Artifacts from ancient Greece

What objects would have been familiar to people living in Classical Greek society more than two millennia ago?

This book shows readers what life in ancient Greece was like through artifacts from domestic life, religion, politics, transportation, entertainment, and more. There are no photographic images or video clips of events that document the Classical Greek period from more than 2,000 years ago.

But through the careful examination of artifacts from that long-ago time, it is possible to get a clear sense of what life was like.

Artifacts from Ancient Greece provides an opportunity to investigate key aspects of everyday life in Classical Greece, from childhood through death.

Each artifact is discussed in depth to explain its place in Greek culture and how it was used. During this period, Athens built its greatest temples, started its philosophical movements, and reached its high point in theater, literature, and historical works.

However, the selection of artifacts draws from a wide sample of society in order to avoid focusing only on the lives of the rich.

The book begins with an explanation of the concept of using artifacts to understand and "see" the past and provides a primer for effectively analyzing artifacts.

Readers can examine images of artifacts, consider relevant primary sources, and read detailed explanations of each item's historical context. * Provides students with the opportunity to analyze and interpret both artifacts and primary sources, making this book an excellent complement to curricula that are increasing their focus on the use of a variety of primary sources* Allows readers to assemble a cohesive overall impression of Classical Greek life and society through artifacts that range from a legionary weapon and a medical scalpel to a wax tablet for writing, a bread oven, and a sundial* Includes primary source documents such as excerpts of histories, biographies, legal texts, inscriptions, medical texts, plays, and works of poetry