 12hrs. and 44mins.
13 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 20, 2020
2 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Robert Garland
46 books107 followersDr. Robert S.J. Garland is the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics at Colgate University. He earned his B.A. in Classics from Manchester University, his M.A. in Classics from McMaster University, and his Ph.D. in Ancient History from University College London.
A former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the George Grote Ancient History Prize, Professor Garland has educated students and audiences at a variety of levels. In addition to teaching classics at Colgate University, he has taught English and Drama to secondary school students and lectured at universities throughout Britain as well as the British School of Archaeology in Athens.
Professor Garland is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals and books capturing details of all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman life, including The Greek Way of Life: From Conception to Old Age; Introducing New Gods: The Politics of Athenian Religion; and Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. His expertise has been featured in The History Channel's "Last Stand of the 300," and he has repeatedly served as a consultant for educational film companies.
A former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the George Grote Ancient History Prize, Professor Garland has educated students and audiences at a variety of levels. In addition to teaching classics at Colgate University, he has taught English and Drama to secondary school students and lectured at universities throughout Britain as well as the British School of Archaeology in Athens.
Professor Garland is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals and books capturing details of all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman life, including The Greek Way of Life: From Conception to Old Age; Introducing New Gods: The Politics of Athenian Religion; and Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. His expertise has been featured in The History Channel's "Last Stand of the 300," and he has repeatedly served as a consultant for educational film companies.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 6, 2021
[4.5] When it comes to audio lectures and audiobooks, I have an unfair preference for UK over US accents*, which can limit my choice in series like The Great Courses. Robert Garland has a British RP-ish accent, a thoughtful pace, and a friendly, animated tone which seems to fit the modern approach to Classics whilst still having an air of the old tradition. (I used to assume it by default rather a cold subject, but that was before Mary Beard became the face of Classics in UK media.) Lecturers and readers who go too fast are a bane of my audiobook explorations - yet are a favourite of some listeners - so I prize the ones with a more sedate page, who say things slowly enough that I can take them in and think about them. Therefore when I was looking for something covering both increasingly familiar aspects of Ancient Greece, and those on which my knowledge was patchy, I grabbed this one eagerly.
It seems my overview of the chronology was okay, as there was little unfamiliar there. (I may in future consider a few period-specific histories.) Instead the subjects on which this series gave me most new info were sculpture and painting. Classical sculpture is so ubiquitous that previously I'd given it almost less thought than I had to the making of housebricks.
This is a recent recording, from 2019-20, and Garland acknowledges contemporary students' political difficulties with aspects of Greek life including the restricted lives of women, and slavery and elitism - though some might feel he doesn't go far enough on these. And there are the inevitable handful of dad-jokes (perhaps I should start calling them 'grandad jokes' given my own age) and personal asides that not all listeners will like, but which give the feeling of a term listening to a university lecturer in person and make the whole enterprise friendlier.
I particularly liked the unsparing understanding of energy and social organisation which I'd been accustomed to hearing only in environmental and peak oil material, and that appeared near the beginning and end of this lecture series: that a major factor in the 19th century reduction in slavery globally, and increased freedom for women, was down to technology and energy supply. These background macro factors often get ignored in human-level history of social movements and can be uncomfortable to face, especially given a future of declining energy supply and high population (where more attention will eventually need to be paid to increasing manual work and making sure it is humanely managed).
Overall, The Greek World seems like an excellent comprehensive overview of the traditionally-studied aspects of Ancient Greece: history, politics, religion, the arts, philosophy and science. Useful if you want a survey, or to fill gaps before perhaps moving on to more detailed books or lectures on specific topics.
*unless the topic or book itself is American
It seems my overview of the chronology was okay, as there was little unfamiliar there. (I may in future consider a few period-specific histories.) Instead the subjects on which this series gave me most new info were sculpture and painting. Classical sculpture is so ubiquitous that previously I'd given it almost less thought than I had to the making of housebricks.
This is a recent recording, from 2019-20, and Garland acknowledges contemporary students' political difficulties with aspects of Greek life including the restricted lives of women, and slavery and elitism - though some might feel he doesn't go far enough on these. And there are the inevitable handful of dad-jokes (perhaps I should start calling them 'grandad jokes' given my own age) and personal asides that not all listeners will like, but which give the feeling of a term listening to a university lecturer in person and make the whole enterprise friendlier.
