“Mr. Cartledge’s command of the historical material is effortless and exhaustive, and his appreciation of Thebes is persuasive.” —Wall Street Journal\n\n“An incisive, inspiring and vitally illuminating account . . . A masterful book written by a master historian.” —Bettany Hughes, bestselling author, Istanbul and Helen of Troy\n\nThis is the riveting, definitive account of the ancient Greek city of Thebes by Paul Cartledge, the acclaimed author of The Spartans.\n\nAmong 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.\n\nIn 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 political or cultural—and thus to the wider politico-cultural traditions of Western Europe, the Americas, and indeed the world. Chapters include:\nCity of Myth: The Theban Cycle\nCity of Prehistory and Protohistory: Archaeology, the Linear B Tablets, and Homer\nReligion\nPolitics\nForeign Affairs\nCity of Song: Pindar and Athenian Tragedy\nThe Peloponnesian and Corinthian Wars\nFrom 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 of the subject and makes clear both the differences and the interconnections between the Thebes of myth and the Thebes of history.\n\nWritten in clear prose, Thebes is a gripping read for students of ancient history and those looking to experience the real city behind the myths of Cadmus, Hercules, and Oedipus.\n\n\nIncludes 16-page insert