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The Story of Civilization #2
The Life of Greece
The Story of Civilization, Volume II: A history of Greek civilization from the beginnings, and of civilization in the Near East from the Death of Alexander to the Roman Conquest. The Life of Greece is a survey of ancient Greece whose scope and style recalls the golden age of historical writing, before specialization. Durant, in this second volume of The Story of Civilization, tells the whole story of Hellas, from the days of Crete's vast Aegean empire to the extirpation of the last remnants of Greek liberty, crushed under the heel of an implacably forward-marching Rome. The dry minutiae of battles and sieges, tortuous statecraft of tyrant and king, are given less emphasis in what is pre-eminently a vivid recreation of Greek culture, written in a supple and vigorous prose.
[from cover]
[from cover]
754 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1939
About the author
Will Durant
717 books2,706 followersWilliam James Durant was a prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for the 11-volume The Story of Civilization, written in collaboration with his wife Ariel and published between 1935 and 1975. He was earlier noted for his book, The Story of Philosophy, written in 1926, which was considered "a groundbreaking work that helped to popularize philosophy."
They were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1967 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.
They were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1967 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
January 1, 2024
Reading Durant’s account of life in Ancient Greece, published in 1939, is pretty much like reading a CNN or Guardian analysis piece today. Take just one example in the Epilogue where he says: “Greek civilization is alive; it moves in every breath of wind that we breathe; so much of it remains that none of us in one lifetime could absorb it all. We know its defects - its insane and pitiless wars, its stagnant slavery, its subjection of woman, its lack of moral restraint, its corrupt individualism, its tragic failure to unite liberty with order and peace.”
I read his work and am lost in wonder. Greek civilization viewed after such a vast time lapse combining sound scholarship, remarkable interpretation and astute analysis. For me his field of vision is extraordinary, his perception pin sharp.
And all this without Google or Microsoft. Imagine that!
I read his work and am lost in wonder. Greek civilization viewed after such a vast time lapse combining sound scholarship, remarkable interpretation and astute analysis. For me his field of vision is extraordinary, his perception pin sharp.
And all this without Google or Microsoft. Imagine that!
January 25, 2016
Edward Gibbon, never the optimist, in his long chronicle of the collapse of the Roman Empire defined history as “little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.” Will Durant thinks this is a terrible mistake, and his series on the Story of Civilization can in part be seen as a corrective to the Gibbonian view.
Gibbon so often saw the worst in humankind: war, rebellion, deceit, mutiny, betrayal, mania, persecution, dogma, and any other crime you care to name. The heroes in Gibbon’s history are the few brave and compassionate souls who fought against the relentless tide of circumstances, only (at best) to slow the inevitable ruin of the empire. When Gibbon is not tracing out the long history of some martial campaign, with its dreary catalogue of victories, defeats, and slaughters, he is describing some horrid revolt at home, some cloak-and-dagger scheme for power, in which innocent after innocent are put to the sword—the bloody affair inevitably ending with some wretched villain clothed in the purple, destined to be hewn down by another villain. For Gibbon, everything worthwhile—philosophy, art, literature, science—happens in spite of the course of history, not because of it.
As I said, Durant holds the opposite view. Durant is here interested in tracing out the progress of civilization. By this term, “civilization,” Durant means many things: lasting peace, strong morals, good government, moderate religion, the development of the fine arts, and the advance of knowledge. He is much more interested in styles of pottery than types of weaponry; he would rather dwell on a piece of music than a naval battle. Thus, in this volume, we find an enormous amount of space given over to the playwrights and poets, to architectural styles and the progress of painting, to philosophy and mathematics. And although Durant does largely subscribe to the “great man” view of history—or at least the “great man” view of civilization—he takes many opportunities to depict the daily lives of the Greeks. Indeed, compared with Gibbon, Durant’s tone and subject are often intimate, familiar, even mundane.
Durant is a writer of rare caliber. He somehow manages to be both eloquent and direct, both sophisticated and easygoing, both erudite and approachable. His prose is welcoming; you can spend hours reading this book, and never tire. Yet unlike other books that are easily read, Durant’s prose is never plain or merely functional, but always sparkles with wit and charm. Consequently, this book (and I’m sure the others in this series) can be profitably and enjoyably read by anyone, bookworm or neophyte.
Of course, this book is not without its flaws. The most obvious and forgivable is that Durant has many outdated opinions. Even for the time this book was published—1939—Durant had an old-fashioned turn of mind. He is a lover of tradition, and is typically skeptical of modern scholarship. But this leads to his more serious shortcoming: his credulity of tradition. Many stories are related in these pages that I suspect are apocryphal, or at least not very well supported by the record. History is relentlessly mythologized, and this is doubly true of Greek history, which is half myth to begin with; so I think much more skepticism is needed than what Durant brought to bear.
Doubtless, part of this is due to Durant’s background. He is not a specialist in any sense of the word, but rather explicitly scorns specialization. It was his opinion that a “synthesis” was needed of the many “analytic” works in existence; that somebody with a broad background and a philosophical turn of mind was required to gather up the scattered materials of historical research into one grand fabric. The ultimate purpose of this venture is perspective—to see the subject from as near a universal point of view as possible. But as Durant admits himself, the huge mass of information makes errors inevitable.
Yet the occasional error is not the gravest possibility for a venture of this kind. By writing from such a high vantage point, Durant risks mischaracterizing his subject entirely, as inaccurate generalizations and apocryphal tales are easy to accept when one isn’t well-acquainted with the original data. Otto Neugebauer, in his excellent Exact Sciences in Antiquity (1949), seems to be responding directly to Durant when he says:
Neugebauer’s approach is quite opposite to Durant’s. Neugebauer aims not to simplify or generalize, not to gather up what we know into a single narrative, but by patient scholarship to reveal the incredible and irreducible richness of every phase of human culture. Thus, instead of summarizing Babylonian mathematics, he deciphers a single Babylonian tablet for the reader, allowing us an indirect glimpse at the primary material, repeatedly reminding us how little we actually know about these bygone civilizations.
Yet admirable and impressive as is Neugebauer’s work, and as persuasive as is his pedagogical philosophy, I think works like Durant’s are necessary. Somebody has to attempt, however imperfectly, the task of weaving together all of the disparate threads. One single mind, however limited, has to endeavor to tell the whole story. Of course Neugebauer is right that the final product will be riddled with errors, and perhaps is doomed from the start. But works like Durant’s and Gibbon’s allow us to develop a sense of history, to feel in our bones the many generations that have lived and died before us, to sense our own small place in a progression of works and deed that did not begin with us, and will not end with us.
Gibbon so often saw the worst in humankind: war, rebellion, deceit, mutiny, betrayal, mania, persecution, dogma, and any other crime you care to name. The heroes in Gibbon’s history are the few brave and compassionate souls who fought against the relentless tide of circumstances, only (at best) to slow the inevitable ruin of the empire. When Gibbon is not tracing out the long history of some martial campaign, with its dreary catalogue of victories, defeats, and slaughters, he is describing some horrid revolt at home, some cloak-and-dagger scheme for power, in which innocent after innocent are put to the sword—the bloody affair inevitably ending with some wretched villain clothed in the purple, destined to be hewn down by another villain. For Gibbon, everything worthwhile—philosophy, art, literature, science—happens in spite of the course of history, not because of it.
As I said, Durant holds the opposite view. Durant is here interested in tracing out the progress of civilization. By this term, “civilization,” Durant means many things: lasting peace, strong morals, good government, moderate religion, the development of the fine arts, and the advance of knowledge. He is much more interested in styles of pottery than types of weaponry; he would rather dwell on a piece of music than a naval battle. Thus, in this volume, we find an enormous amount of space given over to the playwrights and poets, to architectural styles and the progress of painting, to philosophy and mathematics. And although Durant does largely subscribe to the “great man” view of history—or at least the “great man” view of civilization—he takes many opportunities to depict the daily lives of the Greeks. Indeed, compared with Gibbon, Durant’s tone and subject are often intimate, familiar, even mundane.
Durant is a writer of rare caliber. He somehow manages to be both eloquent and direct, both sophisticated and easygoing, both erudite and approachable. His prose is welcoming; you can spend hours reading this book, and never tire. Yet unlike other books that are easily read, Durant’s prose is never plain or merely functional, but always sparkles with wit and charm. Consequently, this book (and I’m sure the others in this series) can be profitably and enjoyably read by anyone, bookworm or neophyte.
Of course, this book is not without its flaws. The most obvious and forgivable is that Durant has many outdated opinions. Even for the time this book was published—1939—Durant had an old-fashioned turn of mind. He is a lover of tradition, and is typically skeptical of modern scholarship. But this leads to his more serious shortcoming: his credulity of tradition. Many stories are related in these pages that I suspect are apocryphal, or at least not very well supported by the record. History is relentlessly mythologized, and this is doubly true of Greek history, which is half myth to begin with; so I think much more skepticism is needed than what Durant brought to bear.
Doubtless, part of this is due to Durant’s background. He is not a specialist in any sense of the word, but rather explicitly scorns specialization. It was his opinion that a “synthesis” was needed of the many “analytic” works in existence; that somebody with a broad background and a philosophical turn of mind was required to gather up the scattered materials of historical research into one grand fabric. The ultimate purpose of this venture is perspective—to see the subject from as near a universal point of view as possible. But as Durant admits himself, the huge mass of information makes errors inevitable.
Yet the occasional error is not the gravest possibility for a venture of this kind. By writing from such a high vantage point, Durant risks mischaracterizing his subject entirely, as inaccurate generalizations and apocryphal tales are easy to accept when one isn’t well-acquainted with the original data. Otto Neugebauer, in his excellent Exact Sciences in Antiquity (1949), seems to be responding directly to Durant when he says:
I do not consider it as the goal of historical writing to condense the complexity of historical processes into some kind of “digest” or “synthesis”. On the contrary, I see the main purpose of historical studies in the unfolding of the stupendous wealth of phenomena which are connected with any phase of human history and thus to counteract the natural tendency toward over-simplification and philosophical constructions which are the faithful companions of ignorance.
Neugebauer’s approach is quite opposite to Durant’s. Neugebauer aims not to simplify or generalize, not to gather up what we know into a single narrative, but by patient scholarship to reveal the incredible and irreducible richness of every phase of human culture. Thus, instead of summarizing Babylonian mathematics, he deciphers a single Babylonian tablet for the reader, allowing us an indirect glimpse at the primary material, repeatedly reminding us how little we actually know about these bygone civilizations.
Yet admirable and impressive as is Neugebauer’s work, and as persuasive as is his pedagogical philosophy, I think works like Durant’s are necessary. Somebody has to attempt, however imperfectly, the task of weaving together all of the disparate threads. One single mind, however limited, has to endeavor to tell the whole story. Of course Neugebauer is right that the final product will be riddled with errors, and perhaps is doomed from the start. But works like Durant’s and Gibbon’s allow us to develop a sense of history, to feel in our bones the many generations that have lived and died before us, to sense our own small place in a progression of works and deed that did not begin with us, and will not end with us.
January 3, 2018
The Story of Civilization, Part II: The Life of Greece (The Story of Civilization #2), Will Durant, Ariel Durant (Editor)
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 1993 میلادی
عنوان: تاریخ تمدن مجلد دوم یونان باستان؛ نویسنده: ویل دورانت؛ آریل دورانت؛ مترجمها: امیرحسین آریانپور: کتابهای یکم و دوّم ؛ فتحالله مجتبائی: کتاب سوّم ؛ هوشنگ پیرنظر: کتابهای چهارم و پنجم؛ ؛ سرویراستار: محمود مصاحب؛ ویراستاران: نادر هدی، خشایار دیهیمی، فتحالله مجتبائی، هرمز همایونپور؛ تهران،سازمان انتشارات؛ 1370؛ در 904 ص؛
فهرست: کتاب اوّل: پیشدرآمدِ اژه ای؛ کتاب دوّم: تکامل یونان؛ کتاب سوّم: عصر طلایی؛ کتاب چهارم: انحطاط تمدن یونان؛ کتاب پنجم: اضمحلال یونان؛ •••؛ ملحقات؛
منشا رشد و بالندگی، کمال و انحطاط تمدن یونان (هلاس) در این کتاب آمده است. ا. شربیانی
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 1993 میلادی
عنوان: تاریخ تمدن مجلد دوم یونان باستان؛ نویسنده: ویل دورانت؛ آریل دورانت؛ مترجمها: امیرحسین آریانپور: کتابهای یکم و دوّم ؛ فتحالله مجتبائی: کتاب سوّم ؛ هوشنگ پیرنظر: کتابهای چهارم و پنجم؛ ؛ سرویراستار: محمود مصاحب؛ ویراستاران: نادر هدی، خشایار دیهیمی، فتحالله مجتبائی، هرمز همایونپور؛ تهران،سازمان انتشارات؛ 1370؛ در 904 ص؛
فهرست: کتاب اوّل: پیشدرآمدِ اژه ای؛ کتاب دوّم: تکامل یونان؛ کتاب سوّم: عصر طلایی؛ کتاب چهارم: انحطاط تمدن یونان؛ کتاب پنجم: اضمحلال یونان؛ •••؛ ملحقات؛
منشا رشد و بالندگی، کمال و انحطاط تمدن یونان (هلاس) در این کتاب آمده است. ا. شربیانی
November 4, 2020
ETA: Why should you read this? Greece set the stage for all civilizations to follow. The core of every field of knowledge lies here. Having completed the book, the reader has a firm basis on which to stand. Reading it is not a chore; the author knows how to arouse one's interest, making learning fun.
**********************
Luffy, for recommending this.
The Life of Greece by Will Durant is comprehensive. It is packed with information that will be interesting to an expert while at the same time remaining comprehensible to a novice such as me. In both its breadth and depth, it is amazing. Information is presented in a fascinating and well organized manner. The further I read, the more I fell in love with it. As I read I learned; my knowledge piqued my interest for more. I have given the book five stars because for me it is amazing. It is no easy task to satisfy both a novice and experts.
