The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Athens

Named for a goddess epicenter of the first democracy birthplace of tragic and comic theatre locus of the major philosophical schools artistically in the vanguard for centuries ancient Athens looms large in contemporary study of the ancient world. This Companion is a comprehensive introduction the city its topography and monuments inhabitants and cultural institutions religious rituals and politics. Chapters link the religious cultural and political institutions of Athens to the physical locales in which they took place. Discussion of the urban plan with its streets gates walls and public and private buildings provides readers with a thorough understanding of how the city operated and what people saw heard smelled and tasted as they flowed through it. Drawing on the latest scholarship as well as excavation discoveries at the Agora sanctuaries and cemeteries the Companion explores how the city was planned how it functioned and how it was transformed from a democratic polis into a Roman city.