Athens, Its Rise And Fall: With Views Of The Literature, Philosophy, And Social Life Of The Athenian People

by Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Athens, Its Rise And With Views Of The Literature, Philosophy, And Social Life Of The Athenian People by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Baron Lytton. This work offers a sweeping portrait of Attica and Athens, from geography and climate to the seeds of culture and political power. It traces the Pelasgians as early Greek influencers, Cecrops as legendary founder, and the hybrid origins of Greek civilization—native Greek elements interwoven with foreign influences. Religion emerges as a development from natural phenomena and human passions, with Dodona and Delphi as focal centers and later Greek innovations in cults, hero worship, and public participation. The Amphictyonic League, tribal divisions, and the Doric–Ionian contrast frame the emergence of Athens within a broader Hellenic world. The heroic age and Theseus are used to explore the foundations of law and city life. The narrative culminates in the Periclean era, detailing naval power, imperial finance, and cultural flowering—public works, theater, and drama—while revealing the moral costs of empire. It also surveys Solon, Pisistratus, and Clisthenes and the Marathon victory, setting the stage for Athens’ ascent and its subsequent challenges.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Greece

502 pages, Paperback

Published August 12, 2021

About the author

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton PC, was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician. Lord Lytton was a florid, popular writer of his day, who coined such phrases as "the great unwashed", "pursuit of the almighty dollar", "the pen is mightier than the sword", and the infamous incipit "It was a dark and stormy night."

He was the youngest son of General William Earle Bulwer of Heydon Hall and Wood Dalling, Norfolk and Elizabeth Barbara Lytton, daughter of Richard Warburton Lytton of Knebworth, Hertfordshire. He had two brothers, William Earle Lytton Bulwer (1799–1877) and Henry Bulwer, 1st Baron Dalling and Bulwer.

Lord Lytton's original surname was Bulwer, the names 'Earle' and 'Lytton' were middle names. On 20 February 1844 he assumed the name and arms of Lytton by royal licence and his surname then became 'Bulwer-Lytton'. His widowed mother had done the same in 1811. His brothers were always simply surnamed 'Bulwer'.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much good insight into the progress of civilization from idolatry and superstition to a desire for freedom and representative government. However it is a long read with sometimes verbose meanderings by the author.