I particularly liked the unsparing understanding of energy and social organisation which I'd been accustomed to hearing only in environmental and peak oil material, and that appeared near the beginning and end of this lecture series: that a major factor in the 19th century reduction in slavery globally, and increased freedom for women, was down to technology and energy supply. These background macro factors often get ignored in human-level history of social movements and can be uncomfortable to face, especially given a future of declining energy supply and high population (where more attention will eventually need to be paid to increasing manual work and making sure it is humanely managed).
Overall, The Greek World seems like an excellent comprehensive overview of the traditionally-studied aspects of Ancient Greece: history, politics, religion, the arts, philosophy and science. Useful if you want a survey, or to fill gaps before perhaps moving on to more detailed books or lectures on specific topics.
*unless the topic or book itself is American
August 30, 2020
A comprehensive and quick ride through the significance of the Greek world, with many interesting forays even into modern Greece. Prof Garland is clearly knowledgeable and at ease whether he is describing Attic pottery, the significance of "democratic" debates in Homeric poetry, or the origin of Greek food (as a would-be Classical scholar myself, I can tell you that with so many different topics - warfare, history, literature, philosophy, science, reception... - you are bound to get something wrong or just not-so-precise at some point, but it does not look like Garland is). Moreover, I particularly liked that far from being the stereotypical British scholar looking at the Greek world from an aseptic and Etonian-like contemplation of the ancients, becoming best buddies with Plato and Alcibiades, he is more than willing to acknowledge and criticise the shortcomings of Greek civilization, in particular in terms of slavery and the treatment of women; it may be to be expected by now but my own schooling in the Classics tells me that not many scholars are willing to talk in such postcolonial / feminist terms about the Greeks, so I admire his commitment to historical truth. Of course, he can't say everything but this is one of the best "Great Courses" I've listened to so far, I recommend it!
February 21, 2025
A decent but unremarkable introduction.
November 14, 2021
A half-size course covering the culture of the Ancient Greeks. Rather than a chronological course (like The Long Shadow of the Ancient Greek World), this series focuses each lecture on a cultural aspect, and jumped around the timeline sometimes up to present day to examine Greek influence on the modern world. Democracy, science, religion, war, art and literature, and their influence on Rome are some of the lecture topics. I'm very grateful to Garland for his lecture on the Iliad; he helped me to appreciate it much more than I did the first time I read it. That also applies to Greek tragedy, like Medea.
August 1, 2020
A good collection of courses on the topic of the ancient Greek world.
This was an interesting course. Topics ranged from the useal: Domestic life, Warfare, Politics, Governance, Art and Philosophy, but also inculcated Languages, currency and overviews from ancient times up until modern day. In this, this collection provided a much broader view than just mythologies or ancients histories.
Overall a good collection with a passionate teacher and solid selection of topics.
This was an interesting course. Topics ranged from the useal: Domestic life, Warfare, Politics, Governance, Art and Philosophy, but also inculcated Languages, currency and overviews from ancient times up until modern day. In this, this collection provided a much broader view than just mythologies or ancients histories.
Overall a good collection with a passionate teacher and solid selection of topics.
February 10, 2023
I watched this course on Wondrium, a subscription streaming service which includes the Great Courses.
The course was well organized and included information from the common era that I was not familiar with.
The course was well organized and included information from the common era that I was not familiar with.
dnf
June 10, 2024First impressions (after first episode):
1. I'm happy to be watching this course while also reading (well, listening to) "Pandora's Jar." The topics, and especially the variations in interpretation of said topics, complement each other well.
2. While in "The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome" Dr. Aldrete focused *primarily* on FACTS (i.e., details and specifics), Dr. Garland proposes to discuss both facts and... their significance. In other words - what did certain facts MEAN to the people of Greece? What did those facts mean to other people of that time? Or to later peoples, who interacted with Greek culture decades or centuries later? This is exciting! I'm always up for some critical meaning-making analysis.