After a short and to the point introduction, the book begins with an “Aegean prelude” covering the period 3500 B.C. to 1000 B.C. Here the civilization that developed in Crete is presented. Thereafter follows, in basically chronological order, the rise of Greece up to the Classical Age, or the Golden Age as it is called by some, then comes the Classical Age of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., the decline and fall of the Greek city-states which also includes the reigns of Philip of Macedonia and his son Alexander the Great, then Hellenism with the spread of Greek culture and finally the coming of Rome. A short epilog discusses the lasting effects of Greek culture on all the arts, politics, science, mathematics, religion, philosophy—there is not a field untouched by Greek thought and culture!
Biographical information of both lesser and more prominent figures, supernatural, religious, mystical and philosophical beliefs, literature, drama, poetry, music and dance, as well as sculpture, architecture and painting are discussed and analyzed in interesting ways. One’s attention never lags.
I compare this with other books I have read on Philip of Macedonia and Alexander the Great. This I adored, those I just followed. The focus is on culture, different schools of philosophy and the consequences of battles rather than the recounting of copious military details. Quotes are given--sometimes they clarify, other times they make you think or laugh. The Stoic, Zeno, to a student who talked too much said, “The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is that we may hear more and talk less.” I like how topics are explained, the examples given and the quotes cited. Here is a quote of Socrates, that I particularly liked: “How many things there are that I do not want!”
The downfall of Greek society is discussed. It fell apart from within. Monarchy, oligarchy and democracy are compared. Democracy led to free thinking and the blossoming of knowledge, but in the end chaos took hold. Stoicism, epicureanism, Ptolemaic socialism are examined. We all know of the library in Alexandria, but the ancient library of Pergamum is also spoken of. Did you know that how we punctuate, capitalize at the start of a sentence and group thoughts into paragraphs, all come from the Greek? Under the reign of Ptolemy III, the original of every book that came into Alexandria was archived in the library, the books’ owners were instead given a copy of the original.
The book is chockful of interesting information! There is so much, it is impossible to absorb all in one go. It’s worth reading many, many times. It sets forth philosophical themes tantalizing to consider; it provides food for thought. I believe it will become a classic.
Stefan Rudnicki narrates the audiobook. He speaks clearly, but a bit too fast. With the new Audible app it is possible to listen at a reduced speed of 90%—this was perfect for me. Faster, the content becomes difficult to absorb. It is nice to be able to adjust the speed as the complexity of the topic varies. The narration I have given four stars—I like it a lot!
**************************
*The Life of Greece by Will Durant 5 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient Athens: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak 3 stars
*The Histories by Herodotus TBR
*Herodotus: The Father of History TBR
*Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuściński TBR
**********************
Luffy, for recommending this.
The Life of Greece by Will Durant is comprehensive. It is packed with information that will be interesting to an expert while at the same time remaining comprehensible to a novice such as me. In both its breadth and depth, it is amazing. Information is presented in a fascinating and well organized manner. The further I read, the more I fell in love with it. As I read I learned; my knowledge piqued my interest for more. I have given the book five stars because for me it is amazing. It is no easy task to satisfy both a novice and experts.
After a short and to the point introduction, the book begins with an “Aegean prelude” covering the period 3500 B.C. to 1000 B.C. Here the civilization that developed in Crete is presented. Thereafter follows, in basically chronological order, the rise of Greece up to the Classical Age, or the Golden Age as it is called by some, then comes the Classical Age of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., the decline and fall of the Greek city-states which also includes the reigns of Philip of Macedonia and his son Alexander the Great, then Hellenism with the spread of Greek culture and finally the coming of Rome. A short epilog discusses the lasting effects of Greek culture on all the arts, politics, science, mathematics, religion, philosophy—there is not a field untouched by Greek thought and culture!
Biographical information of both lesser and more prominent figures, supernatural, religious, mystical and philosophical beliefs, literature, drama, poetry, music and dance, as well as sculpture, architecture and painting are discussed and analyzed in interesting ways. One’s attention never lags.
I compare this with other books I have read on Philip of Macedonia and Alexander the Great. This I adored, those I just followed. The focus is on culture, different schools of philosophy and the consequences of battles rather than the recounting of copious military details. Quotes are given--sometimes they clarify, other times they make you think or laugh. The Stoic, Zeno, to a student who talked too much said, “The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is that we may hear more and talk less.” I like how topics are explained, the examples given and the quotes cited. Here is a quote of Socrates, that I particularly liked: “How many things there are that I do not want!”
The downfall of Greek society is discussed. It fell apart from within. Monarchy, oligarchy and democracy are compared. Democracy led to free thinking and the blossoming of knowledge, but in the end chaos took hold. Stoicism, epicureanism, Ptolemaic socialism are examined. We all know of the library in Alexandria, but the ancient library of Pergamum is also spoken of. Did you know that how we punctuate, capitalize at the start of a sentence and group thoughts into paragraphs, all come from the Greek? Under the reign of Ptolemy III, the original of every book that came into Alexandria was archived in the library, the books’ owners were instead given a copy of the original.
The book is chockful of interesting information! There is so much, it is impossible to absorb all in one go. It’s worth reading many, many times. It sets forth philosophical themes tantalizing to consider; it provides food for thought. I believe it will become a classic.
Stefan Rudnicki narrates the audiobook. He speaks clearly, but a bit too fast. With the new Audible app it is possible to listen at a reduced speed of 90%—this was perfect for me. Faster, the content becomes difficult to absorb. It is nice to be able to adjust the speed as the complexity of the topic varies. The narration I have given four stars—I like it a lot!
**************************
*The Life of Greece by Will Durant 5 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient Athens: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak 3 stars
*The Histories by Herodotus TBR
*Herodotus: The Father of History TBR
*Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuściński TBR
September 11, 2018
“No great nation is ever conquered until it has destroyed itself.”
After Our Oriental Heritage, The Life of Greece is the second book of the ginormous 11 volume History of Civilization.
This book covers the ancient Greece and Hellenistic Near East until the Roman conquest.
All the glorious Greece comes to life in this enjoyable, interesting and colorful read with never a dull moment.
One loses oneself in this fascinating ancient world surrounded by all the myths and gods, the philosophers, poets, sculptors and scientists.
After Our Oriental Heritage, The Life of Greece is the second book of the ginormous 11 volume History of Civilization.
This book covers the ancient Greece and Hellenistic Near East until the Roman conquest.
All the glorious Greece comes to life in this enjoyable, interesting and colorful read with never a dull moment.
One loses oneself in this fascinating ancient world surrounded by all the myths and gods, the philosophers, poets, sculptors and scientists.
December 10, 2019
"Civilization does not die, it migrates; it changes its habitat and its dress, but it lives on. The decay of one civilization, as of one individual, makes room for the growth of another; life sheds the old skin, and surprises death with fresh youth."
- Will Durant, The Life of Greece
Will Durant, during his strongest moments in book 2, transfers his love of Greek history, philosophy, art, and civilization elegantly to the reader. He captures the history of Greece, but also places Greece firmly within the greater context Western Civilization, history, and our current philosophy, science, and art. He is weakest when he aggregating and acting as an art historian or literary critic; he both tries to summarize the work AND the artist and excels at neither.
Durant's approach (and with Hellenic Civilization it is difficult to find a perfect approach) takes the reader from city-state to city-state (which often yo-yos the reader in time). Like with Book 1, I loved Durant's imagry, metaphors, and well-formed lines. Here is just a sample from Book 1 of the Story of Civilization 2: The Life of Greece:
"It is as difficult to begin a civilization without robbery as it is to maintain it without slaves" (10).
"But we must not mistake our guessing for history" (15).
"...the patient perfecting of litttle things" (16).
"...a nation is born stoic and dies epicurean" (21).
"By a hundered channels the old civilization emptied itself out into the new" (23).
"Civilization is always older than we think" (27);
"...but faith survives every desolation" (33).
"We shall assume that the major leggends are true in essence, imaginitive in detail" (38).
"A myth is often a bit of popular wisdom personified in poetic figures...legend is often a fragment of history swelling with new fictions as it folls down the years" (43-44).
"society is a rumbling cart that travels an uneven road; and no matter how carefully the cart is constituted, some of the varied objects in it will sink to the bottom, and others will rise to the top" (47).
"Precedent dominates law because precedent is custom, and custom is the jealous older brother of law" (54).
"Art (to vary Aristotle) may make even terror beautiful -- and so purify it--by giving it significance and form" (56).
- Will Durant, The Life of Greece
Will Durant, during his strongest moments in book 2, transfers his love of Greek history, philosophy, art, and civilization elegantly to the reader. He captures the history of Greece, but also places Greece firmly within the greater context Western Civilization, history, and our current philosophy, science, and art. He is weakest when he aggregating and acting as an art historian or literary critic; he both tries to summarize the work AND the artist and excels at neither.
Durant's approach (and with Hellenic Civilization it is difficult to find a perfect approach) takes the reader from city-state to city-state (which often yo-yos the reader in time). Like with Book 1, I loved Durant's imagry, metaphors, and well-formed lines. Here is just a sample from Book 1 of the Story of Civilization 2: The Life of Greece:
"It is as difficult to begin a civilization without robbery as it is to maintain it without slaves" (10).
"But we must not mistake our guessing for history" (15).
"...the patient perfecting of litttle things" (16).
"...a nation is born stoic and dies epicurean" (21).
"By a hundered channels the old civilization emptied itself out into the new" (23).
"Civilization is always older than we think" (27);
"...but faith survives every desolation" (33).
"We shall assume that the major leggends are true in essence, imaginitive in detail" (38).
"A myth is often a bit of popular wisdom personified in poetic figures...legend is often a fragment of history swelling with new fictions as it folls down the years" (43-44).
"society is a rumbling cart that travels an uneven road; and no matter how carefully the cart is constituted, some of the varied objects in it will sink to the bottom, and others will rise to the top" (47).
"Precedent dominates law because precedent is custom, and custom is the jealous older brother of law" (54).
"Art (to vary Aristotle) may make even terror beautiful -- and so purify it--by giving it significance and form" (56).
January 12, 2010
For many years, I have been curious about Will and Ariel Durant, those amateur historians who attempted to plot the course of civilization from the beginnings to the present day. Unfortunately, they did not live long enough to accomplish their goal, but what they did accomplish was nothing short of amazing.
I had expected The Life of Greece, the second volume in the massive Story of Civilization series to be pompous and well-meaning. Instead, I found it exhilarating and at the same time encyclopedic, as in the book's last paragraph:
And then, with a wry smile, he ends his work by dedicating it to us: "To those who have come thus far; thank you for your unseen but ever felt companionship."
While, as one would expect, the coverage of Periclean Athens is deep and thoughtful, the book's biggest surprise, however, is its coverage of Hellenic Greece, which most Historians hurry through as if they had to make a dash to the rest room. Instead, Durant lingers here and makes us realize that Greece did not die with Alexander, nor did it even die with Roman rule. It took the founding of the Eastern Roman Empire by Diocletian to mark the end.
This is a book that is well worth seeking out. Fortunately, it is easy to buy complete sets of The Story of Civilization. If the other volumes are as good as this, that might not be a bad idea.
I had expected The Life of Greece, the second volume in the massive Story of Civilization series to be pompous and well-meaning. Instead, I found it exhilarating and at the same time encyclopedic, as in the book's last paragraph:
Civilization does not die, it migrates; it changes its habitat and its dress, but it lives on. The decay of one civilization, as of one individual, makes room for the growth of another; life sheds the old skin, and surprises death with fresh youth. Greek civilization is alive; it moves in every breath of mind that we breathe; so much of it remains that none of us in one lifetime could absorb it all. We know its defects—its insane and pitiless wars, its stagnant slavery, its subjection of woman, its lack of moral restraint, its corrupt individualism, its tragic failure to unite liberty with order and peace. But those who cherish freedom, reason, and beauty will not linger over those blemishes. They will hear behind the turmoil of political history the voices of Solon and Socrates, of Plato and Euripides, of Pheidias and Praxiteles, of Epicurus and Archimedes; they will be grateful for the existence of such men, and will seek their company across alien centuries. They will think of Greece as the bright morning of that Western Civilization which, with all its kindred faults, is our nourishment and our life.
And then, with a wry smile, he ends his work by dedicating it to us: "To those who have come thus far; thank you for your unseen but ever felt companionship."
While, as one would expect, the coverage of Periclean Athens is deep and thoughtful, the book's biggest surprise, however, is its coverage of Hellenic Greece, which most Historians hurry through as if they had to make a dash to the rest room. Instead, Durant lingers here and makes us realize that Greece did not die with Alexander, nor did it even die with Roman rule. It took the founding of the Eastern Roman Empire by Diocletian to mark the end.
This is a book that is well worth seeking out. Fortunately, it is easy to buy complete sets of The Story of Civilization. If the other volumes are as good as this, that might not be a bad idea.
March 17, 2020
Magnificent, riveting and fascinating and told with wit, erudition and soul. Onwards…
February 25, 2017
بخش های سقراط و محاکمه و اعدام سقراط، شاگردش: افلاطون، و شاگرد افلاطون: ارسطو، و شاگرد جهانگشای ارسطو: اسکندر مقدونی.
معمولاً اطلاعات ما نسبت به جهان گشایی اسکندر، از طریق منابع ایرانیه که به طرز غیر محققانه ای جانبدارانه نوشته شدن، اون هم راجع به واقعه ای که دوهزار سال قبل رخ داده و کمترین تأثیر واقعی ای روی زندگی کنونی ما نمی تونه داشته باشه. شخصیت اسکندر، خیلی خیلی جذاب تر از اون خون خوار سفّاکیه که توی کتاب های ایرانی-نوشت نشون داده می شه. اسکندر، البته یونانی و متمدن نیست، مقدونی و کمابیش وحشیه، اما از نژاد مقدونی خودش بیزاره و به جای فرهنگِ نداشته ی نژاد خودش، میخواد فرهنگ یونانی رو در مستعمراتش گسترش بده. اسکندر، شاگرد ارسطوئه و ارسطو کتاب معروف "اخلاق نیکوماخوس" و همچنین کتاب "ارغنون"، اولین کتاب منطق تاریخ رو برای اسکندر نوشته. همین کافیه که بدونیم با یه "چنگیز" مواجه نیستیم. با یه شخصیت خیلی پیچیده تر و صد البته جذاب تر سر و کار داریم.
