Thebes

The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece

By: Paul Cartledge

Narrated by: David Timson

The riveting, definitive account of the ancient Greek city of Thebes, by the acclaimed author of The Spartans.

Among the extensive writing available about the history of ancient Greece, there is precious little about the city-state of Thebes. At one point the most powerful city in ancient Greece, Thebes has been long overshadowed by its better-known rivals, Athens and Sparta. In Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, acclaimed classicist and historian Paul Cartledge brings the city vividly to life and argues that it is central to our understanding of the ancient Greeks' achievements - whether politically or culturally - and thus to the wider politico-cultural traditions of western Europe, the Americas, and indeed the world.

From its role as an ancient political power, to its destruction at the hands of Alexander the Great as punishment for a failed revolt, to its eventual restoration by Alexander's successor, Cartledge deftly chronicles the rise and fall of the ancient city. He recounts the history with deep clarity and mastery for the subject and makes clear both the differences and the interconnections between the Thebes of myth and the Thebes of history. Written in clear prose and illustrated with images, Thebes is a gripping listen for students of ancient history and those looking to experience the real city behind the myths of Cadmus, Hercules, and Oedipus.

©2020 Paul Cartledge (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Good work, but has a lot of holes

I enjoyed the reading and gleaned a lot of information I had missed in my study of Thebes. However, skipping the Theban hegemony almost completely was incredibly disappointing.

lovely book on forgotten Thebes!

loved it and very happy with narration, I recommend to those Greek history lovers. You will not regret it!

Snobbish ending

I found the majority of the book enjoyable and informative, and the narration is great. But the way the author chose to address modern adaptations of Ancient Greek plays was bizarre and pedantic. He seems to be irritated by historically inaccurate takes on the stories, or modernizations. The criticism always falls flat and comes across as complaining, not adding anything worthwhile to the book. I’m mystified as to why this was even included, since it casts the author as a mediocre art critic and has no real bearing on the rest of the book. A very disappointing ending.

Possible error

I believe there is one possible error, which I noticed. Cassander is the son of Antipater, not Antigonus Monopthalmus. Demetrius Poliorcetes is the son of Antigonus Monopthalmus, whose son was Antigonus Gonatas, who bequeathed the family name to the Antigonid successor kingdom.

terrific study of a city list in time

I never knew all this and it turned out to be a remarkable study not only of Thebes but of classical Greece. I half-knew a lot of this stuff but he tied it all together.