I wonder, though, where the difference comes from. Is it due to the personalities or interests of the professors? Or perhaps the ways scholars tend to approach the two sets of subject matter? Regardless, so far, I feel excited and challenged by this course in a way I wasn't by the lectures on the Roman Empire.
PS - I'm struggling bc altho they show names on the screen (yay!) they don't show dates :( I have a hard time converting verbal numbers to numeric numbers in my head so I'm pretty lost already on chronology. For that reason I wish this one came w a book like Dr. Aldrete's did. It was so helpful to pause the video and review details in the book when I missed what he said or wanted to review to reinforce a particularly important idea. Maybe this has a book but I'm streaming the 1st 3 episodes from Kanopy (plus ep 5) and the rest are on YouTube (likely unauthorized). UPDATE: somewhere mid-episode 2 they started putting *some* dates on the screen. Not all. It's pretty scattershot. So far the haphazard on-screen dates are continuing into episode 3 as well.
UPDATE at the beginning of Episode 5: he's introducing us not just to the cast of characters in ancient Greece but also to the historians, archeologists, classicists, etc who have contributed to the scholarship OF ancient Greece. And then he goes one step further - not only are we being exposed to the lineage of thinkers but he's also critiquing their conclusions and pointing out: where they went astray (compared to conclusions we have now), where they made a tremendous mark on our understanding of ancient Greece (for good or ill), etc. So in some ways he’s teaching 2 histories in parallel; i.e., the people of ancient Greece AND the people who have studied and contributed to our knowledge of ancient Greece. This is another way in which it feels more sophisticated than Dr. Aldrete’s lectures on the Roman Empire - kind of the difference b/t a 100- or 200-level survey course and an upper level / graduate seminar.
One frustration, though, is that he’s assuming we all know who Alexander the Great was / what he did (he *literally* said this at the end of Episode 4) which does a disservice to students who have NO IDEA abt ANYTHING related to Alexander the Great (ahem me) b/c we’re left confused, in the dark, and scrambling to keep up. (Perhaps consistent w/ an upper-level seminar, tho? To expect prior knowledge?)
UPDATE in the middle of Episode 7: this course is not living up to the promise and excitement of the initial few episodes. Each subsequent episode is getting worse and worse - rambly, poorly organized, etc. Additionally. He said something in Episode 5 (“Alexander the Great: Greek Culture Spreads”) that I can’t stop thinking about. In re: Alexander taking prisoner a wealthy mother and daughter. Paraphrasing: “Another way in which Alexander was an amazing ruler was that he set a new level of professionalism b/c when he captured these women he didn’t rape them!” Dr. Garland said while showing a painting of the women prostrate at Alexander’s feet. “Look at how he stands in such a regal pose!” he gushed. So. Problematic. B/c perhaps in the context of other rulers of the time, yes, this was a significant / notable shift. But Dr. Garland doesn’t SAY that. He doesn’t say ANYTHING that indicates and acknowledgement that, you know, rape is BAD. And isn’t even the LOWEST bar for being a good ruler. It’s really made me question this lecturer’s integrity. And makes it feel a *little* unsafe to keep listening to him.
Also. I’m glad I watched Dr. Aldrete’s course on the Roman Empire first, so I’m coming into this with *some* exposure to Roman history. The “facts” Dr. Garland shares about Roman culture and figures are quite divergent from Dr. Aldrete’s portrayal. For example, he characterized Nero as deserving all the awards (medals??) he won during the competitions in which he didn’t *actually* compete. Whereas Dr. Aldrete pointed out the absurdity of his expectation to be awarded for things he didn’t *do* (and doesn’t excel at anyway) Dr. Garland said that he won those awards despite not competing b/c he was so talented everyone knew he *WOULD HAVE WON* had he showed up. Which he followed with something like, “And isn’t that amazing! Such a talented guy!” This, too, raises questions for me about this professor’s integrity as well as his biases. He seems intent on siding with the victors - telling the story that preserves traditional power distributions - rather than thinking critically about nuances and complexities. In other words. He’s an indiscriminate fanboy.