اما راجع به ارسطو، به نظر میرسید لحن کتاب، بدون دلیل، خصمانه میشه. صد در صد کسی از یه فیلسوف که آغازگر راه فلسفه ی تدوین شده است و تازه علم رو از پراکندگی دوره ی پیشاسقراطی در آورده، انتظار نداره که مثل محقق های هزاره ی سوم، که مرز و روش تحقیق هر علمی کاملاً مشخصه و ابزارها و کتب مختلفی راجع به هر علمی نوشته شده، رفتار کنه. اما انگار ویل دورانت این انتظار رو داره و پی در پی به خاطر اشتباهات ارسطو تمسخرش می کنه. لحن بیش از اندازه نیشدار، باعث میشه خواننده علیه نویسنده برانگیخته بشه، نه علیه اون کسی که نویسنده داره تمسخرش می کنه.
می گه ارسطو، برای اولین بار چند تخم مرغ رو زیر مرغ های مختلف میذاره و طی مدتی که جنین رشد می کنه و تبدیل به جوجه میشه، هر روز یکی از تخم ها رو بر میداره و میشکنه، تا مراحل رشد جنین رو کاملاً محسوس ببینه و به مراحل رشد جنین انسان پی ببره. این کار ارسطو به قدری برای من جذاب بود که از فرط لذت، می خواستم کتاب رو پرت کنم بالا! (مبالغه می کنم) ولی از این نوآوری و روشن بینی عظیم و خیره کننده در چنان روزگاری، ویل دورانت خیلی ساده رد شده تا به اشتباهات اولین و اولین محقق جهان که پیشینیانش چیز زیادی براش به ارث نذاشتن، بپردازه. به نظرم واقعاً غیرمنصفانه است.
معمولاً اطلاعات ما نسبت به جهان گشایی اسکندر، از طریق منابع ایرانیه که به طرز غیر محققانه ای جانبدارانه نوشته شدن، اون هم راجع به واقعه ای که دوهزار سال قبل رخ داده و کمترین تأثیر واقعی ای روی زندگی کنونی ما نمی تونه داشته باشه. شخصیت اسکندر، خیلی خیلی جذاب تر از اون خون خوار سفّاکیه که توی کتاب های ایرانی-نوشت نشون داده می شه. اسکندر، البته یونانی و متمدن نیست، مقدونی و کمابیش وحشیه، اما از نژاد مقدونی خودش بیزاره و به جای فرهنگِ نداشته ی نژاد خودش، میخواد فرهنگ یونانی رو در مستعمراتش گسترش بده. اسکندر، شاگرد ارسطوئه و ارسطو کتاب معروف "اخلاق نیکوماخوس" و همچنین کتاب "ارغنون"، اولین کتاب منطق تاریخ رو برای اسکندر نوشته. همین کافیه که بدونیم با یه "چنگیز" مواجه نیستیم. با یه شخصیت خیلی پیچیده تر و صد البته جذاب تر سر و کار داریم.
اما راجع به ارسطو، به نظر میرسید لحن کتاب، بدون دلیل، خصمانه میشه. صد در صد کسی از یه فیلسوف که آغازگر راه فلسفه ی تدوین شده است و تازه علم رو از پراکندگی دوره ی پیشاسقراطی در آورده، انتظار نداره که مثل محقق های هزاره ی سوم، که مرز و روش تحقیق هر علمی کاملاً مشخصه و ابزارها و کتب مختلفی راجع به هر علمی نوشته شده، رفتار کنه. اما انگار ویل دورانت این انتظار رو داره و پی در پی به خاطر اشتباهات ارسطو تمسخرش می کنه. لحن بیش از اندازه نیشدار، باعث میشه خواننده علیه نویسنده برانگیخته بشه، نه علیه اون کسی که نویسنده داره تمسخرش می کنه.
می گه ارسطو، برای اولین بار چند تخم مرغ رو زیر مرغ های مختلف میذاره و طی مدتی که جنین رشد می کنه و تبدیل به جوجه میشه، هر روز یکی از تخم ها رو بر میداره و میشکنه، تا مراحل رشد جنین رو کاملاً محسوس ببینه و به مراحل رشد جنین انسان پی ببره. این کار ارسطو به قدری برای من جذاب بود که از فرط لذت، می خواستم کتاب رو پرت کنم بالا! (مبالغه می کنم) ولی از این نوآوری و روشن بینی عظیم و خیره کننده در چنان روزگاری، ویل دورانت خیلی ساده رد شده تا به اشتباهات اولین و اولین محقق جهان که پیشینیانش چیز زیادی براش به ارث نذاشتن، بپردازه. به نظرم واقعاً غیرمنصفانه است.
July 1, 2019
Why read The Story of Civilization, its eleven volumes and four million words? There are more modern histories, benefiting from recent findings in archaeology, anthropology, and science, but Durant gives the reader an encyclopedic grasp of history, a fluid, beautiful writing style, and insights into human nature. Read him for wisdom.
Over and over again he describes a situation in a way that is interesting for its historical value, and then he places it into a larger context, extracting an observation that is a general commentary on human nature, valid for all societies and all times. This volume was published in 1939, and yet some of his remarks shed light on the today's political situation. For instance, there was a time when the social and political elites felt they had an obligation to the country, its peoples, and its laws. That is now long gone; in the scramble for money it is every man for himself. Durant understood this type of political collapse, remarking that, “When aristocracy decays it is usually replaced by a plutocratic oligarchy, which is government by wealth. This is better than the despotism of a king or a mob; but it gives power to men whose souls have been cramped by the petty calculations of trade, or the villainous taking of interest, and issues, as like as not, in the conscienceless exploitation of the poor.”
The book begins with the Minoan civilization on Crete, describing its magnificent artwork, palaces, and trading networks, its rise to greatness and eventual fall, which opened the door for barbarians from the north. There was an interlude with Mycenaean Greece, rough but capable people who created magnificent artwork, but they were soon swept away by another barbarian invasion, this time the Dorians, and Greece fell into a Dark Age.
The competing societies slowly and violently sorted themselves out, and aided by the adoption of the Phoenician script, started up the long and halting path toward civilization. From this point on Durant’s book becomes multi-dimensional, describing not just historical events, but literature, philosophy, politics, science, art, and the lives of citizens rich and poor. He makes a comment which might well describe America’s future, “The middle classes, which had provided by their aggregate number and power a balance between the aristocracy and the commons, had lost much of their wealth, and could no longer mediate between the rich and the poor, between an unyielding conservatism and a Utopian radicalism; Athenian society divided itself into Plato’s ‘two cities’—‘one the city of the poor, the other of the rich, the one at war with the other.’”
There is a chapter on Homer, which becomes a commentary on the gods, whose squabbling petulance is far more humanlike than divine. In one passage he deftly summarizes something that anyone who has read the Illiad will recognize, “Hector, Helenus, and Troilus are more likable than the vacillating Agamemnon, the treacherous Odysseus, and the petulant Achilles; Andromache and Polyxena are as charming as Helen and Iphigenia; and Hecuba is a shade better than Clytaemnestra. All in all, the Trojans, as pictured by their enemies, seem to us less deceitful, more devoted, better gentlemen, than the Greeks who conquered them.”
Sparta is seen as a historical anomaly, a society that forsook art and culture in the name of military supremacy. It worked for a time, but the forces of inequality slowly ate away at its foundations. To be a member of the army a man had to provide his share of the common mess, but as more and more land and wealth were concentrated into fewer and fewer families, the number who could afford it continued to shrink, “The homoioi, or Equals, numbered eight thousand in 480, two thousand in 371, and seven hundred in 341.” When the Spartan phalanx was finally broken by Epaminondas at Leuctra in 371, the society itself broke, and receded into permanent historical obscurity. Durant sums up their fall by saying, “In the end Sparta’s narrowness of spirit betrayed even her strength of soul. She descended to the sanctioning of any means to gain a Spartan aim; at last she stooped so far to conquer as to sell to Persia the liberties that Athens had won for Greece at Marathon. Militarism absorbed her, and made her, once so honored, the hated terror of her neighbors. When she fell, all the nations marveled, but none mourned.”
Durant does a fine job examining the decay of the city states from political strife and the inability to form effective and lasting coalitions. “Greek democracy was corrupt and incompetent, and had to die. But when it was dead men realized how beautiful its heyday had been; and all later generations of antiquity looked back to the centuries of Pericles and Plato as the zenith of Greece, and of all history.” He believed that one cause of the decline was the gradual erosion of belief in the state religion.
As time passed they too passed, from being seen as actual deities to symbols of power and wisdom, to fairy tales to entertain children. “Pheidias ennobled the gods with beauty and majesty; Pythagoras and Plato associated philosophy with religion, and supported the doctrine of immortality as a stimulus to morals. But Protagoras doubted, Socrates ignored, Democritus denied, Euripides ridiculed the gods; and in the end Greek philosophy, hardly willing it, destroyed the religion that had molded the moral life of Greece.”
With the arrival of Philip of Macedon, Greece’s independence ended. “War itself had become professionalized by technical complications, and required the full time of specially trained men; citizen soldiers had to be replaced with mercenaries – an omen that the leadership of Greece must soon pass from statesmen to warriors.” Philip swept aside the motley armies that opposed him, established garrisons in the major cities, suppressed democracy in favor of oligarchies loyal to him, and made plans to enter Asia and conquer the Persians. He was assassinated before he could do it, but that opened the way for Alexander to shake the world to its foundations.
Durant is not an admirer of Alexander, whom he sees as brave but foolhardy, stubborn to the point of recklessness, and saved only by the professionalism of his soldiers and the skill of his generals. In his last years he adopted Persian dress and manners, requiring even his Macedonians to abase themselves before him, and had to deal with growing dissension among his troops. Many people wonder how history might have unfolded if he had not died in Babylon in 332 at age 33, but in fact his empire was already unstable and could not have lasted much longer.
The greatness of Greece had passed from the mainland to the colonies spread across the Mediterranean. Rhodes and Syracuse each became powerful trading hubs, and used their wealth to commission magnificent paintings, sculptures, and architecture. But of course, none of it lasted. All the while, Rome was increasing its power and expanding its influence. Opportunistic leaders called in the Romans to help secure their position, which the Romans then leveraged into client states. The final conquest of Greece was just a matter of time, and the utter destruction of the great city of Corinth, with every man put to death, every woman and child sold into slavery, and every building leveled, showed the Greeks who was boss, putting an end to any thoughts of rebellion. The age of Rome had arrived.
One of Durant’s most endearing traits is his ability to add a touch of humor to some of his observations, always in an oblique manner that would not shock the readers of the 1940s. For instance, in discussing the diaspora that resulted in Greek colonies being established from the Black Sea to Africa to Italy and Spain, he comments on likely causes and says of adventurers that, “some, reaching home after a perilous journey, found their thrones or their wives occupied, and returned to their ships to build new homes and fortunes abroad.”
There is also his charming description of a famous fresco. “We know it as The Aldobrandini Wedding from the Italian family to which it belonged before it found a place in the Vatican. Aphrodite, Rubensianly robust, warms up the courage of the timid bride while the bridegroom, needing no prodding, waits impatiently beside the couch.” After you read that you can’t help but go search for a picture of it, and sure enough, this description is perfect.
As a final example, he mentions that, “The barber has his shop, which is a center for the ‘wineless symposia’ (as Theophrastus calls them) of the local gossips and gadflies; but he often works outside it under the sky. He is garrulous by profession; and when one of his kind asks King Archelaus of Macedon how he would like to have his hair cut the king answers, ‘In silence.’ The women also shave here and there, using razors or depilatories.” The joke is not the king’s comment, but the 'here and there;' anyone who has seen statues of naked Greek women knows exactly where here and there is.
Durant’s Story of Civilization deserves its reputation as one of the great works of history in the English language. Read it for its insights, linger over its thoughtful descriptions of great men and complex societies, and marvel at the depth of wisdom on display.
I ended up highlighting 150 passages in this book, and have appended some of them below. It has my absolute highest recommendation for anyone with an interest in ancient Greece.
Commentary
Equality is unnatural; and where ability and subtlety are free, inequality must grow until it destroys itself in the indiscriminate poverty of social war; liberty and equality are not associates but enemies. The concentration of wealth begins by being inevitable, and ends by being fatal.
no lasting justice can be established for men, since the strong or clever will twist to their advantage any laws that are made; the law is a spider’s web that catches the little flies and lets the big bugs escape.
[Polybius wrote ]“There is no more ready corrective of conduct than knowledge of the past”; and “the soundest education and training for a life of active politics is the study of history”; “it is history, and history alone, which, without involving us in actual danger, will mature our judgment and prepare us to take right views, whatever may be the crisis or the posture of affairs.”
Wisdom is the only liberator: it frees us from bondage to the passions, from fear of the gods, and from dread of death; it teaches us how to bear misfortune, and how to derive a deep and lasting pleasure from the simple goods of life and the quiet pleasures of the mind. Death is not so frightful when we view it intelligently; the suffering it involves may be briefer and slighter than that which we have borne time and again during our lives; it is our foolish fancies of what death may bring that lend to it so much of its terror.
the essential cause of the Roman conquest of Greece was the disintegration of Greek civilization from within. No great nation is ever conquered until it has destroyed itself.
Civilization does not die, it migrates; it changes its habitat and its dress, but it lives on. The decay of one civilization, as of one individual, makes room for the growth of another; life sheds the old skin, and surprises death with fresh youth.
History
The past would be startled if it could see itself in the pages of historians.
When the greatest empire of the age decided to destroy these scattered cities called Greece, or to lay them under tribute to the Great King, it forgot that in Attica it would be opposed by men who owned the soil that they tilled, and who ruled the state that governed them.
The Greco-Persian War was the most momentous conflict in European history, for it made Europe possible. It won for Western civilization the opportunity to develop its own economic life – unburdened with alien tribute or taxation – and its own political institutions, free from the dictation of Oriental kings. It won for Greece a clear road for the first great experiment in liberty; it preserved the Greek mind for three centuries from the enervating mysticism of the East, and secured for Greek enterprise full freedom of the sea.
