About this item
The extraordinary story of the intermingled civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome, spanning more than six millennia from the late Bronze Age to the seventh century The magnificent civilization created by the ancient Greeks and Romans is the greatest legacy of the classical world. However, narratives about the "civilized" Greek and Roman empires resisting the barbarians at the gate are far from accurate. Tony Spawforth, an esteemed scholar, author, and media contributor, follows the thread of civilization through more than six millennia of history. His story reveals that Greek and Roman civilization, to varying degrees, was supremely and surprisingly receptive to external influences, particularly from the East. From the rise of the Mycenaean world of the sixteenth century B.C., Spawforth traces a path through the ancient Aegean to the zenith of the Hellenic state and the rise of the Roman empire, the coming of Christianity and the consequences of the first caliphate. Deeply informed, provocative, and entirely fresh, this is the first and only accessible work that tells the extraordinary story of the classical world in its entirety.
About the Author
Tony Spawforth (1950- ) was born to an English father and a Scottish mother in London, U.K., where he grew up and went to school. His first job was as assistant director of the British School of Archaeology at Athens, Greece. He went on to teach and research Greek and Roman history for about thirty years at a university in north-east England. His publications include the third and fourth editions of "The Oxford Classical Dictionary", "Greece: An Oxford Archaeological Guide," "The Complete Greek Temples," and his latest book (2018) , "The Story of Greece and Rome". An enthusiasm for rulers' courts and the French ancien regime led to his book "Versailles: A Biography of a Palace". Among his media work he presented nine documentaries for the BBC2 "Ancient Voices" TV series. He lives mainly in Brighton, U.K.