UPDATE at the beginning of Episode 8: writing the Ep 7 update made me realize I don’t want to spend any more time w/ this guy. His ethics are suspect. The quality of the episodes is deteriorating, too. But mostly he seems, more and more, like a gross, over-inflated, creepy dude. Much as I’m curious to learn about ancient Greece, and so am disappointed to abandon this lecture series, I can’t keep listening to him preen and ramble. DNF.
1. I'm happy to be watching this course while also reading (well, listening to) "Pandora's Jar." The topics, and especially the variations in interpretation of said topics, complement each other well.
2. While in "The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome" Dr. Aldrete focused *primarily* on FACTS (i.e., details and specifics), Dr. Garland proposes to discuss both facts and... their significance. In other words - what did certain facts MEAN to the people of Greece? What did those facts mean to other people of that time? Or to later peoples, who interacted with Greek culture decades or centuries later? This is exciting! I'm always up for some critical meaning-making analysis.
I wonder, though, where the difference comes from. Is it due to the personalities or interests of the professors? Or perhaps the ways scholars tend to approach the two sets of subject matter? Regardless, so far, I feel excited and challenged by this course in a way I wasn't by the lectures on the Roman Empire.
PS - I'm struggling bc altho they show names on the screen (yay!) they don't show dates :( I have a hard time converting verbal numbers to numeric numbers in my head so I'm pretty lost already on chronology. For that reason I wish this one came w a book like Dr. Aldrete's did. It was so helpful to pause the video and review details in the book when I missed what he said or wanted to review to reinforce a particularly important idea. Maybe this has a book but I'm streaming the 1st 3 episodes from Kanopy (plus ep 5) and the rest are on YouTube (likely unauthorized). UPDATE: somewhere mid-episode 2 they started putting *some* dates on the screen. Not all. It's pretty scattershot. So far the haphazard on-screen dates are continuing into episode 3 as well.
UPDATE at the beginning of Episode 5: he's introducing us not just to the cast of characters in ancient Greece but also to the historians, archeologists, classicists, etc who have contributed to the scholarship OF ancient Greece. And then he goes one step further - not only are we being exposed to the lineage of thinkers but he's also critiquing their conclusions and pointing out: where they went astray (compared to conclusions we have now), where they made a tremendous mark on our understanding of ancient Greece (for good or ill), etc. So in some ways he’s teaching 2 histories in parallel; i.e., the people of ancient Greece AND the people who have studied and contributed to our knowledge of ancient Greece. This is another way in which it feels more sophisticated than Dr. Aldrete’s lectures on the Roman Empire - kind of the difference b/t a 100- or 200-level survey course and an upper level / graduate seminar.
One frustration, though, is that he’s assuming we all know who Alexander the Great was / what he did (he *literally* said this at the end of Episode 4) which does a disservice to students who have NO IDEA abt ANYTHING related to Alexander the Great (ahem me) b/c we’re left confused, in the dark, and scrambling to keep up. (Perhaps consistent w/ an upper-level seminar, tho? To expect prior knowledge?)
UPDATE in the middle of Episode 7: this course is not living up to the promise and excitement of the initial few episodes. Each subsequent episode is getting worse and worse - rambly, poorly organized, etc. Additionally. He said something in Episode 5 (“Alexander the Great: Greek Culture Spreads”) that I can’t stop thinking about. In re: Alexander taking prisoner a wealthy mother and daughter. Paraphrasing: “Another way in which Alexander was an amazing ruler was that he set a new level of professionalism b/c when he captured these women he didn’t rape them!” Dr. Garland said while showing a painting of the women prostrate at Alexander’s feet. “Look at how he stands in such a regal pose!” he gushed. So. Problematic. B/c perhaps in the context of other rulers of the time, yes, this was a significant / notable shift. But Dr. Garland doesn’t SAY that. He doesn’t say ANYTHING that indicates and acknowledgement that, you know, rape is BAD. And isn’t even the LOWEST bar for being a good ruler. It’s really made me question this lecturer’s integrity. And makes it feel a *little* unsafe to keep listening to him.
