Thebes, Paul Cartledge
Thebes, Paul Cartledge
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Thebes
The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece

Author: Paul Cartledge

Narrator: David Timson

Unabridged: 11 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/21/2020

Synopsis

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 in two color inserts, 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.

About Paul Cartledge

Paul Cartledge is the A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture Emeritus at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Clare College. He has written and edited more than twenty books, many of which have been translated into foreign languages, including The Spartans, Alexander the Great, and Thermopylae, all published by the Overlook Press/Abrams Press, and most recently Democracy: A Life. He is an honorary citizen of modern Sparta and holds the Gold Cross of the Order of Honor awarded by the president of Greece.

About David Timson

David Timson is an actor, voice actor, and playwright. His narrations have earned thirteen AudioFile Earphones Awards. He is best known for his narration of The Complete Sherlock Holmes audiobook, in which he voices all 125 characters in the Holmes novels and short stories. His screen credits include Poirot: Evil Under the Sun, The Bill, Nelson’s Column, and Casualty. His theater work includes Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He is a voiceover artist who has made over 1,000 broadcasts for BBC Radio Drama.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ozymandias on April 23, 2022

This is a long-needed volume about a city that too often takes a backseat to attention-hogging poleis like Athens and Sparta. Thebes was one of the big three cities of the Classical Greek era, and the last, as well as probably the most significant city for Greek myth and legend. Thebes was old. So I......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie (Bookfever) on August 07, 2020

First of all, wow… I read this book in only three days which is pretty damn for me with a 320 page nonfiction about ancient Greece. Sure, it isn’t the longest book I’ve ever read but the topic is a rather heavy and complex one so finishing it this fast actually surprised me. Paul Cartledge covers a l......more

Goodreads review by Julian on December 21, 2024

A very detailed history of the city of Thebes including a study of its many myths and legends, its many ups and downs, and its many swings of fortune, where Thebes didn't always think in the most politically astute way. As a result, Thebes was largely overshadowed by Athens and Sparta throughout mos......more

Goodreads review by Veronica on June 06, 2020

Thebes By Paul Cartledge gets three stars because it will go on to a deep detailed explanation great right? Then it will say we will put this on pause and come back to this another time. It jumps around a lot back and forth alot which can get quite confusing to the reader at least me. I'm a huge fan......more

Goodreads review by Ron on September 12, 2023

This is a well-written book on ancient Greece (i.e., this is not a book about the Thebes in ancient Egypt). The fact that it was well-reviewed by Bettany Hughes, for whom I’ve had a mad crush for more than two decades, of course had nothing to do with my liking it! 😀 Among his many other writings, C......more

Quotes

“Mr. Cartledge’s command of the historical material is effortless and exhaustive, and his appreciation of Thebes is persuasive.” Wall Street Journal

“Cartledge, matching his unrivaled command of the complex, fragmentary, and often contradictory sources to his talents as a storyteller, traces the arc of the Theban story…The great value of Cartledge’s book is that it enables us to see Thebes, at long last, not as Athens saw her, but as the Thebans themselves did.”
Tom Holland, The Spectator

“Cartledge’s great achievement is to solve the riddle of why Thebes disappeared and put the ancient city back on the map.” Literary Review

“Cartledge manages to make the ancient world accessible to modern readers. This deeply informed and richly detailed chronicle restores Thebes to its rightful place in history.” Publishers Weekly

“An incisive, inspiring, and vitally illuminating account of a city that changed the ancient world and that deserves to be remembered by the modern. A masterful book written by a master historian.” Bettany Hughes, author of Istanbul

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