The Founders of the Western World: A History of Greece and Rome

If you always wanted to learn about Ancient Greece and Rome but didn't know where to start this book by Michael Grant is a good place to do it. In this small but comprehensive book, Michael Grant carefully outlines all of the historical milestones that made both civilizations great and timeless. Grant first begins with covering the Greek world and devotes 2/3 of his book to that subject. Grant covers the origins of Greek speaking peoples with groups such as the Myceneans and their contact with other Mediterranean civilizations. Grant then proceeds to Classical Greece, the Persian Wars, and the Peloponnesian War. Grant explains the origins of democracy in Athens and contrast with Sparta's dual monarchy. Grant also devotes significant attention to the political, philosophical, and artistic contributions of the Greeks. The section on Greece concludes with Alexander The Great and the Hellenic period. Grant's section on Rome is also comprehensive in covering the significant events that shaped Rome and her contributions. Grant covers the origins of Rome under the Etruscans and the Greek Italian colonies. Grant also covers the importance of the Punic Wars, Rome's contact with the Celts, and Rome's conquest of the Hellenic monarchies. Grant also discusses the impact of popular Roman leaders such as Marius, Sulla, Caesar, Pompey, Cicero, and Crassus. After explaining the Republic, Grant does a broad overview of the Principate devoting most of his attention to Augustus, Constantine, and Diocletian. As with his Greek section, Grant devotes some sections to discuss Rome's contributions in government, military, and artistic areas. This is a very good introductory text where the reader won't feel overwhelmed by strange names or concepts in their efforts to learn about ancient Greece and Rome. The book also puts those civilizations in perspective by explaining the legacy they left to the modern world in various fields such as language and culture; political science; military science; architecture; and, philosophy. I strongly recommend this book to anyone beginning to learn about Rome or who's looking for a good intorductory classroom textbook suitable for Jr. High and up.