Ancient Greece (An Explorer's Guide)

Few locations in the world offer as many captivating ancient sites and monuments as Greece, and the ancients who built them knew how to choose spectacular natural settings that in themselves would satisfy any traveler. With its text rich in maps, site plans, and photographs, Ancient Greece provides potential explorers eager to bask in both beauty and history with a wealth of material to ignite the imagination and facilitate trip planning. Authors Meagher and Neave structure the book around four itineraries, three of which correspond to distinct eras and regions. The Minoan itinerary unfolds on Crete; the Mycenaean is focused on the Peloponnese; the Classical itinerary on Athens. The final, eclectic itinerary focuses on the Cyclades and features island-hopping and a survey of the full span of Greek antiquity from the late Neolithic Age through the Classical period when the island of Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo, was the religious center of the Aegean. Each itinerary includes witty and erudite explorations of mythology, history, literature, archaeology, and architecture, as well as concrete help finding the most stunning sites that preserve and breathe that history today. Chapters include: Envisioning and Planning Your Trip A Walk through Ancient Greece Itinerary I: Crete (Minoan Greece, 1900–1400 BCE) Itinerary II: The Peloponnese (Mycenaean Greece, 1500–1100 BCE) Itinerary III: Athens and Environs (Classical Greece, 500–336 BCE) Itinerary IV: The Cyclades (Aegean Greece, 3000–400 BCE)