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Summary: Kitto and the Greeks
Review: "The Greeks" by Kitto is not a book that would normally appear even close to the top of anyone's reading list, unless you enjoy ancient history. What is a Hellene? Kitto explains it. What does the word polis come from? Kitto explains it. What is the Spartan ideal? Kitto explains it. It can be a dry book at times, but reading it carefully you will learn a lot about Greek culture. You will learn who were the Greeks, the Greek government systems, the Athens, the Spartans, and a polis. I suggest this book if you read or study about ancient Greece. I suggest reading pages seven to ninety-five.
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Summary: The Greek Polis & Democracy
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What a wonderful book on the ancient Greeks! Very informative and highly interesting. After reading some of the plays of Aristophanes, Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus and some of the Socratic dialogues of Plato, some modern books, including The Trial of Socrates, by L.F. Stone, I am starting to get a feel for ancient Athens and Greece. Add this to some of Nietzsche's thoughts and arguments against Socrates and for Greek tragedy and there is a great and inspiring culture and way of life to be admired greatly.
H. D. F. Kitto's book, The Greeks¸ is a great history book and an introduction to the Greek character, way of thinking, lifestyle, the art forms of comedy and tradedy, the Greek abitlity to accept fate of suffering, injustice and death, and yet see the divinity of this human life, fully living this life, to know thyself without excess. Also, how the political democracy, the polis is so intertwined and bound in and through out the Athenian culture, and through out Greece.
Now it's the polis, (city-state) the government of the people that truly fascinates me and I find it an amazing concept and this is what was known as democracy and is so far from what we have in our modern day. The polis was more than a political party, it was a community, both religiously (non-dogmatic religion, and this is very significant) and also a social and ethical entity with a high degree of flexibility and the ability to reverse previous decisions that were deemed to be faulty, such as the outcome of the city of Mitylene. All adult Athenian citizens were to partake in the polis and had an open voice in contribution. In turn they were listened to and had an active participation. The rich, the poor, the tradesman, the farmer, the aristocrat, all co-mingled and were completely aware to each other's functions, there was far less ignorance here as to what really was occurring - no secrecy between governmental departments as we have in modern day. There were no professionals, all were amateurs, no representatives, all represented themselves, no high-paid attorneys, all defended themselves, judged themselves and were balanced from being partisan by having such a commingled segment of society in active participation. It was truly an incredible governing system. This was a living community. And in this respect, it brings to mind a phenomenon defined as `community' by M. Scott Peck in his book, A Different Drum. It was truly a remarkable system that has never been repeated.
In turn the Greeks thinking consisted of very weighty matters with responsibility and this can be seen reflected in both the Greek tragedies and comedies. Some have written such thinking off as fatalism, but this is not the case, as such fatal destinies as in the oracles are coupled with the individual's freedom to choose within and bring about beauty and justice inside the limits of human existence. And this can be seen in the weaknesses and limitations of the gods themselves. For the Greek religion was far removed from the dogmatisms found in the monotheism of Western civilization. Symbolism and religiosity was thriving unlike the dead arid rationalism that permeates both secular and religious thinking of our day.
Now there are certainly downsides to the polis, and the Greek way of life as in the existence of slavery, in women's limited rights and in an Athenian league that policed the other islands and cities, in which such a small review does not permit me the space to relate on in what you will find in Kitto's book who goes into an excellent analysis of this and is a superb book to read.
Ultimately, it was when the polis got too large, too corporate and starting policing the other states to conform to the Athenian League in order to receive protection against the Persians. When Sparta requested the end of an embargo against them trading with Megara, Athens refused, so Sparta attacked, starting with the city of Thebes. And after two oligarchy take-overs, the weakened restored democracy of the fourth century developed into a lethargic disinterest in the polis, the Athenians interested in other things. Here the trust in a professional speech writer, Philip, the king of Macedonia, against the advice of the Athenian Demosthenes brought on his successor, Alexander the Great and the end of Greek freedom. Clearly, there is a modern day parallel in the U.S. However, it was with the invent of professionalism, sophism and individualism toward the cosmopolis rather than the polis along with the specialization of military tatics which favored the Athens polis taxing the others. This requried the professional over the amature and the end of the polis.
"To attend to that business of the polis was not only a duty which a man owed to the polis: it was an absorbing interest too. It was part of the complete life. This is the reason why the Athenian never employed the professional administrator or judge if he could possibly help it. The polis was a kind of super-family, and family life means taking a direct part in family affairs and family counsels. The attitude to the polis explains, too, why the Greek never, as we say, "invented" representative government. Why should he "invent" something which most Greeks struggled to abolish, namely being governed by someone else." p. 129
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Summary: Not a history, a broad brush overview of the Greek world
Review: After reading Gates of Fire, I wanted to delve into classical Greek culture. This book is a great intro to Greece from Homer to Alexander. The book covers the history, culture, philosophy, arts, and "mind" of the ancient Greek - all in about 250 pages. It does a marvelous job of introducing the reader to the subject. It would be difficult to read this book and not be astonished by what this civilization accomplished. My only complaint is a nit: the author includes many references to 1950's England that I did not understand.
