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The Long Shadow of the Ancient Greek World

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The Long Shadow of the Ancient Greek World

By: The Great Courses, Ian Worthington
Narrated by: Ian Worthington
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About this listen

Immerse yourself in this comprehensive survey of ancient Greece from 750 to 323 B.C. - from the emergence of Greece at the end of the Dark Ages to the final disintegration of Greek autonomy through the Macedonian kings Philip II and Alexander the Great.

These 48 riveting lectures tell the story of ancient Greek institutions and the people who molded them during the Archaic and Classical periods.

Concentrating on the city-states of mainland Greece, with a special focus on Athens, Professor Worthington guides through some of history's most hard-fought struggles - from armed conflicts (such as the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and the campaigns of Alexander the Great) to political and social struggles (including the late 6th-century civil war in Athens that pitted nobles against the lower classes and eventually produced the first stirrings of democracy).

As you explore innovative Athenian approaches to democracy, law, and empire, you discover how these approaches served as the bedrock for ideas and practices that you live with every day. You also encounter a wealth of intriguing links to many of our own contemporary institutions and attitudes about democracy, law, and empire.

By the end of Professor Worthington's final captivating lecture, you discover that there was nothing inevitable about democracy, the Western concept of justice, or any of the other traditions and institutions that now play such central roles in the politics of the modern Western world. The story of how this tentative structure transformed into the firm foundation of our contemporary world is gripping, enlightening, and immensely rewarding.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2009 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2009 The Great Courses
Ancient Ancient History Ancient Greece Greece
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    4 out of 5 stars

Thorough, entertaining, and insightful

Professor Worthington's lectures are a treasure trove of insight into the early history of Western Civilization, and what we see when we peer into that ancient cradle, is that this baby is as ugly as it is beautiful. One thing I have always appreciated about good lecturers, is their ability to spin a narrative that is both self-critical and self-affirming, and Worthington does a masterful job of it.

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4 people found this helpful

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Fascinating account of the Ancient Greek world

The content and delivery of these lectures was excellent. Ancient Greece was brought to life by Worthington; his series was a balanced discussion of political, military and social developments - and why they were so important. His detailed analysis and enthusiastic delivery made this a joy to listen to. I will now be going on to read some of the books he has written on Philip and Alexander.

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Very interesting

I enjoyed all his ‘heresies’ it’s nice to hear different perspectives, Particularly on Alexander the Great.

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Good

not what i expected. very good, large focus on law and democracy. goes through the battles, just more human focused.

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4 people found this helpful

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Absolutely loved this course about Ancient Greece.

I have a few books from Ian Worthington and enjoyed them all. But this course is the next level. I enjoyed his delivery, and his proposed questians to get you to think. I will no doudt listen to it again and again

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A Whole New Old World

Despite being a history graduate, I was never much interested in Ancient and Classical history - bearded philosphers and red and black pots.
I wish I had had Ian Worthington as a teacher - he is enlightening and entertaining and his heresies make sense !
His subject matter is complex and subject to different interpretations - but his narrative leads you through it in a thoughtful way - leaving you to make up your own mind.
I highly recommend these lectures - he is an entertaining companion in this fascinating world.

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excellent

With almost no background knowledge of ancient Greece I wondered how I would fare with this audio book. I have to say that I found it very informative and easy to listen to. it is always good when something of the lecturer's personality comes through as it did with these lectures. Now to go over the lecture notes supplied in the pdf file. Highly recommended.

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Just great.

Very well narrated, even in complex parts of the book you still can understand very much. Fantastic

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Philosophy, science and the arts? Not here.

Supposedly “comprehensive” these lectures are in fact all about Greek law, politics and military history of the era. In this world, ancient Greek philosophers are only mentioned if they fell foul of the legal system or met a military leader, implying that Plato et al cast no shadow. So it’s all a bit monochrome and flat, very absent of cultural dimensions. The lecturer is not great either, seemingly a military history enthusiast. Lectures should be called ‘Ancient Greece: Plat-who? Let’s get to the fighting!’

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