The Melians refused to yield, and announced that they would put their trust in the gods. Later, as irresistible reinforcements came to the Athenian fleet, they surrendered at the discretion of the conquerors. The Athenians put to death all adult males who fell into their hands, sold the women and children as slaves, and gave the island to five hundred Athenian colonists. Athens rejoiced in the conquest, and prepared to illustrate in a living tragedy the theme of her dramatists, that a vengeful nemesis pursues all insolent success.
The Greek drama is a study of fate, or of man in conflict with the gods; the Elizabethan drama is a study of action, or of man in conflict with man; the modern drama is a study of character, or of man in conflict with himself.
Philosophy
All truth, goodness, and beauty are relative and subjective; “man is the measure of all things – of those that are, that they are, and of those that are not, that they are not.” To the historical eye a whole world begins to tremble when Protagoras announces this simple principle of humanism and relativity; all established truths and sacred principles crack; individualism has found a voice and a philosophy; and the supernatural bases of social order threaten to melt away.
It is not the ascetic who abstains that is pleasure’s master, but rather the man who enjoys pleasures without being their slave, and can prudently distinguish between those that endanger him and those that do not;
The old problem of ethics and morals—to reconcile the natural epicureanism of the individual with the necessary stoicism of the state—found no solution in religion, statesmanship, or philosophy.
Religion
Even life is an uncertain good, death not a certain evil; one should have no prejudices against either of them. Best of all is a calm acceptance: not to reform the world, but to bear with it patiently; not to fever ourselves with progress, but to content ourselves with peace.
But through all forms the basic idea of the mysteries remained the same: as the seed is born again, so may the dead have renewed life; and not merely the dreary, shadowy existence of Hades, but a life of happiness and peace. When almost everything else in Greek religion had passed away, this consoling hope, reunited in Alexandria with that Egyptian belief in immortality from which the Greek had been derived, gave to Christianity the weapon with which to conquer the Western world.
The doctrines of hell, purgatory, and heaven, of the body versus the soul, of the divine son slain and reborn, as well as the sacramental eating of the body and blood and divinity of the god, directly or deviously influenced Christianity, which was itself a mystery religion of atonement and hope, of mystic union and release. The basic ideas and ritual of the Orphic cult are alive and flourishing amongst us today.
Skepticism, however, is uncomfortable; it leaves the common heart and imagination empty, and the vacuum soon draws in some new and encouraging creed.
Since the organization of a religious group presumes a common and stable creed, every religion sooner or later comes into opposition with that fluent and changeful current of secular thought that we confidently call the progress of knowledge.
Epicurus begins with the arresting proposition that the aim of philosophy is to free men from fear – more than anything else, from the fear of gods. He dislikes religion because, he thinks, it thrives on ignorance, promotes it, and darkens life with the terror of celestial spies, relentless furies, and endless punishments.
Idealism offends the senses, materialism offends the soul; the one explains everything but the world, the other everything but life.
Society
Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law. That the Greeks, so far as our knowledge goes, were the first to achieve this recognition and this freedom in both philosophy and government is the secret of their accomplishment, and of their importance in history.
the Greeks called them all, too indiscriminately, barbaroi , barbarians; a barbarian was a man content to believe without reason and to live without liberty.
As early as 487, perhaps earlier, the method of election in the choice of archons is replaced by lot; some way must be found to keep the rich from buying, or the knaves from smiling, their way into office. To render the selection less than wholly accidental, all those upon whom the lot falls are subjected, before taking up their duties, to a rigorous dokimasia, or character examination, conducted by the Council or the courts.
Individualism stimulates the able, and degrades the simple; it creates wealth magnificently, and concentrates it dangerously.
The middle classes, as well as the rich, began to distrust democracy as empowered envy, and the poor began to distrust it as a sham equality of votes stultified by a gaping inequality of wealth.
As the mad pursuit of wealth destroys the oligarchy, so the excesses of liberty destroy democracy.
When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near. The rich, afraid that democracy will bleed them, conspire to overthrow it; or some enterprising individual seizes power, promises everything to the poor, surrounds himself with a personal army, kills first his enemies and then his friends “until he has made a purgation of the state,” and establishes a dictatorship.
Each type, therefore, has a degenerate analogue when it becomes government for the governors instead of for the governed; then monarchy lapses into despotism, aristocracy into oligarchy, timocracy into democracy in the sense of rule by the common man.
It is plain, then, that those states are best instituted wherein the middle classes are a larger and more formidable part than either the rich or the poor. . . . Whenever the number of those in the middle state has been too small, those who were the more numerous, whether the rich or the poor, always overpowered them, and assumed to themselves the administration of public affairs. . . . When either the rich get the better of the poor, or the poor of the rich, neither of them will establish a free state.
The basic principle of democracy is freedom inviting chaos; the basic principle of monarchy is power inviting tyranny, revolution, and war.
Political history appeared to him to be a repetitious cycle of monarchy (or dictatorship), aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and monarchy. The best escape from this cycle, he thought, was through a “mixed constitution” like that of Lycurgus or Rome – an enfranchised but limited citizenry choosing its own magistrates, but checked by the power of a continuous and aristocratic senate.
periodically, the concentration of wealth becomes extreme, and gets righted by taxation or by revolution.
Over and over again he describes a situation in a way that is interesting for its historical value, and then he places it into a larger context, extracting an observation that is a general commentary on human nature, valid for all societies and all times. This volume was published in 1939, and yet some of his remarks shed light on the today's political situation. For instance, there was a time when the social and political elites felt they had an obligation to the country, its peoples, and its laws. That is now long gone; in the scramble for money it is every man for himself. Durant understood this type of political collapse, remarking that, “When aristocracy decays it is usually replaced by a plutocratic oligarchy, which is government by wealth. This is better than the despotism of a king or a mob; but it gives power to men whose souls have been cramped by the petty calculations of trade, or the villainous taking of interest, and issues, as like as not, in the conscienceless exploitation of the poor.”
The book begins with the Minoan civilization on Crete, describing its magnificent artwork, palaces, and trading networks, its rise to greatness and eventual fall, which opened the door for barbarians from the north. There was an interlude with Mycenaean Greece, rough but capable people who created magnificent artwork, but they were soon swept away by another barbarian invasion, this time the Dorians, and Greece fell into a Dark Age.
The competing societies slowly and violently sorted themselves out, and aided by the adoption of the Phoenician script, started up the long and halting path toward civilization. From this point on Durant’s book becomes multi-dimensional, describing not just historical events, but literature, philosophy, politics, science, art, and the lives of citizens rich and poor. He makes a comment which might well describe America’s future, “The middle classes, which had provided by their aggregate number and power a balance between the aristocracy and the commons, had lost much of their wealth, and could no longer mediate between the rich and the poor, between an unyielding conservatism and a Utopian radicalism; Athenian society divided itself into Plato’s ‘two cities’—‘one the city of the poor, the other of the rich, the one at war with the other.’”
There is a chapter on Homer, which becomes a commentary on the gods, whose squabbling petulance is far more humanlike than divine. In one passage he deftly summarizes something that anyone who has read the Illiad will recognize, “Hector, Helenus, and Troilus are more likable than the vacillating Agamemnon, the treacherous Odysseus, and the petulant Achilles; Andromache and Polyxena are as charming as Helen and Iphigenia; and Hecuba is a shade better than Clytaemnestra. All in all, the Trojans, as pictured by their enemies, seem to us less deceitful, more devoted, better gentlemen, than the Greeks who conquered them.”
Sparta is seen as a historical anomaly, a society that forsook art and culture in the name of military supremacy. It worked for a time, but the forces of inequality slowly ate away at its foundations. To be a member of the army a man had to provide his share of the common mess, but as more and more land and wealth were concentrated into fewer and fewer families, the number who could afford it continued to shrink, “The homoioi, or Equals, numbered eight thousand in 480, two thousand in 371, and seven hundred in 341.” When the Spartan phalanx was finally broken by Epaminondas at Leuctra in 371, the society itself broke, and receded into permanent historical obscurity. Durant sums up their fall by saying, “In the end Sparta’s narrowness of spirit betrayed even her strength of soul. She descended to the sanctioning of any means to gain a Spartan aim; at last she stooped so far to conquer as to sell to Persia the liberties that Athens had won for Greece at Marathon. Militarism absorbed her, and made her, once so honored, the hated terror of her neighbors. When she fell, all the nations marveled, but none mourned.”
Durant does a fine job examining the decay of the city states from political strife and the inability to form effective and lasting coalitions. “Greek democracy was corrupt and incompetent, and had to die. But when it was dead men realized how beautiful its heyday had been; and all later generations of antiquity looked back to the centuries of Pericles and Plato as the zenith of Greece, and of all history.” He believed that one cause of the decline was the gradual erosion of belief in the state religion.
There is much that is magnificent in Homer’s gods, and we come to like them for their failings; but scholars have long since detected in the poets who pictured them a rollicking skepticism hardly befitting a national Bible. These deities quarrel like relatives, fornicate like fleas, and share with mankind what seemed to Alexander the stigmata of mortality—the need for love and sleep; they do everything human but hunger and die. Not one of them could bear comparison with Odysseus in intelligence, with Hector in heroism, with Andromache in tenderness, or with Nestor in dignity.
As time passed they too passed, from being seen as actual deities to symbols of power and wisdom, to fairy tales to entertain children. “Pheidias ennobled the gods with beauty and majesty; Pythagoras and Plato associated philosophy with religion, and supported the doctrine of immortality as a stimulus to morals. But Protagoras doubted, Socrates ignored, Democritus denied, Euripides ridiculed the gods; and in the end Greek philosophy, hardly willing it, destroyed the religion that had molded the moral life of Greece.”
With the arrival of Philip of Macedon, Greece’s independence ended. “War itself had become professionalized by technical complications, and required the full time of specially trained men; citizen soldiers had to be replaced with mercenaries – an omen that the leadership of Greece must soon pass from statesmen to warriors.” Philip swept aside the motley armies that opposed him, established garrisons in the major cities, suppressed democracy in favor of oligarchies loyal to him, and made plans to enter Asia and conquer the Persians. He was assassinated before he could do it, but that opened the way for Alexander to shake the world to its foundations.
Durant is not an admirer of Alexander, whom he sees as brave but foolhardy, stubborn to the point of recklessness, and saved only by the professionalism of his soldiers and the skill of his generals. In his last years he adopted Persian dress and manners, requiring even his Macedonians to abase themselves before him, and had to deal with growing dissension among his troops. Many people wonder how history might have unfolded if he had not died in Babylon in 332 at age 33, but in fact his empire was already unstable and could not have lasted much longer.
The greatness of Greece had passed from the mainland to the colonies spread across the Mediterranean. Rhodes and Syracuse each became powerful trading hubs, and used their wealth to commission magnificent paintings, sculptures, and architecture. But of course, none of it lasted. All the while, Rome was increasing its power and expanding its influence. Opportunistic leaders called in the Romans to help secure their position, which the Romans then leveraged into client states. The final conquest of Greece was just a matter of time, and the utter destruction of the great city of Corinth, with every man put to death, every woman and child sold into slavery, and every building leveled, showed the Greeks who was boss, putting an end to any thoughts of rebellion. The age of Rome had arrived.
One of Durant’s most endearing traits is his ability to add a touch of humor to some of his observations, always in an oblique manner that would not shock the readers of the 1940s. For instance, in discussing the diaspora that resulted in Greek colonies being established from the Black Sea to Africa to Italy and Spain, he comments on likely causes and says of adventurers that, “some, reaching home after a perilous journey, found their thrones or their wives occupied, and returned to their ships to build new homes and fortunes abroad.”
There is also his charming description of a famous fresco. “We know it as The Aldobrandini Wedding from the Italian family to which it belonged before it found a place in the Vatican. Aphrodite, Rubensianly robust, warms up the courage of the timid bride while the bridegroom, needing no prodding, waits impatiently beside the couch.” After you read that you can’t help but go search for a picture of it, and sure enough, this description is perfect.
As a final example, he mentions that, “The barber has his shop, which is a center for the ‘wineless symposia’ (as Theophrastus calls them) of the local gossips and gadflies; but he often works outside it under the sky. He is garrulous by profession; and when one of his kind asks King Archelaus of Macedon how he would like to have his hair cut the king answers, ‘In silence.’ The women also shave here and there, using razors or depilatories.” The joke is not the king’s comment, but the 'here and there;' anyone who has seen statues of naked Greek women knows exactly where here and there is.
Durant’s Story of Civilization deserves its reputation as one of the great works of history in the English language. Read it for its insights, linger over its thoughtful descriptions of great men and complex societies, and marvel at the depth of wisdom on display.
I ended up highlighting 150 passages in this book, and have appended some of them below. It has my absolute highest recommendation for anyone with an interest in ancient Greece.
Commentary
Equality is unnatural; and where ability and subtlety are free, inequality must grow until it destroys itself in the indiscriminate poverty of social war; liberty and equality are not associates but enemies. The concentration of wealth begins by being inevitable, and ends by being fatal.
no lasting justice can be established for men, since the strong or clever will twist to their advantage any laws that are made; the law is a spider’s web that catches the little flies and lets the big bugs escape.
[Polybius wrote ]“There is no more ready corrective of conduct than knowledge of the past”; and “the soundest education and training for a life of active politics is the study of history”; “it is history, and history alone, which, without involving us in actual danger, will mature our judgment and prepare us to take right views, whatever may be the crisis or the posture of affairs.”
Wisdom is the only liberator: it frees us from bondage to the passions, from fear of the gods, and from dread of death; it teaches us how to bear misfortune, and how to derive a deep and lasting pleasure from the simple goods of life and the quiet pleasures of the mind. Death is not so frightful when we view it intelligently; the suffering it involves may be briefer and slighter than that which we have borne time and again during our lives; it is our foolish fancies of what death may bring that lend to it so much of its terror.
the essential cause of the Roman conquest of Greece was the disintegration of Greek civilization from within. No great nation is ever conquered until it has destroyed itself.
Civilization does not die, it migrates; it changes its habitat and its dress, but it lives on. The decay of one civilization, as of one individual, makes room for the growth of another; life sheds the old skin, and surprises death with fresh youth.
History
The past would be startled if it could see itself in the pages of historians.
When the greatest empire of the age decided to destroy these scattered cities called Greece, or to lay them under tribute to the Great King, it forgot that in Attica it would be opposed by men who owned the soil that they tilled, and who ruled the state that governed them.
The Greco-Persian War was the most momentous conflict in European history, for it made Europe possible. It won for Western civilization the opportunity to develop its own economic life – unburdened with alien tribute or taxation – and its own political institutions, free from the dictation of Oriental kings. It won for Greece a clear road for the first great experiment in liberty; it preserved the Greek mind for three centuries from the enervating mysticism of the East, and secured for Greek enterprise full freedom of the sea.
The Melians refused to yield, and announced that they would put their trust in the gods. Later, as irresistible reinforcements came to the Athenian fleet, they surrendered at the discretion of the conquerors. The Athenians put to death all adult males who fell into their hands, sold the women and children as slaves, and gave the island to five hundred Athenian colonists. Athens rejoiced in the conquest, and prepared to illustrate in a living tragedy the theme of her dramatists, that a vengeful nemesis pursues all insolent success.
The Greek drama is a study of fate, or of man in conflict with the gods; the Elizabethan drama is a study of action, or of man in conflict with man; the modern drama is a study of character, or of man in conflict with himself.
Philosophy
All truth, goodness, and beauty are relative and subjective; “man is the measure of all things – of those that are, that they are, and of those that are not, that they are not.” To the historical eye a whole world begins to tremble when Protagoras announces this simple principle of humanism and relativity; all established truths and sacred principles crack; individualism has found a voice and a philosophy; and the supernatural bases of social order threaten to melt away.
It is not the ascetic who abstains that is pleasure’s master, but rather the man who enjoys pleasures without being their slave, and can prudently distinguish between those that endanger him and those that do not;
The old problem of ethics and morals—to reconcile the natural epicureanism of the individual with the necessary stoicism of the state—found no solution in religion, statesmanship, or philosophy.
Religion
Even life is an uncertain good, death not a certain evil; one should have no prejudices against either of them. Best of all is a calm acceptance: not to reform the world, but to bear with it patiently; not to fever ourselves with progress, but to content ourselves with peace.
But through all forms the basic idea of the mysteries remained the same: as the seed is born again, so may the dead have renewed life; and not merely the dreary, shadowy existence of Hades, but a life of happiness and peace. When almost everything else in Greek religion had passed away, this consoling hope, reunited in Alexandria with that Egyptian belief in immortality from which the Greek had been derived, gave to Christianity the weapon with which to conquer the Western world.
The doctrines of hell, purgatory, and heaven, of the body versus the soul, of the divine son slain and reborn, as well as the sacramental eating of the body and blood and divinity of the god, directly or deviously influenced Christianity, which was itself a mystery religion of atonement and hope, of mystic union and release. The basic ideas and ritual of the Orphic cult are alive and flourishing amongst us today.
Skepticism, however, is uncomfortable; it leaves the common heart and imagination empty, and the vacuum soon draws in some new and encouraging creed.
Since the organization of a religious group presumes a common and stable creed, every religion sooner or later comes into opposition with that fluent and changeful current of secular thought that we confidently call the progress of knowledge.
Epicurus begins with the arresting proposition that the aim of philosophy is to free men from fear – more than anything else, from the fear of gods. He dislikes religion because, he thinks, it thrives on ignorance, promotes it, and darkens life with the terror of celestial spies, relentless furies, and endless punishments.
Idealism offends the senses, materialism offends the soul; the one explains everything but the world, the other everything but life.
Society
Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law. That the Greeks, so far as our knowledge goes, were the first to achieve this recognition and this freedom in both philosophy and government is the secret of their accomplishment, and of their importance in history.
the Greeks called them all, too indiscriminately, barbaroi , barbarians; a barbarian was a man content to believe without reason and to live without liberty.
As early as 487, perhaps earlier, the method of election in the choice of archons is replaced by lot; some way must be found to keep the rich from buying, or the knaves from smiling, their way into office. To render the selection less than wholly accidental, all those upon whom the lot falls are subjected, before taking up their duties, to a rigorous dokimasia, or character examination, conducted by the Council or the courts.
Individualism stimulates the able, and degrades the simple; it creates wealth magnificently, and concentrates it dangerously.
The middle classes, as well as the rich, began to distrust democracy as empowered envy, and the poor began to distrust it as a sham equality of votes stultified by a gaping inequality of wealth.
As the mad pursuit of wealth destroys the oligarchy, so the excesses of liberty destroy democracy.
When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near. The rich, afraid that democracy will bleed them, conspire to overthrow it; or some enterprising individual seizes power, promises everything to the poor, surrounds himself with a personal army, kills first his enemies and then his friends “until he has made a purgation of the state,” and establishes a dictatorship.
Each type, therefore, has a degenerate analogue when it becomes government for the governors instead of for the governed; then monarchy lapses into despotism, aristocracy into oligarchy, timocracy into democracy in the sense of rule by the common man.
It is plain, then, that those states are best instituted wherein the middle classes are a larger and more formidable part than either the rich or the poor. . . . Whenever the number of those in the middle state has been too small, those who were the more numerous, whether the rich or the poor, always overpowered them, and assumed to themselves the administration of public affairs. . . . When either the rich get the better of the poor, or the poor of the rich, neither of them will establish a free state.
The basic principle of democracy is freedom inviting chaos; the basic principle of monarchy is power inviting tyranny, revolution, and war.
Political history appeared to him to be a repetitious cycle of monarchy (or dictatorship), aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and monarchy. The best escape from this cycle, he thought, was through a “mixed constitution” like that of Lycurgus or Rome – an enfranchised but limited citizenry choosing its own magistrates, but checked by the power of a continuous and aristocratic senate.
periodically, the concentration of wealth becomes extreme, and gets righted by taxation or by revolution.
July 28, 2019
Part II of Durant's mammoth series on Western Civilization is much better than the first installment. He does stick with his established format--it's important for prospective readers to understand that Durant's aim is not so much a political or dynastic focus but a cultural one. Thus the section on Plato stretches out to 15 pages, Alexander to 17; Aristotle 14, The Peloponnesian War 15. This would almost make it look as if it were 50/50, except there are about 4 chapters of cultural concerns (art, literature, religion, philosophy, daily life) to one chapter of 'history' history.
I'm still adjusting to the overall arc of the series--I had expected more in the way of a narrative history, which this isn't. Still, I appreciated how the book is filling in the gaps in my readings--after reading Herodotus, Thucydides and Xenophon, I had an idea of the major events of classical Greece, but from the rise of Alexander to the predominance of Rome, I was pretty much in the dark. This helped to clarify some.
A quick, partial judgment on the series as a whole before I continue with Volume III: If you knew of a precocious pre-teen or early teen who was interested in history and ancient cultures, you could do a lot worse than set them free with this set. A friend of mine mentioned that in some ways, this series was like a time capsule from the 1940s (though this installment isn't nearly as bad as Volume I), and that seems fitting. But to a fresher, less cynical mind, Durant's work could be absolutely stunning. Not to imply in any way that it's for juveniles--not by any stretch. It has more to do with the outlook on life, and it seems to me that a more impressionable mind would find a lot of excellent things here to have impressed into their consciousness.
Well, anyway--on to Volume III!
I'm still adjusting to the overall arc of the series--I had expected more in the way of a narrative history, which this isn't. Still, I appreciated how the book is filling in the gaps in my readings--after reading Herodotus, Thucydides and Xenophon, I had an idea of the major events of classical Greece, but from the rise of Alexander to the predominance of Rome, I was pretty much in the dark. This helped to clarify some.
A quick, partial judgment on the series as a whole before I continue with Volume III: If you knew of a precocious pre-teen or early teen who was interested in history and ancient cultures, you could do a lot worse than set them free with this set. A friend of mine mentioned that in some ways, this series was like a time capsule from the 1940s (though this installment isn't nearly as bad as Volume I), and that seems fitting. But to a fresher, less cynical mind, Durant's work could be absolutely stunning. Not to imply in any way that it's for juveniles--not by any stretch. It has more to do with the outlook on life, and it seems to me that a more impressionable mind would find a lot of excellent things here to have impressed into their consciousness.
Well, anyway--on to Volume III!
January 17, 2023
The foundations of European and thus “Western civilization” were founded on the shores of the Aegean Seas among the Hellenes on the western coast of Anatolia before returning to their brethren in the ‘old country.’ The Life of Greece is the second volume of Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization series in which the focus of the series turns to the western peninsula of the Eurasia landmass.
From the rise of the Minoans on Crete to the Roman conquest, Durant follows the ups and downs of Grecian civilization and culture. Covering a millennium and a half of time over an ever increasing amount of area were Greek-influence spread, Durant divided the book into five “eras” that he gave an overview of the history then how those events affect the development of government, art, religion, philosophy, science, and everything else connected with culture. Highlight throughout the volume was Durant’s explanation of various schools of philosophy that developed and their relation to religion over that time as well. If there is a negative, it would be the fact that the book is over 80 years old and some of Durant’s information in the Minoan and Mycenean areas has been contradicted by new finds.
The Life of Greece tells the rise and fall of the “foundational” European culture before it was eclipsed and built upon by a rising power from the West.
From the rise of the Minoans on Crete to the Roman conquest, Durant follows the ups and downs of Grecian civilization and culture. Covering a millennium and a half of time over an ever increasing amount of area were Greek-influence spread, Durant divided the book into five “eras” that he gave an overview of the history then how those events affect the development of government, art, religion, philosophy, science, and everything else connected with culture. Highlight throughout the volume was Durant’s explanation of various schools of philosophy that developed and their relation to religion over that time as well. If there is a negative, it would be the fact that the book is over 80 years old and some of Durant’s information in the Minoan and Mycenean areas has been contradicted by new finds.
The Life of Greece tells the rise and fall of the “foundational” European culture before it was eclipsed and built upon by a rising power from the West.
July 20, 2022
This volume unites the brilliance of Will Durant with the fascinating subject of ancient Greece. While the subject matter is extremely interesting on its own, Durant's clear, entertaining style and his wide knowledge of both history and philosophy elevate this book into a masterpiece.
March 5, 2022
আমাকে প্রায়ঃশই এ প্রশ্ন শুনতে হয়, 'পড়ালেখা করছ তুমি ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং আর তাত্ত্বিক পদার্থবিজ্ঞান নিয়ে, কিন্তু এখন এই দর্শন আর ইতিহাস নিয়ে পড়ে তোমার কি লাভ?'
আমি তাদেরকে মাকিয়াভেল্লির বিখ্যাত উক্তি ঝেড়ে দেইঃ "বিকেলে যখন আমি বাসায় ফিরি, এরপরে আমি আমার Study Room এ যাই। আমার পরিশ্রান্ত দিনের শেষে workday clothes বদলে, কোন না কোন রাজা-বাদশাহর পোশাক পড়ি, তারপর আমি এই দন্ডিত পোশাক পড়ে ঢুকে পরি প্রাচীন কোন রাজার প্রাসাদে প্রবেশ করি। তারা আমাকে স্বাগত জানায়, আর আমি তাদের অভিবাদন গ্রহণ করি। সেখানে আমি Boldly কথা বলি, তাদের মোটিভস আর একশন নিয়ে প্রশ্ন করি, তারা আমার প্রশ্নের উত্তর দেয়। এবং আমি এই চার ঘন্টাতে, আমি পৃথিবীকে ভুলে যাই, দুঃখ-যন্ত্রণা আর হতাশা ভুলে যাই, দারিদ্র্যতা কে ভয়কে জয় করি, এমনকি মৃত্যুও আমার কাছে পরাজয় স্বীকার করে। এই চার ঘন্টা আমি প্রাচীন কোন রাজ্যের মহীরুহ। What more can a mere lonely heart desire!" ইতিহাস আমার কাছে একটা পোর্টাল অফ টাইম, যেখানে আমি স্বাধীন, মুক্ত বিহঙ্গ, I can be whatever I want: I can be a disciple of Socrates, talk to Pericles, join battle with Themistocles, even watch the dramas of Euripedes with Euripedes himself! এর চেয়ে বড় কোন কারণ কি দরকার আছে?
উইল ডুরান্টের কাছে সভ্যতার গল্প শুনতে শুনতে এবার আমরা আটলান্টিক পার হয়ে এসে পড়েছি গ্রীসে; গ্রীসের মানুষদের জীবন আর জীবিকার গল্প শুনতে। হেরোডটাস আর প্রাচীন ঐতিহাসিক দের মতে, পৃথিবী তিন ভাগে বিভক্ত, গ্রীস, সিরিয়া আর এশিয়া; ডুরান্ট প্রথম খন্ডে শুনিয়েছেন সিরিয়া আর এশিয়ান প্রাচীন সভ্যতা গুলোর গল্প, দেখিয়েছেন প্রাচীন সভ্যতা গুলো কিভাবে একে অপরকে প্রভাবিত করেছে। চলুন তাহলে ডুরান্টের কাছে ইতিহাসের আরেক অঞ্চল গ্রীসের গল্প, শুধু মনে রাখতে হবে আমরা এখনো ২০০০ বছর আগের গল্প শুনছি।
(কন্টিনিউ.........)
আমি তাদেরকে মাকিয়াভেল্লির বিখ্যাত উক্তি ঝেড়ে দেইঃ "বিকেলে যখন আমি বাসায় ফিরি, এরপরে আমি আমার Study Room এ যাই। আমার পরিশ্রান্ত দিনের শেষে workday clothes বদলে, কোন না কোন রাজা-বাদশাহর পোশাক পড়ি, তারপর আমি এই দন্ডিত পোশাক পড়ে ঢুকে পরি প্রাচীন কোন রাজার প্রাসাদে প্রবেশ করি। তারা আমাকে স্বাগত জানায়, আর আমি তাদের অভিবাদন গ্রহণ করি। সেখানে আমি Boldly কথা বলি, তাদের মোটিভস আর একশন নিয়ে প্রশ্ন করি, তারা আমার প্রশ্নের উত্তর দেয়। এবং আমি এই চার ঘন্টাতে, আমি পৃথিবীকে ভুলে যাই, দুঃখ-যন্ত্রণা আর হতাশা ভুলে যাই, দারিদ্র্যতা কে ভয়কে জয় করি, এমনকি মৃত্যুও আমার কাছে পরাজয় স্বীকার করে। এই চার ঘন্টা আমি প্রাচীন কোন রাজ্যের মহীরুহ। What more can a mere lonely heart desire!" ইতিহাস আমার কাছে একটা পোর্টাল অফ টাইম, যেখানে আমি স্বাধীন, মুক্ত বিহঙ্গ, I can be whatever I want: I can be a disciple of Socrates, talk to Pericles, join battle with Themistocles, even watch the dramas of Euripedes with Euripedes himself! এর চেয়ে বড় কোন কারণ কি দরকার আছে?
উইল ডুরান্টের কাছে সভ্যতার গল্প শুনতে শুনতে এবার আমরা আটলান্টিক পার হয়ে এসে পড়েছি গ্রীসে; গ্রীসের মানুষদের জীবন আর জীবিকার গল্প শুনতে। হেরোডটাস আর প্রাচীন ঐতিহাসিক দের মতে, পৃথিবী তিন ভাগে বিভক্ত, গ্রীস, সিরিয়া আর এশিয়া; ডুরান্ট প্রথম খন্ডে শুনিয়েছেন সিরিয়া আর এশিয়ান প্রাচীন সভ্যতা গুলোর গল্প, দেখিয়েছেন প্রাচীন সভ্যতা গুলো কিভাবে একে অপরকে প্রভাবিত করেছে। চলুন তাহলে ডুরান্টের কাছে ইতিহাসের আরেক অঞ্চল গ্রীসের গল্প, শুধু মনে রাখতে হবে আমরা এখনো ২০০০ বছর আগের গল্প শুনছি।
(কন্টিনিউ.........)
April 28, 2021
26th book of 2021: History does not leap, it saunters.
History’s allure is either to understand how the world works, or experience worlds otherwise inaccessible. Contrasted with Gibbon’s style of ‘natural connection of causes and events broken by frequent and hasty transitions’ Durant prefers sauntering through antiquity’s streets, languidly painting an image of culture, literature, and thought, while only lightly touching on the endless accumulation of wars and succession.
Greece, in Durant’s telling, was a rowdy culture that treasured logic, boldness, and beauty. The greek was no effeminate esthete.... he thought of art as subordinate to life, and living as the greatest art of all. Yet in places like In Arcadia, to be unable to sing was counted as a disgrace. Greece even had its own Kanye West in the form of Zeuxis: He was a character, and painted with a swashbuckling brush. At the games he skirted about in a checkered tunic, on which his name was embroidered in gold. These vignettes give a view of ancient Greece in its living, breathing glory; Greece was a society composed of the same clay of humanity we live with today, but shaped by vastly different hardships, triumphs, and ambitions.
Two historical currents Durant focused on were the rise reason out of religious superstition, and the fragility of early political systems. For reason, as Durant draws explicit parallels to modernity: Though myths may differ, reason remains the same. In Greek culture as well as in Greek art, Form and order are the essence of the classic style .... The typical Greek writer, like the typical artist cuts his matter down to brevity, rearranges it into clarity, transforms it into a complex simplicity. He is always direct, and seldom obscure. He shuns exaggeration and bias, and even when he is romantic in feeling he struggles to be logical in thought.
Durant recounts how democracy emerged from the primordial soup of Agean city-states, but was often disrupted by class-warfare, tyranny, or other external events. In the end The death of Greek democracy was both a natural and a violent death, in which the fatal agents were the organic disorders of the system. The sword of Macedon merely added the final blow.... [Greek democracy] had discovered no way of reconciling local autonomy with national stability and power.
There are likely better books to understand the political history of Ancient Greece, but Durant’s text serves as a nice excursion into the past for novice reader.
*Hat tip to Roy Lotz for the rec and on skipping the first book in this series*
History’s allure is either to understand how the world works, or experience worlds otherwise inaccessible. Contrasted with Gibbon’s style of ‘natural connection of causes and events broken by frequent and hasty transitions’ Durant prefers sauntering through antiquity’s streets, languidly painting an image of culture, literature, and thought, while only lightly touching on the endless accumulation of wars and succession.
Greece, in Durant’s telling, was a rowdy culture that treasured logic, boldness, and beauty. The greek was no effeminate esthete.... he thought of art as subordinate to life, and living as the greatest art of all. Yet in places like In Arcadia, to be unable to sing was counted as a disgrace. Greece even had its own Kanye West in the form of Zeuxis: He was a character, and painted with a swashbuckling brush. At the games he skirted about in a checkered tunic, on which his name was embroidered in gold. These vignettes give a view of ancient Greece in its living, breathing glory; Greece was a society composed of the same clay of humanity we live with today, but shaped by vastly different hardships, triumphs, and ambitions.
Two historical currents Durant focused on were the rise reason out of religious superstition, and the fragility of early political systems. For reason, as Durant draws explicit parallels to modernity: Though myths may differ, reason remains the same. In Greek culture as well as in Greek art, Form and order are the essence of the classic style .... The typical Greek writer, like the typical artist cuts his matter down to brevity, rearranges it into clarity, transforms it into a complex simplicity. He is always direct, and seldom obscure. He shuns exaggeration and bias, and even when he is romantic in feeling he struggles to be logical in thought.
Durant recounts how democracy emerged from the primordial soup of Agean city-states, but was often disrupted by class-warfare, tyranny, or other external events. In the end The death of Greek democracy was both a natural and a violent death, in which the fatal agents were the organic disorders of the system. The sword of Macedon merely added the final blow.... [Greek democracy] had discovered no way of reconciling local autonomy with national stability and power.
There are likely better books to understand the political history of Ancient Greece, but Durant’s text serves as a nice excursion into the past for novice reader.
*Hat tip to Roy Lotz for the rec and on skipping the first book in this series*
February 15, 2012
I took a long break from Will Durant after finishing Volume I: Our Oriental Heritage. When I cracked open The Life of Greece, it wasn't long before the Trojan War and Homer's legends showed up. About 40 pages actually. So I went to read The Iliad. That took me a long time on the 10 page a day plan. I intended to read The Odyssey, but kept putting it off.
Meanwhile I had begun to read novels by Nikos Kazantzakis beginning with Zorba the Greek, then The Greek Passion, followed by Freedom or Death. I must credit Kazantzakis for giving me a glimpse into the hearts and minds of the Greek people (and I suppose I should also give a nod to Eugenides and Middlesex.)
My personal reading odyssey finally led me back to The Life of Greece. I buckled down, reading a small section a day for months with frequent breaks and finally got to the end. It was worth all the work it took to read it. I feel I could not complete my quest to be truly well-read without reading at least some history.
Because of Durant's self-professed goal to approach history by covering the entire expanse of civilization (from government, religion and philosophy to the arts, daily life and commerce as well as the progressions of wars and leaders) these volumes have given me a broad overview that now informs my reading and my understanding of current events. He has unlocked for me the old conundrum: you don't know what you don't know.
At some point in my schooling I was forced to read The Golden Fleece. I did not get it at all. All I remember is some guys called argonauts and "rosy fingered dawn." Now that I have read about the ancient beginnings, the rise, the Golden Age, and the fall of Greece; now that I have learned when and how the great philosophers, the dramatists and even Alexander the Great fit into the history of Greece, I feel oriented in an entirely new way as a reader. Just as a small example, I learned that Aristotle was tutor to Alexander the Great during Alexander's teen years.
I understand why we were made to learn about Greece, Plato, Aristotle, etc in school. The template for modern civilization was formed in Greece, a true crossroads of East and West. Mankind is still playing on that stage. I have begun Volume III: Caesar and Christ and am determined to press on until I get through the series. Wish me luck!
Meanwhile I had begun to read novels by Nikos Kazantzakis beginning with Zorba the Greek, then The Greek Passion, followed by Freedom or Death. I must credit Kazantzakis for giving me a glimpse into the hearts and minds of the Greek people (and I suppose I should also give a nod to Eugenides and Middlesex.)
My personal reading odyssey finally led me back to The Life of Greece. I buckled down, reading a small section a day for months with frequent breaks and finally got to the end. It was worth all the work it took to read it. I feel I could not complete my quest to be truly well-read without reading at least some history.
Because of Durant's self-professed goal to approach history by covering the entire expanse of civilization (from government, religion and philosophy to the arts, daily life and commerce as well as the progressions of wars and leaders) these volumes have given me a broad overview that now informs my reading and my understanding of current events. He has unlocked for me the old conundrum: you don't know what you don't know.
At some point in my schooling I was forced to read The Golden Fleece. I did not get it at all. All I remember is some guys called argonauts and "rosy fingered dawn." Now that I have read about the ancient beginnings, the rise, the Golden Age, and the fall of Greece; now that I have learned when and how the great philosophers, the dramatists and even Alexander the Great fit into the history of Greece, I feel oriented in an entirely new way as a reader. Just as a small example, I learned that Aristotle was tutor to Alexander the Great during Alexander's teen years.
I understand why we were made to learn about Greece, Plato, Aristotle, etc in school. The template for modern civilization was formed in Greece, a true crossroads of East and West. Mankind is still playing on that stage. I have begun Volume III: Caesar and Christ and am determined to press on until I get through the series. Wish me luck!
December 20, 2020
my first completed volume of the story of civilization. I would want to thank will durant for writing it.
This was an outstanding educational experience
This was an outstanding educational experience
December 31, 2008
I have FINALLY, (piecemeal over the last twenty years) finished what was a fascinating bit of torment. I have no natural interest in Greek philosophy and have slaved, here a little and there a little, thru this almost 700 page work. I have been amazed at the energy and intellect of Will Durant in putting together in a five (5) year period of time the most complete history possible of ancient Greek civilization and all it's generous gifts bestowed to us. I didn't just casually peruse this 2nd volume in the "History of Civilization", I tried to discipline myself to research, cross reference, digest and understand, a chapter at a time the content of the Greek civilization, especially Greek philosophy. Not to boast, but every page in my copy is now underlined with notes in the margins. I really am now more motivated than ever to move forward and finish up the subsequent eleven (11) volumes before I leave this mortal habitation.
I do believe that volume three (3), "Caesar and Christ' will pique my interest more naturally, and should (hopefully) take less time and willpower to delve into. I will also be interested to see the added influence of the author's wife and research companion, Ariel Durant who joined his adventure starting with volume three. Wish me well!
I do believe that volume three (3), "Caesar and Christ' will pique my interest more naturally, and should (hopefully) take less time and willpower to delve into. I will also be interested to see the added influence of the author's wife and research companion, Ariel Durant who joined his adventure starting with volume three. Wish me well!
Read
October 19, 2022My nitpick is how Durant editorializes in places, such as dismissing sexuality with the biases of his time, or ascribing humanism to ideas too early for it. It stands out because he stays objective elsewhere (and because I’ve been reading extensively on those subjects from other sources).
Which makes it just as interesting an artifact, IMO. All history gets shared through some lens, and we do well to remember.
Which makes it just as interesting an artifact, IMO. All history gets shared through some lens, and we do well to remember.
November 29, 2016
Durant is a great historian for people who aren't usually 'into' history (like myself!) He pulls together an astonishing amount of knowledge into a compelling narrative, stopping to inspect art, architecture, poetry and drama. Though there are doubtless many points for specialist historians to disagree, there are few if any replacements for this masterful work.
November 21, 2018
History comes to life in The Life of Greece !
June 29, 2023
This is the second volume of a huge series that I will read as part of my bucket list. Looking forward to Caesar and Rome next. It's long and it takes a while, but it is great writing and a pleasure to read. It is also a pleasure to listen to, thanks to a great reader Stefan Rudnicki. Highly recommend for anyone interested in Greece. In fact, prob more info than most want to know, but I like history.
July 15, 2013
The first volume of Durant's Story of Civilization was a disappointment, except perhaps for the brief coverage of Gandhi, but here, with volume two, the series takes off and maintains its quality throughout the remaining volumes.
Durant's background interest appears to have been philosophy. He is particularly strong on that, but otherwise this serves as a very good introduction to ancient Greece, its history and culture.
Durant's background interest appears to have been philosophy. He is particularly strong on that, but otherwise this serves as a very good introduction to ancient Greece, its history and culture.
November 15, 2014
The Story of Civilization, after Our Oriental Heritage I decided that I'm going to finish this epic story, one way or another, and it 'd be great if I not only read the book but other referenced books in it and so my journey begun with The Life of Greece earlier this year :) I started the first chapters, then jumped to the greats - The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer - I re-read Politics by Aristotle and The Republic by Plato, I added the rest of the dialogues to my to read list and got introduced to The Literature of the Golden Age, great books to be read.
From the rise of Crete, The Troy war, the Legends, the story of Athens, the Greek mythology, the democratic experience, the Persian wars, Sparta and its great history, Macedonia and Alexander the great!!! The rise and fall of the Civilization.
And from history to philosophy and dialectic... to Theater, Drama, Comedy, Poems and music. To Science, Math, Geometry and Astronomy.
Till the coming of The Roman Empire!
Our Greek Heritage
Civilization does not die, it migrates; it changes its habitat and its dress, but it lives on. The decay of one civilization, as of one individual, makes room for the growth of another; life sheds the old skin, and surprises death with fresh youth. Greek civilization is alive; it moves in every breath of mind that we breathe; so much of it remains that none of us in one lifetime could absorb it all.
A great history book is a small word to describe this one, I <3 it, I enjoyed it, it is a very good read! it worth the effort and time.
Next Year It is going to be with The Great Roman Empire :) With Volume III - Caesar and Christ.
From the rise of Crete, The Troy war, the Legends, the story of Athens, the Greek mythology, the democratic experience, the Persian wars, Sparta and its great history, Macedonia and Alexander the great!!! The rise and fall of the Civilization.
And from history to philosophy and dialectic... to Theater, Drama, Comedy, Poems and music. To Science, Math, Geometry and Astronomy.