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Summary: Not a history, a broad brush overview of the Greek world
Review: After reading Gates of Fire, I wanted to delve into classical Greek culture. This book is a great intro to Greece from Homer to Alexander. The book covers the history, culture, philosophy, arts, and "mind" of the ancient Greek - all in about 250 pages. It does a marvelous job of introducing the reader to the subject. It would be difficult to read this book and not be astonished by what this civilization accomplished. My only complaint is a nit: the author includes many references to 1950's England that I did not understand.
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Summary: Superb
Review: An excellent and short history of the Greeks. Very well written and enjoyable. Has excellent insight in the Greek way of thinking. A classic and deservedly so.
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Summary: Fundamental issue in your collection !
Review: From time to time a title appears and becomes a cult book . This is the case of this work of 1953 . This memorable essay makes an account of the great features of the personality and character of this wonderful people , the legitimate ancestors of the western world .
The author was a greek teacher in Glasgow University between 1920 and 1944 . And also wrote In the mountain of greece and the Greek Tragedy .
Kitto will reveal to the reader many unknown clues to understand
the complex world and way of thinking , acting and living of the greeks .
Extraordinary.
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Summary: The
Review: Here is history as pure pleasure -- formidable in its learning, yet delivered in a style that is plain and direct, yet enlivened with color and wit. After you have read a few pages, you will have no doubts as to why this relatively slim volume is an evergreen among studies of classical Greece.Kitto, who taught at the University of Glasgow and the University of Bristol in England, set for himself an ambitious aim: to probe the very soul of the Greeks, from the beginning of their literature and history in Homer and Hesiod, through the sublime artistic creations of the 5th century to the decline of the polis (inadequately translated, Kitto says, as "city-state") following the disastrous Peloponnesian war. He avoids two extremes that would have hobbled such an attempt. Kitto neither gets bogged down in historical minutiae (as even the great Will Durant occasionally did in his masterly The Life of Greece), nor does he turn the work into a series of free-floating thought balloons of philosophy and theory. His observations about the spirit of these people who have left an indelible print on western civilization are invariably penetrating, the more so because he is careful, good scholar that he is, to illustrate them with specifics from Greek history and arts. I'll end my review here because your time would be better spent reading the book itself.
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Summary: A Classic in the Field
Review: I am rereading this book, and I'm inspired to share the good news. It is truly a remarkable work, conveying information in the same measure as passion, humor and reverence. A proud scholar of the old school, Kitto unashamedly reveres the Greek culture as he understands it. There are more modern works, which muddle in gender issues, and in other ways cut the Greeks to our measure; but this brilliant lens is the rare optic that inspires, draws in, engrosses.
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Summary: Showing the Cradle of Western Civilization.
Review: I got in touch with this book as a mandatory reading when I was applying to study at Buenos Aires University. As usually happens with prescribed readings, I eyed "The Greeks" with little enthusiasm.
But to my big surprise it was a great read! Professor Kitto has done an outstanding work here. Now, after all this years, I treasure this volume in my library and read it again and again.
In very few pages he gives the reader a complete picture of Ancient Greece, from its origins till the advent of Alexander the Great.
Every main issue is described here: the Polis, their religion, the construction step by step of a unique civilization; art and war; literature and theater; philosophy and history; not a significant issue is left over. At the same time Professor Kitto succeed in writing a very straightforward account and an easy reading.
We may understand thru this book our eternal debt to that Mediterranean people. Nothing will be as it is without the Greek heritage.
A recommended read for students and any person interested in Western Culture.
Enjoy this trip!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
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Summary: Great example of content in a small package!
Review: I never expected such a wide scope in such a small book. Kitto covers everything you could possibly want in an introductory presentation to ancient Greek civilization. While not elaborating or proceeding into an in-depth study of any of the various topics he touches upon, he does a fantastic job for what he does. A perfect book if you would like to simply read a slight over-view of ancient Greece or a book to get you started on your way to greater studies. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was Kitto`s writing style. Never very stuffy and boring, Kitto adds writing flares that you wouldn`t expect in a scholarly work that is simply stating facts. He does a fine job with words, with memorable sentences such as, "I will let Homer describe it. He is a far better writer than I" proceeding with an exert from The Iliad. Little touches like these really add to the job he has done. I recommend this book to a student or a casual reader who wants a nice introduction to classical Greece with an over-view of the important subjects and topics of that time. Someone who is already familiar with the basics doesn`t really need to read this, but even so, you may want to pick it up for the simple fact that it is a fantastic piece of literature.
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