The heritage of Greece touches everyone, for it has inspired and shaped so much of Western science, art, and philosophy. Yet who are the Greeks? Visitors to Greece are often surprised by the variety they Frankish castles next to Doric temples, ancient Sparta side by side with medieval Mistra. What part have all these played in Greek history? Who were the people who built the Parthenon or died on the walls of Constantinople? Are the families who built one of the most prosperous merchant navies in the world of the same race as Odysseus? This book draws together many fragments to present the entire Greek experience. Under the direction of Robert Browning, Emeritus Professor of Classics at the University of London, twelve international specialists analyze every facet of Greek history, life, and culture. They are aided by a magnificent array of illustrations that set the latest discoveries beside the acknowledged masterpieces, vividly depicting the Greek landscape, the art, and the people. This volume (with 367 illustrations, 70 in color and 297 photographs, drawings, and maps) is beautiful enough to grace any table. Yet its text is by notable and capable contributors, who offer 13 succinct essays, establishing the creation and survival of an identifiable Hellenism. Subjects embrace the heroic Bronze Age, history from the Persian Wars to the Roman conquest, and developments in art, philosophy and literature; then transformations in Byzantium and among Christians, Moslems, and Slavs; and finally survival from the Ottoman period to modern times. A stunning introduction to the dynamic peristence of the Greek spirit. Robert J. Lenardon, Classics Dept., SUNY at Albany Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.