Till the coming of The Roman Empire!
Our Greek Heritage
Civilization does not die, it migrates; it changes its habitat and its dress, but it lives on. The decay of one civilization, as of one individual, makes room for the growth of another; life sheds the old skin, and surprises death with fresh youth. Greek civilization is alive; it moves in every breath of mind that we breathe; so much of it remains that none of us in one lifetime could absorb it all.
A great history book is a small word to describe this one, I <3 it, I enjoyed it, it is a very good read! it worth the effort and time.
Next Year It is going to be with The Great Roman Empire :) With Volume III - Caesar and Christ.
Our state is pregnant, shortly to produce
A rude avenger of prolonged abuse.
The commons hitherto seem sober-minded,
But their superiors are corrupt and blinded.
The rule of noble spirits, brave and high,
Never endangered peace and harmony.
The supercilious, arrogant pretense
Of feeble minds, weakness and insolence;
Justice and truth and law wrested aside
By crafty shifts of avarice and pride;
These are our ruin, ...!—never dream
Of future peace or safety to the state;
Bloodshed and strife will follow soon or late."
Theognis of Megara
All things take place by necessity and by harmony
The wise man will cultivate thought, will free himself from passion, superstition, and fear, and will seek in contemplation and understanding the
modest happiness available to human life.
Idealism offends the senses, materialism offends the soul; the one explains everything but the world, the other everything but life.
The excess of liberty, whether in states or individuals, seems only to pass into slavery . . . and the most aggravated form of tyranny arises out of the most extreme form of liberty.
Herodas writes: “Alexandria is the house of Aphrodite, and everything is to be found there—wealth, playgrounds, a large army, a serene sky, public displays, philosophers, precious metals, fine young men, a good royal house, an academy of science, exquisite wines, and beautiful women.”
No great nation is ever conquered until it has destroyed itself. Deforestation and the abuse of the soil, the depletion of precious metals, the migration of trade routes, the disturbance of economic life by political disorder, the corruption of democracy and the degeneration of dynasties, the decay of morals and patriotism, the decline or deterioration of the population, the replacement of citizen armies by mercenary troops, the human and physical wastage of fratricidal war, the guillotining of ability by murderous revolutions and counterrevolutions.
March 4, 2024
A Nossa Herança Clássica
(…) "Até nossas superstições devemo-las aos espectros, bruxas, pragas, maus agouros e dias de azar dos gregos. E quem seria capaz de compreender a literatura inglesa, ou uma ode de Keats, sem ter alguma noção de mitologia grega? Nossa literatura dificilmente teria existido sem a tradição grega. Nosso alfabeto nos vem da Grécia através de Cumas e Roma; nossa linguagem está inçada de palavras gregas; nossa ciência criou uma linguagem internacional formada de termos gregos; nossa gramática e nossa retórica, até mesmo a pontuação e os parágrafos desta página, são invenções gregas. Nossos gêneros literários são gregos — o lirismo, a ode, o idílio, a novela, o ensaio, a oração, a biografia, a história e, acima de tudo, o drama; aqui também quase todas as palavras são gregas. Gregos são os termos e formas do drama moderno — tragédia, comédia e pantomima; e embora a tragédia isabelina seja única, a comédia nos chegou quase incólume, de Menandro e Filêmon, através de Plauto e Terêncio, Ben Jonson e Molière. Os dramas gregos por si correspondem às mais ricas porções de nossa herança. (...)
A civilização não morre, emigra; muda de vestuário e habitat, mas persiste. A decadência de uma civilização, como a de um indivíduo, abre espaço para o desabrochar de outra; a vida deixa cair a velha pele e surpreende a morte com uma nova mocidade. A civilização grega está viva; move-se em todo sopro intelectual que respiramos; de tal modo está viva que nenhum de nós seria capaz de absorvê-la inteira nem mesmo no espaço de uma existência. Seus defeitos nós os conhecemos — as guerras insanas e impiedosas, a estagnante escravidão, a sujeição da mulher, a falta de freio moral, o corrupto individualismo, o trágico fracasso na união da liberdade à ordem e à paz. Mas os que amam a liberdade, a razão e a beleza não se perturbarão diante dessa tênue neblina. Ouvirão dentro do tumulto da história política as vozes de Sólon e Sócrates, de Platão e Eurípides, de Fídias e Praxíteles, de Epicuro e Arquimedes; agradecerão a existência desses homens e procurarão com eles conviver através dos séculos. Hão de pensar na Grécia como a radiosa aurora desta civilização ocidental que, a despeito de todas as suas falhas, é o nosso alimento e a nossa vida."
(…) "Até nossas superstições devemo-las aos espectros, bruxas, pragas, maus agouros e dias de azar dos gregos. E quem seria capaz de compreender a literatura inglesa, ou uma ode de Keats, sem ter alguma noção de mitologia grega? Nossa literatura dificilmente teria existido sem a tradição grega. Nosso alfabeto nos vem da Grécia através de Cumas e Roma; nossa linguagem está inçada de palavras gregas; nossa ciência criou uma linguagem internacional formada de termos gregos; nossa gramática e nossa retórica, até mesmo a pontuação e os parágrafos desta página, são invenções gregas. Nossos gêneros literários são gregos — o lirismo, a ode, o idílio, a novela, o ensaio, a oração, a biografia, a história e, acima de tudo, o drama; aqui também quase todas as palavras são gregas. Gregos são os termos e formas do drama moderno — tragédia, comédia e pantomima; e embora a tragédia isabelina seja única, a comédia nos chegou quase incólume, de Menandro e Filêmon, através de Plauto e Terêncio, Ben Jonson e Molière. Os dramas gregos por si correspondem às mais ricas porções de nossa herança. (...)
A civilização não morre, emigra; muda de vestuário e habitat, mas persiste. A decadência de uma civilização, como a de um indivíduo, abre espaço para o desabrochar de outra; a vida deixa cair a velha pele e surpreende a morte com uma nova mocidade. A civilização grega está viva; move-se em todo sopro intelectual que respiramos; de tal modo está viva que nenhum de nós seria capaz de absorvê-la inteira nem mesmo no espaço de uma existência. Seus defeitos nós os conhecemos — as guerras insanas e impiedosas, a estagnante escravidão, a sujeição da mulher, a falta de freio moral, o corrupto individualismo, o trágico fracasso na união da liberdade à ordem e à paz. Mas os que amam a liberdade, a razão e a beleza não se perturbarão diante dessa tênue neblina. Ouvirão dentro do tumulto da história política as vozes de Sólon e Sócrates, de Platão e Eurípides, de Fídias e Praxíteles, de Epicuro e Arquimedes; agradecerão a existência desses homens e procurarão com eles conviver através dos séculos. Hão de pensar na Grécia como a radiosa aurora desta civilização ocidental que, a despeito de todas as suas falhas, é o nosso alimento e a nossa vida."
December 14, 2014
P. 157: "Then, moving southward along the west shore of the Black Sea, they built the cities of Istrus (Constanta, Kustenje), Tomi (where Ovid died), Odessus (Varna), and Apollonia (Burgas). The historically sensitive traveler stands appalled at the antiquity of these living towns; but today's residents, engrossed in the tasks of their own generation, are undisturbed by the depth of the centuries that lie silent beneath them."
P. 334, about the Parthenon: "Perhaps it was a mistake to place this extraordinary relief so high that men could not comfortably contemplate it, or exhaust its excellence. Pheidias excused himself, doubtless with a twinkle in his eye, on the ground that the gods could see it; but the gods were dying while he carved."
P. 524. "Perhaps Aristotle would have developed a thoroughly scientific mind had he not listened so long to Plato (some say for twenty years); the doctor's son struggled in him with the Puritan's pupil, and neither side won; Aristotle never quite made up his mind. He gathered about him scientific observations sufficient for an encyclopedia, and then tried to force them into the Platonic mold in which his scholastic mind had been formed. He refuted Plato at every turn because he borrowed from him on every page."
These are examples of the benevolent understanding with which Durant infuses his hundreds of pages packed with facts. THE LIFE OF GREECE includes an amazing collection of knowledge - and this is just the second in a series of similar books, chronicling what we knew of human history when the Durants were working through it. Yes, we get Pericles, Alexander the Great, also Socrates, Hieron II of Syracuse and his protégé Archimedes. We get sections on the spread of Greek colonies, and then the collisions of the various Greek empires with Egypt, Persia and Rome. My favorite chapter analyzed the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and how they fit into their culture as it changed.
P. 334, about the Parthenon: "Perhaps it was a mistake to place this extraordinary relief so high that men could not comfortably contemplate it, or exhaust its excellence. Pheidias excused himself, doubtless with a twinkle in his eye, on the ground that the gods could see it; but the gods were dying while he carved."
P. 524. "Perhaps Aristotle would have developed a thoroughly scientific mind had he not listened so long to Plato (some say for twenty years); the doctor's son struggled in him with the Puritan's pupil, and neither side won; Aristotle never quite made up his mind. He gathered about him scientific observations sufficient for an encyclopedia, and then tried to force them into the Platonic mold in which his scholastic mind had been formed. He refuted Plato at every turn because he borrowed from him on every page."
These are examples of the benevolent understanding with which Durant infuses his hundreds of pages packed with facts. THE LIFE OF GREECE includes an amazing collection of knowledge - and this is just the second in a series of similar books, chronicling what we knew of human history when the Durants were working through it. Yes, we get Pericles, Alexander the Great, also Socrates, Hieron II of Syracuse and his protégé Archimedes. We get sections on the spread of Greek colonies, and then the collisions of the various Greek empires with Egypt, Persia and Rome. My favorite chapter analyzed the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and how they fit into their culture as it changed.
December 20, 2021
This was comprehensive and very readable. Durant’s erudition is quite impressive.
From the final page:
‘Curious of every fact and every theory, [the Greeks] not only established philosophy as a distinct enterprise of the European mind, but they conceived nearly every system and every hypothesis, and left little to be said on any major problems of our life. Realism and nominalism, idealism and materialism, monotheism, pantheism, and atheism, feminism and communism, the Kantian critique and the Schopenhaurian despair, the primitivism of Rousseau and the immoralism of Nietzsche, the synthesis of Spencer and the psychoanalysis of Freud all the dreams and wisdom of philosophy are here, in the age and land of its birth. And in Greece men not only talked of philosophy, they lived it: the sage, rather than the warrior or the saint, was the pinnacle and ideal of Greek life. Through all the centuries from Thales that exhilarating philosophical bequest has come down to us, inspiring Roman emperors, Christian Fathers, Scholastic theologians, Renaissance heretics, Cambridge- Platonists, the rebels of the Enlightenment, and the devotees of philosophy today. At this moment thousands of eager spirits are reading Plato, perhaps in every country on the earth.’
From the final page:
‘Curious of every fact and every theory, [the Greeks] not only established philosophy as a distinct enterprise of the European mind, but they conceived nearly every system and every hypothesis, and left little to be said on any major problems of our life. Realism and nominalism, idealism and materialism, monotheism, pantheism, and atheism, feminism and communism, the Kantian critique and the Schopenhaurian despair, the primitivism of Rousseau and the immoralism of Nietzsche, the synthesis of Spencer and the psychoanalysis of Freud all the dreams and wisdom of philosophy are here, in the age and land of its birth. And in Greece men not only talked of philosophy, they lived it: the sage, rather than the warrior or the saint, was the pinnacle and ideal of Greek life. Through all the centuries from Thales that exhilarating philosophical bequest has come down to us, inspiring Roman emperors, Christian Fathers, Scholastic theologians, Renaissance heretics, Cambridge- Platonists, the rebels of the Enlightenment, and the devotees of philosophy today. At this moment thousands of eager spirits are reading Plato, perhaps in every country on the earth.’
April 1, 2021
If you want to learn more about Aristotle, Alexander, Diogenes, Sparta, Athens, and any other topics related to Greece... this is the book you should read!
It's part of an 11-book series on civilization, but it's a stand-alone piece as well.
So many great stories, looking forward to sharing these in my videos and blogs in the future.
It's not an easy read though. Only read if you are interested in learning about history and Greece.
Flow: 3/5
Actionability: 3/5
Mindset: 5/5
Some of My Highlights:
"Everywhere in Cretan life man expresses his vainest and noblest passion - the zeal to beautify."
"Perhaps there too, as in most declining cultures, population control went too far, and reproduction was left to the failures. Perhaps, as wealth and luxury increased, the pursuit of physical pleasure sapped the vitality of the race, and weakened its will to live or to defend itself; a nation is born stoic and dies epicurean."
"It is difficult to say whether Crete taught Sparta, or Sparta Crete; perhaps both states were the parallel results of similar conditions -the precarious life of an alien military aristocracy amid a native and hostile population of serfs."
"Heinrich became a clerk, and earned a hundred and fifty dollars a year; he spent half of this on books, and lived on the other half and his dreams."
"In Homer the Achaeans are, specifically, a Greek-speaking people of southern Thessaly; often, however, because they had become the most powerful of the Greek tribes, Homer uses their name for all the Greeks at Troy."
"None the less, it is impossible to say how far the poems reflect the age in which the poet lived, rather than the age of which he writes."
"Like the Romans a thousand years after them, the Achaeans look down upon literary culture as effeminate degeneration; they use writing under protest, and the only literature they know is the martial law and unwritten song of the troubadour."
"...the greatest gift a man can give is to cut off his hair and lay it as an offering upon the funeral pyre of his friend."
"As we read Homer the impression forms that we are in the presence of a society more lawless and primitive than that of Cnossus or Mycenae."
"Even war does not thwart the Greek passion for games."
"How are these passionate and vigorous Achaeans ruled? In peace by the family, in crisis by the clan."
"...skilled speakers who can sway the people are valuable to the state; already, in old Nestor, whose voice 'flows sweeter than honey from his tongue,' and in wily Odysseus, whose words fall 'like snowflakes upon the people...'"
"In the end the two conceptions of life -the mysticism of the East and the rationalism of the West- would fight for the body and soul of Greece. Rationalism would win under Pericles, as under Caesar, Leo X, and Frederick; but mysticism would always return."
