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The Destruction of Cities in the Ancient Greek World

Integrating the Archaeological and Literary Evidence

Sylvian Fachard editor Edward M Harris editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Publishing:13th Feb '25

£29.99

This title is due to be published on 13th February, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

This paperback is available in another edition too:

The Destruction of Cities in the Ancient Greek World cover

The book studies examples of destruction of Ancient Greek cities and provides examples of human resilience and economic recovery following catastrophe.

The book studies the destruction of cities in the Ancient Greek World by comparing literary and archaeological evidence. It shows that ancient authors often exaggerated the impact of destruction. The book highlights the resilience of ancient populations and focuses on the recovery phase of cities in the long term.From the Trojan War to the sack of Rome, from the fall of Constantinople to the bombings of World War II and the recent devastation of Syrian towns, the destruction of cities and the slaughter of civilian populations are among the most dramatic events in world history. But how reliable are literary sources for these events? Did ancient authors exaggerate the scale of destruction to create sensational narratives? This volume reassesses the impact of physical destruction on ancient Greek cities and its demographic and economic implications. Addressing methodological issues of interpreting the archaeological evidence for destructions, the volume examines the evidence for the destruction, survival, and recovery of Greek cities. The studies, written by an international group of specialists in archaeology, ancient history, and numismatic, range from Sicily to Asia Minor and Aegean Thrace, and include Athens, Corinth, and Eretria. They highlight the resilience of ancient populations and the recovery of cities in the long term.

'… a must-read for both historians interested in the impact of war on cities and archaeologists who are dealing with the material remains of such events.' Alaya Palamidis, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
'[The essays offer] fine methodological contributions to the integration of literary and archaeological evidence for the study of a single phenomenon; at the same time, they offer excellent overviews of the history of important sites like Athens, Corinth, Eretria, and Selinus, while introducing the readers to important newly-excavated sites like Methone.' Kostas Vlassopoulos, Greece & Rome

ISBN: 9781108818780

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

375 pages