"Outstanding individuals have the whole world as their memorial."—Pericles
The influence of ancient Greek civilization has been felt throughout modern Western history. Greek ideas can be found in the laws that govern our lives, the buildings in which we live, the books we read, and the vocabulary we use every day. Because these ideas have become so much a part of our daily life, we tend to forget that they originated more than 2,500 years ago.
Ancient Greeks chronicles the lives and accomplishments of Greek figures whose influence continues to be felt today. We read about Greeks from all walks of life, including one of the greatest physicians who ever lived, the father of logic, and a brilliant mathematician who once said, "Give me a lever long enough, and a fulcrum strong enough, and I will single-handedly move the world." And move the world he did, but with his ideas, not a mighty fulcrum.
In 42 essays, authors Rosalie and Charles Baker explore the lives of many personalities, from the most famous Greeks to people who are usually overlooked, including:
Aesop, author of timeless fables that continue to provide lessons today
Lycurgus, the legendary ruler of Sparta
Plato, the great philosopher who established the Academy in Athens
Phidippides, a courier and long-distance runner whose run from Marathon to Athens became the basis of the modern marathon
Sappho, one of the best female poets of classical antiquity
Hippocrates, one of the greatest physicians who ever lived
Alcibiades, a patriot-turned-traitor who was exiled from Greece
Ictinus, the architect responsible for the design of the Parthenon
Aristotle, the father of logic who tutored the teenage Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, who ruled Greece, defeated the great Persian empire, conquered lands bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, including Egypt, and won control of lands stretching into India (and all that before his 33rd birthday)
Zeno, founder of the philosophy known as Stoicism
The biographies span the years 700 B.C. to 200 B.C., from Homer, the master of epic poetry and the author of the Iliad, to Eratosthenes, a brilliant mathematician who was the first to calculate the earth's circumference. A handy fact box that lists birth and death dates and the major accomplishments of each person profiled, abundant photographs and specially commissioned maps, a timeline, a glossary of Greek terms, an index of Greeks by profession, a pronunciation guide, and suggestions for further reading all add to the usefulness of this exceptional reference. With figures from fields as diverse as literature, mathematics, politics, the military, philosophy, and science, Ancient Greeks provides a comprehensive examination of the origins of modern civilization.