In this concise edition from Yale University, Thomas Martin revives Greek civilization, from the Neolithic era to the Hellenistic period. Focusing on the development of city-states and the society and culture of Athens during the Golden Age, he weaves political, military, social, and cultural history into a book that will captivate scholars and the general reading public.

"For the Greeks, the crucial element of freedom of speech was the ability to say things to people who would not be pleased to hear them. This seems to me an idea worth remembering, as it is liberating for those willing to engage in the demanding work of sourcing research—a task that will grant them the authority to express judgments worth hearing because their conclusions will then arise from well-reasoned and humble reflection based on evidence.

By doing this work, they also earn the right to disagree outright with the conclusions of others that they find erroneous. Many exciting and longstanding issues and questions regarding the achievements and failures of the ancient Greeks remain to be posed and answered. This fact should encourage rather than deter readers to begin delving on their own, reaching the point where they can express their own compelling and significant conclusions about a history whose impact, in so many ways, remains alive."