What are some good books/works that a student of Ancient Greek history should read?

by HUMBLEFART

Hi, I'm preparing for university and I want to study Ancient History. I did Classics and Ancient History in my school(college - UK), I looked at:

-Aeneid

-Iliad

-Sophocles three Theban plays (Antigone, OTK, OAC)

-Eurypides' Medea and Hippolytus

-A handful of sources like Herodotus.

But I want to ground my understanding of the ancient Greek world, it can be from Homer's time onward to the birth of Christ. What I'm asking is, are there any stand-out works which anyone interested in Ancient Greek society, mythology etc. NEEDS or should read? Particularly if they want to study it?

I apologize if this is the wrong sub for this, I'm new. Or if the question is too general.

chilari

Ooh I did that. Where are you planning on studying?

Herodotus and Thucydides are a good place to start. Consider Aristotle's Politics too, and Xenophon's Anabasis, Constitution of the Spartans and Oeconomicus.

For secondary sources, you may well be given a reading list with the Routledge History of the Ancient World series:

  • Greece in the Making - Robin Osborne

  • The Greek World 479-323BC - Simon Hornblower

  • The Greek World After Alexander - Graham Shipley

  • The Beginnings of Rome - Tim Cornell

  • The Roman World 44BC - 180AD - Martin Goodman

And even if you're not given those on your reading list, they're all a good starting point.

Also try An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire by David Mattingly.