What Have The Greeks Ever Done For Us?
A reconsideration of our complicated relationship with ancient Greece, questioning how we view it through the lens of the 18th century.
Ancient Greece
Point of No Return? Britain and the Elgin Marbles
Britain’s ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures has caused controversy since they were first brought to London in the early 1800s. Keen to keep the Greeks onside, the debate became highly charged during the Second World War.
The United States of Greece
The urge to create a Greek nation state goes back millennia. Its success depended on a shared notion of ‘Greekness’ across widespread city states.
The Lost Classics
Though originally set to music, we almost always encounter the Ancient Greek epics as mute texts. But now their songs can be heard again.
The Oracle at Delphi: Vessels of the Gods
The priestesses of Delphi played a pivotal role in the religious life of the ancient Greek world, connecting the human to the divine.
Sappho and her Brothers
The survival of a recently discovered song by the early Greek poet is little short of a miracle, says David Gribble. How was it discovered and what does it add to our picture of a complex and elusive figure?
Democracy: A User's Guide
It comes in many forms and often disappoints, yet democracy has come to be regarded as the most desirable of all political systems. Paul Cartledge offers a guide to its roots in ancient Greece and reminds us of its long absence in the West.
Aristotle: The Making of The Mind
Aristotle is so synonymous with learning that he has been known simply as ‘the Mind’, ‘the Reader’ and ‘the Philosopher’. Admired by both Darwin and Marx, Edith Hall explores his life and legacy.
Ancient Sparta in Modern Fiction
Paul Cartledge argues that all historiography can be seen as fictionalised and relishes the fact that novelists breathe new life into ancient worlds.
The Birth of Comedy
From sausage-sellers to suffragettes, questioning and puncturing our political leaders through satire has been essential for democracy ever since comedy was born in Ancient Greece, argues Edith Hall.