Also. I’m glad I watched Dr. Aldrete’s course on the Roman Empire first, so I’m coming into this with *some* exposure to Roman history. The “facts” Dr. Garland shares about Roman culture and figures are quite divergent from Dr. Aldrete’s portrayal. For example, he characterized Nero as deserving all the awards (medals??) he won during the competitions in which he didn’t *actually* compete. Whereas Dr. Aldrete pointed out the absurdity of his expectation to be awarded for things he didn’t *do* (and doesn’t excel at anyway) Dr. Garland said that he won those awards despite not competing b/c he was so talented everyone knew he *WOULD HAVE WON* had he showed up. Which he followed with something like, “And isn’t that amazing! Such a talented guy!” This, too, raises questions for me about this professor’s integrity as well as his biases. He seems intent on siding with the victors - telling the story that preserves traditional power distributions - rather than thinking critically about nuances and complexities. In other words. He’s an indiscriminate fanboy.
UPDATE at the beginning of Episode 8: writing the Ep 7 update made me realize I don’t want to spend any more time w/ this guy. His ethics are suspect. The quality of the episodes is deteriorating, too. But mostly he seems, more and more, like a gross, over-inflated, creepy dude. Much as I’m curious to learn about ancient Greece, and so am disappointed to abandon this lecture series, I can’t keep listening to him preen and ramble. DNF.
November 1, 2024
The Greek World is the latest survey course by the Great Courses. Robert Garland, Professor Emeritus Colgate Univerisity, provides a comprehensive overview of Greek philosophy, religion, art architecture, theater, and history. He even includes a lecture on eating and drinking. The historical lectures begin with the Minoans, move beyond the ancient world, and include the Byzantine and Ottomans through independence and the present day. It provides an informative overview. However, I preferred the earlier series on Ancient Greek Civilization by Jeremy McInerney as it was more analytical. Yet the two courses provide a strong foundation for anyone interested in Greece or prospective travelers.
March 4, 2023
Very broad non episodic cultural history. Garland is unabashedly a fan boy of Greece. The portions on Greek drama and language are great. The military portion is very heavily influenced by Hanson.
His lecture on philosophy is very shallow and accepts some very commonly held untruths about Aristotle, and Plato. It's a good refresher or an introduction to ancient Greece but Kagan's Yale lecture series is better if you're going to sink 13 hours in to the subject.
Overall, there are several Great Courses that cover the subject matter much more in depth/better.
His lecture on philosophy is very shallow and accepts some very commonly held untruths about Aristotle, and Plato. It's a good refresher or an introduction to ancient Greece but Kagan's Yale lecture series is better if you're going to sink 13 hours in to the subject.
Overall, there are several Great Courses that cover the subject matter much more in depth/better.
September 9, 2025
For some reason, I assumed this course would be like most anything else about Greece, focusing solely on Ancient Greek philosophy, art, and political history. In actuality, it systematically covered all aspects of history from as far back as we can reach up to the current political and social circumstances of modern day Greece and Turkey. While it was a bit much to take in, I appreciate that broader perspective and the consistent question of how much that ancient culture can be linked to different epochs up through till today.
November 12, 2022
One of the least focused courses I've stumbled across. It takes the historical tack for about half the course, going from ancient greece to modern greece, and then tries to mix it up with generalized segments on everything from culture to food and art appreciation. This tack doesn't elevate the material at all and feels like 5 bad courses crammed into one.
August 25, 2020
This course gives a thorough view of everything Greek and beyond. There is not one moment wasted listening to this course. The passion of the esteemed professor, Robert Garland, is all I needed to have an absolutely brilliant experience going back to the ancient times.
August 27, 2021
So damn good!
February 13, 2022
Interesting to see how much of our culture comes from the Greek culture.
October 23, 2022
The Greeks have my heart, and they clearly have Garland's as well. Passionate, beautiful, and full of knowledge.
March 15, 2024
A good overview, though I had thought it would be purely focused on Ancient Greece. It mostly is, but also includes a fair amount past the end of classical antiquity.
February 18, 2025
This series of The Great Courses lectures tells the history of all aspects of Greece and Greek culture. Recommended.
September 11, 2023
I've listened to a lot of great books from the great courses. This book I didn't like as much as other books about the time and region. 3.4*
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews