The great Hellenist Paul Cartledge offers us in this book a masterful introduction to the culture and civilization of Greece, diverging from the more common paths. Skillfully blending biographical narrative with his deep knowledge of the culture of the time, Professor Cartledge provides us with an admirable account of the rise and decline of classical Greece through the lives of fifteen men and women who shaped its history: Homer, Sappho, Cleisthenes, Artemisia, Pericles, Aspasia, Socrates, Cinisca, Epaminondas, Diotima, Pasion, Neaera, Aristotle, Olympias, and Alexander the Great. Each character, through their biography, represents their role in the theater of the Hellenic world and also incorporates some crucial aspect of how the Romans contributed to the spread of Greek civilization.

This work invites us on an unforgettable journey through the formative years of Western civilization, laying the foundations upon which our modern conception of philosophy, science, politics, and art stands. It helps us understand the truth behind the famous saying, "we are all Greeks."