"To these long-haired northerners, hardened by mountains and habituated war, there seemed to be no alternative in life but conquest or slavery; war was their business, by which they made what seemed to them an honest living..."
"Tyrtaeus, said the Spartan King Leonidas, 'was an adept in tickling the souls of Youth.'"
"Lycurgus forbade the citizens to engage in industry or trade, prohibited the use or importation of silver or gold, and decreed that only iron should be used as currency. He was resolved that the Spartans (i.e., the landowning citizens) should be left free for government and war."
"'Return with your shield or on it.' was the Spartan mother's farewell to her soldier son."
"When an advanced thinker asked Lycurgus o establish a democracy Lycurgus replied,'Being, my friend, by setting it up in our own family.'"
"At twelve he boy was deprived of underclothing, and was allowed but one garment throughout the year."
"...character was more important than intellect. The young Spartan was trained to sobriety, and some Helots were compelled to drink to excess in order that the youth might see how foolish drunkenness can be."
"Nearly every lad had a lover among the older men; from this lover he expected further education, and in return he offered affection and obedience."
"All in all, the position of woman was better in Sparta than in any other Greek community."
"Fat men were a rarity in Lacadaemon; there was no law regulating the size of the stomach, but if a man's belly swelled indecently he might be publicly reproved by the government, or banished from Laconia."
"Self-control, moderation, equanimity in fortune and adversity -qualities that the Athenians wrote about but seldom showed- were taken for granted in every Spartan citizen."
"'The disparity of fortune between the rich and the poor,' says Plutarch, 'had reached its height, so that the city seemed to be in a truly dangerous condition, and no other means for freeing it from disturbances... seemed possible but a despotic power.'"
"Solon's peaceful revolution is one of the encouraging miracles of history."
"The best proof of his wisdom was the lasting effect of his legislation. Despite a thousand changes and developments, despite intervening dictatorships and superficial revolutions, Cicero could say, five centuries later, that the laws of Solon were still in force in Athens."
"When the dictatorship had served to destroy the aristocracy the people destroyed the dictatorship; and only a few changes were needed to make the democracy of freemen a reality as well as a form."
"No powerful priesthood, no ancient and inspired text limited men's thinking; even the Homeric poems, which were to become in some sense the Bible of the Greeks, had hardly taken yet a definite form."
"Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law."
"We are reminded of Goethe's remark that a man's vices (or errors) are common to him with his epoch, but his virtues (or insights) are his own."
"Prose is the voice of knowledge freeing itself from imagination and faith..."
"We know of no public library before Alexandria's, none in Athens till Hadrian."
"Religion failed to unify Greece, but athletics -periodically- succeeded."
"We must not think of the average Greek as a student and lover of Aeschylus or Plato; rather, like the typical Briton or American, he was interested in sport, and his favored athletes were his earthly goods."
"So important were the games that not even the Persian invasion stopped them..."
"When Darius, before invading Greece, sent heralds to Athens and Sparta to demand earth and water as symbols of submission, both cities had put the heralds to death."
"...when Xerxes' army drank water whole rivers ran dry."
"The Greek historians assure us that the Persians lost 20,000, the Greeks 300."
"The Greco-Persian War was the most momentous conflict in European history, for it made Europe possible."
It's part of an 11-book series on civilization, but it's a stand-alone piece as well.
So many great stories, looking forward to sharing these in my videos and blogs in the future.
It's not an easy read though. Only read if you are interested in learning about history and Greece.
Flow: 3/5
Actionability: 3/5
Mindset: 5/5
Some of My Highlights:
"Everywhere in Cretan life man expresses his vainest and noblest passion - the zeal to beautify."
"Perhaps there too, as in most declining cultures, population control went too far, and reproduction was left to the failures. Perhaps, as wealth and luxury increased, the pursuit of physical pleasure sapped the vitality of the race, and weakened its will to live or to defend itself; a nation is born stoic and dies epicurean."
"It is difficult to say whether Crete taught Sparta, or Sparta Crete; perhaps both states were the parallel results of similar conditions -the precarious life of an alien military aristocracy amid a native and hostile population of serfs."
"Heinrich became a clerk, and earned a hundred and fifty dollars a year; he spent half of this on books, and lived on the other half and his dreams."
"In Homer the Achaeans are, specifically, a Greek-speaking people of southern Thessaly; often, however, because they had become the most powerful of the Greek tribes, Homer uses their name for all the Greeks at Troy."
"None the less, it is impossible to say how far the poems reflect the age in which the poet lived, rather than the age of which he writes."
"Like the Romans a thousand years after them, the Achaeans look down upon literary culture as effeminate degeneration; they use writing under protest, and the only literature they know is the martial law and unwritten song of the troubadour."
"...the greatest gift a man can give is to cut off his hair and lay it as an offering upon the funeral pyre of his friend."
"As we read Homer the impression forms that we are in the presence of a society more lawless and primitive than that of Cnossus or Mycenae."
"Even war does not thwart the Greek passion for games."
"How are these passionate and vigorous Achaeans ruled? In peace by the family, in crisis by the clan."
"...skilled speakers who can sway the people are valuable to the state; already, in old Nestor, whose voice 'flows sweeter than honey from his tongue,' and in wily Odysseus, whose words fall 'like snowflakes upon the people...'"
"In the end the two conceptions of life -the mysticism of the East and the rationalism of the West- would fight for the body and soul of Greece. Rationalism would win under Pericles, as under Caesar, Leo X, and Frederick; but mysticism would always return."
"To these long-haired northerners, hardened by mountains and habituated war, there seemed to be no alternative in life but conquest or slavery; war was their business, by which they made what seemed to them an honest living..."
"Tyrtaeus, said the Spartan King Leonidas, 'was an adept in tickling the souls of Youth.'"
"Lycurgus forbade the citizens to engage in industry or trade, prohibited the use or importation of silver or gold, and decreed that only iron should be used as currency. He was resolved that the Spartans (i.e., the landowning citizens) should be left free for government and war."
"'Return with your shield or on it.' was the Spartan mother's farewell to her soldier son."
"When an advanced thinker asked Lycurgus o establish a democracy Lycurgus replied,'Being, my friend, by setting it up in our own family.'"
"At twelve he boy was deprived of underclothing, and was allowed but one garment throughout the year."
"...character was more important than intellect. The young Spartan was trained to sobriety, and some Helots were compelled to drink to excess in order that the youth might see how foolish drunkenness can be."
"Nearly every lad had a lover among the older men; from this lover he expected further education, and in return he offered affection and obedience."
"All in all, the position of woman was better in Sparta than in any other Greek community."
"Fat men were a rarity in Lacadaemon; there was no law regulating the size of the stomach, but if a man's belly swelled indecently he might be publicly reproved by the government, or banished from Laconia."
"Self-control, moderation, equanimity in fortune and adversity -qualities that the Athenians wrote about but seldom showed- were taken for granted in every Spartan citizen."
"'The disparity of fortune between the rich and the poor,' says Plutarch, 'had reached its height, so that the city seemed to be in a truly dangerous condition, and no other means for freeing it from disturbances... seemed possible but a despotic power.'"
"Solon's peaceful revolution is one of the encouraging miracles of history."
"The best proof of his wisdom was the lasting effect of his legislation. Despite a thousand changes and developments, despite intervening dictatorships and superficial revolutions, Cicero could say, five centuries later, that the laws of Solon were still in force in Athens."
"When the dictatorship had served to destroy the aristocracy the people destroyed the dictatorship; and only a few changes were needed to make the democracy of freemen a reality as well as a form."
"No powerful priesthood, no ancient and inspired text limited men's thinking; even the Homeric poems, which were to become in some sense the Bible of the Greeks, had hardly taken yet a definite form."
"Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law."
"We are reminded of Goethe's remark that a man's vices (or errors) are common to him with his epoch, but his virtues (or insights) are his own."
"Prose is the voice of knowledge freeing itself from imagination and faith..."
"We know of no public library before Alexandria's, none in Athens till Hadrian."
"Religion failed to unify Greece, but athletics -periodically- succeeded."
"We must not think of the average Greek as a student and lover of Aeschylus or Plato; rather, like the typical Briton or American, he was interested in sport, and his favored athletes were his earthly goods."
"So important were the games that not even the Persian invasion stopped them..."
"When Darius, before invading Greece, sent heralds to Athens and Sparta to demand earth and water as symbols of submission, both cities had put the heralds to death."
"...when Xerxes' army drank water whole rivers ran dry."
"The Greek historians assure us that the Persians lost 20,000, the Greeks 300."
"The Greco-Persian War was the most momentous conflict in European history, for it made Europe possible."
November 6, 2021
Volume two of Will Durant’s delightful Story of Civilization series is complete. This sojourn took me about 6 months to finish and I had a splendid time. It is impossible to retain all the information that dwells inside this tome but nevertheless your knowledge grows as you turn each page. Durant is a fantastic writer, and his words flow wonderfully. He truly had the talent of making the subject of history a pleasure to read.
The Life of Greece covers the art, literature, philosophies, religions, architecture, economy and politics of ancient Greece. The Greeks loved their sculptures of men and women in majestic poses of love or twisting in the throes of death. The Laocoön and His Sons is just one example of the exquisite work that sprung from the Aegean mind. Attending the drama, tragedy and comedic plays were their forms entertainment and offered the occasional emotional purge. Perhaps after reading the philosophical treatises of Plato and Aristotle or of Epicurus and Zeno the learned Greeks engaged in intellectual argumentation over goblets of delicious wine.
The bloody battles and violent wars were many, the loss of human life innumerable. The most memorable of these campaigns was the Persian War which found the Greek city-states engaged with the Persian Empire; the other was the civil strife of the Peloponnesian War, which pitted the great city of Athens against the austere Spartans. In the quagmire that is politics, legislation was steered by those talented orators like Demosthenes, Lycurgus and Isocrates, who would speak at the Assembly and stroke the emotions of the mob with their rhetorical prowess.
The chapter on Alexander the Great was fascinating and entertaining. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of how much of the young conquerors’ life was either truth or legend. So much of what we know of him comes from biographers who may have enjoyed a bit of exaggeration. Nevertheless, the immense amount of territory he managed to subjugate, from Macedonia to the fringes of India, are both spectacular and impressive.
I managed to sneak in some other works which Durant inspired me to read because of the enthusiasm drenched in his writing – the tragedies of Aeschylus, the fragmentary works of early Greek philosophers which were compiled by the English scholar Jonathan Barnes, Mythos by Stephen Fry which he masterfully narrates in his audiobook, 300 by the legendary comic book artist Frank Miller and last but not certainly not least The Odyssey by Homer (translation by Robert Fitzgerald.) I plan on reading Aristotle and Plato and perhaps will dive into Herodotus’s seminal work The Histories which is patiently sitting on my shelf.
Durant covers a lot of ground in this extensive work and its mind boggling. He leaves no stone unturned. The book spans just over 600 pages but I never felt bogged down. I leave the work glum now that it’s over but at the same time feeling appreciative. It’s astonishing just how much of our words we use today came from ancient Greece, how the architecture for many of our institutions mimic Greek design, and how our legislation (in the U.S. anyway) follows many of the democratic values that sprung from Athens. I plan to start the third volume, Cesar and Christ sometime next year. This covers the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and I’m excited to say the least.
Highly recommended!
The Life of Greece covers the art, literature, philosophies, religions, architecture, economy and politics of ancient Greece. The Greeks loved their sculptures of men and women in majestic poses of love or twisting in the throes of death. The Laocoön and His Sons is just one example of the exquisite work that sprung from the Aegean mind. Attending the drama, tragedy and comedic plays were their forms entertainment and offered the occasional emotional purge. Perhaps after reading the philosophical treatises of Plato and Aristotle or of Epicurus and Zeno the learned Greeks engaged in intellectual argumentation over goblets of delicious wine.
The bloody battles and violent wars were many, the loss of human life innumerable. The most memorable of these campaigns was the Persian War which found the Greek city-states engaged with the Persian Empire; the other was the civil strife of the Peloponnesian War, which pitted the great city of Athens against the austere Spartans. In the quagmire that is politics, legislation was steered by those talented orators like Demosthenes, Lycurgus and Isocrates, who would speak at the Assembly and stroke the emotions of the mob with their rhetorical prowess.
The chapter on Alexander the Great was fascinating and entertaining. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of how much of the young conquerors’ life was either truth or legend. So much of what we know of him comes from biographers who may have enjoyed a bit of exaggeration. Nevertheless, the immense amount of territory he managed to subjugate, from Macedonia to the fringes of India, are both spectacular and impressive.
I managed to sneak in some other works which Durant inspired me to read because of the enthusiasm drenched in his writing – the tragedies of Aeschylus, the fragmentary works of early Greek philosophers which were compiled by the English scholar Jonathan Barnes, Mythos by Stephen Fry which he masterfully narrates in his audiobook, 300 by the legendary comic book artist Frank Miller and last but not certainly not least The Odyssey by Homer (translation by Robert Fitzgerald.) I plan on reading Aristotle and Plato and perhaps will dive into Herodotus’s seminal work The Histories which is patiently sitting on my shelf.
Durant covers a lot of ground in this extensive work and its mind boggling. He leaves no stone unturned. The book spans just over 600 pages but I never felt bogged down. I leave the work glum now that it’s over but at the same time feeling appreciative. It’s astonishing just how much of our words we use today came from ancient Greece, how the architecture for many of our institutions mimic Greek design, and how our legislation (in the U.S. anyway) follows many of the democratic values that sprung from Athens. I plan to start the third volume, Cesar and Christ sometime next year. This covers the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and I’m excited to say the least.
Highly recommended!
November 2, 2018
Wow. Just wow. This series is a long one, and I haven't made it very far, but the journey has been wonderful. This book was an incredible adventure into one of the most fascinating civilizations to have ever existed - one that we see the influences of strongly to this day. Durant ends the book by saying, "Civilization does not die, it migrates; it changes its habitat and its dress but it lives on. The decay of one civilization, as of one individual, makes room for the growth of another; life sheds the old skin, and surprises death with fresh youth. Greek civilization is alive; it moves in every breath of mind that we breathe." And that is not an overstatement.
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