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Title: Athens: A Portrait of the City in Its Golden Age by Christian Meier, Robert Kimber, Rita Kimber ISBN: 0-8050-4840-5 Publisher: Metropolitan Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 1998 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $37.50

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Average Customer Rating: 3.6 (5 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: birth of the "west"
Comment: This book, which covers one of the most remarkable eras in the history of mankind, attempts to be both scholarly and literary/popular. Unfortunately, while the content of it is utterly fascinating, the way it is written - or translated - leaves much to be desired: the style is flat and dull, frequently unclear, and simply a chore to plod through.

That being said, it covers the flowering of Athens as an imperialist democracy after the defeat of the Persian invasion that briefly united Greece. In the wake of the peace that followed, Athens used the Delian League to create an empire, drawing enormous wealth into the city state and dominating innumerable smaller states, eventually threatening the hegemony of the Spartans in the Pelopponesus. By developing a naval empire, the Athenians needed to enlist the loyalty of lower classes to man the boats and serve as hoplites, which encouraged the development of direct democracy.

Meier meticulously covers the details of these developments in a masterful synthesis of scholarship - it is a kind of updating of the Kulturgeschichte of Burckhart and is very valuable. THe reader is treated to the unique characteristics of Athens as well: it was in an era before there were "specialists" and so everyone was expected to participate in the city's governance, sometimes by elections and sometimes by lot; for historical reasons, Greece had lacked heredity kingships (and empires) to fall back on, preferring instead to guard the independence of smaller and more directly governable city states.

What was particularly interesting was Meier's portrayal of the excitment - the sense that all boundaries were crumbling - that permeated Athens of this period. In this he is certainly correct: we see the rise of Perikles, the great Greek trajedians, the beginning of modern philosophy, the flowering of artistic realism, and new forms of architecture. Meier views all of these developments as of a living organism, mixing political history with art criticism and long interpretations of the contemporary events that the dramas may have been referring to. In spite of these achievements, Meier also studies the fatal flaws and contradictions of this democratic experiment, in Athens' need to subjugate others in the name of democracy, the tendency of the citizens to indulge in excess and sudden blame, and the rise of demagogues. Thus, the portrait of the city is very well rounded. From that point, Meier moves to more military history, chronicalling the catastrophies of the Peloponessian War in painful detail. It is here, really, that the notion of the West and Europe were born.

However, it is amazing to me that the book is so poorly edited. The prose is leaden and utterly lacking in style, as in so much of the academic tradition. But the content is so interesting and compelling that it kept my interest through 600 pages. Indeed, I want to read more on the period.

Recommended.

Rating: 4
Summary: Engaging, but not documented
Comment: I thoroughly enjoyed Meier's narrative style, but was somewhat disappointed by his lack of references. Even outright quotations were not footnoted, and I often had no idea where the quote came from! Many of Meier's views are obviously well informed, but he certainly had time to address opposing views. The only reason that I can think of as to why he chose not to defend his views (but only describe them) is that he intended this work to me for popular instruction. If so, he succeeds. The book drags on during periods (such as early Athens) when he describes mostly sociological details, but becomes far more engaging when he actually has a personality to describe (such as Solon or Pericles). Since the book focuses on the fifth century, there is scant information on earlier figures, such as Cylon and Pissistratus. This is unfortunate, because the title (and thickness of the book) suggests a more exhaustive account of the polis in question. Finally, Meier deals well with the interactions between Athens and other poleis, though I still would like to see him address opposing theories and document his sources. If I were grading for a scholar, I would give this three stars, but if you are a beginner at this topic, the current rating of four is more appropriate.

Rating: 4
Summary: Fine History of a Fifth Century Athens
Comment: At the end of the third chapter I agreed very much with the criticisms of the reviewer from Brooklyn above. Meier does make some very abstract sociological arguments in his chapter on "the Greek Way," and they also made me uneasy. But the many chapters that follow elaborate on them in quite concrete ways and the book becomes sufficiently grounded in details to satsify me thoroughly. I particularly enjoy Meier's comments on the great tragedies when he arrives at the year of their original performances in Athens' amazing century.