CREATORS, CONQUERORS, & CITIZENS: A HISTORY OF ANCIENT GREECE

A comprehensive and readable account of a tumultuous saga

Author Robin Waterfield Publisher Oxford University Press Price £14.99 Released Out now

Creators, Conquerors, & Citizens: A History Of Ancient Greece, offers a new look at an already crowded field. That it manages to remain fresh and readable while doing so is no small feat in itself. Robin Waterfield has set himself the monumental task of covering over seven centuries of the history of Ancient Greece, from small city states to a mighty empire and the catastrophic conquest by Rome. He does so with aplomb, examining along the way what it meant to be Greek in such a sprawling and culturally diverse empire.

Opening with an invaluable and comprehensive timeline, Waterfield is a more-than-able guide through the often violent and always fascinating history of the Greek Empire. In his hands names that will be instantly familiar to readers spring to life on the page, illuminating what can at times be a dense history.

The book is divided into three sections, beginning with the Archaic Period and the early history of the empire, before taking in the Classical Period from the Delian League to the emergence of Alexander the Great, and concluding with the Hellenistic Period and the final conquest by

Rome. For a book that aims to provide an introduction to such a complex time, this is a masterstroke. Those unfamiliar with the history of Greece will find the book easy to navigate, and the comprehensive chapters are both accessible and scholarly.

Waterfield’s text is illustrated with maps and images, along with a useful glossary and comprehensive lists of recommended further reading.

His use of varied and broad sources is particularly effective, further broadening an already comprehensive work. There are, of course, moments at which he and other historians have been forced to fill in the blanks with guesswork, but such incidences are clearly pointed out in the text. When Waterfield has been forced by scant evidence to make an educated and wellreasoned inference, he is clear on why and how he reached his conclusions.

The text is stuffed with well-known names, but it’s in the citizens of the title that Creators, Conquerors, & Citizens really comes into its own. Waterfield’s examination of the ordinary people of the vast Greek empire is fascinating, providing the perfect balance to the tales of their near-legendary rulers.

Creators, Conquerors, & Citizens: A History Of Ancient Greece is not for a dyed-in-the-wool scholar of the ancient world. Instead, it’s a highly readable and stimulating introduction to a fascinating and sometimes intimidating area of history. Waterfield’s accessible but still authoritative tone brings the sights, sounds and citizens vividly to life. This evocative book manages to tread an often fine line between storytelling and scholarly history with a lightness of touch that belies the depth and scope of its approach. There is much to enjoy here and this engaging onevolume history will appeal to a great many readers, regardless of how much they already know about the history of Ancient Greece.

“Waterfield’s examination of the ordinary people of the Greek Empire is fascinating”