This authoritative book surveys the full extent of the culture that gave us the Acropolis, the Illiad, and The Republic. Stephanie Lynn Budin introduces general readers to the 3000 years of ancient Greek civilization - its art, literature, politics, religion, war, and empire - addressing many topics usually covered only in specialized works. Here, for example, are abundant primary sources, and a guide to reading the ancient script known as Linear B. Here, too, is a rich collection of illustrations, drawings, maps, and photographs, including detailed renderings of Knossos, Akritiri, and a host of archeological sites, showing them as they appeared originally and as they are now. Drawing on the latest interpretations of artifacts, texts, and other evidence, The Ancient Greeks takes readers inside the process of discovery, and provides a full history of the study of classical Greece, from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance right up to the present. The result is an ideal guide toone of the world's most revered cultures of the past.