The ancient Greeks gave us our alphabet and much of our scientific, medical and
cultural language; they invented democracy, atomic theory, and the rules of logi
c and geometry; laid the foundations of philosophy, history, tragedy and comedy;
and debated everything from the good life and the role of women, to making sens
e of foreigners and the best form of government, all in the most sophisticated t
erms. But who were they? In Eureka!, Peter Jones tells their epic story, which b
egins with the Trojan War and ends with the rise of the Roman Empire, by breakin
g down each major period into a series of informative nuggets. Along the way he
introduces the major figures of the age, including Homer, Socrates, Plato, Arist
otle, Alexander the Great, Euclid and Archimedes; explores the Greek myths and t
he role of the gods;provides fascinating insights into everyday life in ancient
times; and shows us the very foundations of Western culture.
