“The Story of Greece and Rome”, by Tony Spawforth

 

Yale University Press, 392 pages, ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0300217117

Tony Spawforth describes The Story of Greece and Rome as a “personal story” of classical civilization; as such, it is rich in references to contemporary culture, including Harry Potter, 300 and Troy, and it is for this reason that his book stands out in a crowded field of histories of the Ancient World for its liveliness and wit. Although aimed at readers “who have little or no background” in the subject, there is, I think, much to stimulate the experienced classicist, as well. In the earlier chapters there are some jerks in the narrative as Spawforth moves between describing historical events and museum pieces, the focus being on material evidence and archaeological discoveries, which is, nonetheless, a strength of the book.

And throughout the whole the sheer sense of wonder Spawforth still feels at the civilizations of Greece and Rome is thoroughly infectious. Spawforth manages to write about the histories of these Western cultural juggernauts while juggling many elements, facts, historical figures and cultural influences at the same time; it is impossible not to be impressed by his obvious erudition. Because of that, the story really flows with a continuity that many other, similar books on this topic sadly lack. The drawback of this (positive) attitude is that Spawforth cannot stop to examine anything in depth; he simply glides through time and places, pointing out interesting facts like an over-active tour guide hopped-up on caffeine.

This is a warning I’ve issued about other books, but it bears repeating with this one, as well: if you know a lot about Greek and Roman history, then you will be able to enjoy this book in full, for Spawforth offers few explanations of what he is describing, along with many references to people and places he (it would appear) assumes the reader is familiar with. But that fits with the author’s overall style, as he writes in a conversational manner, as if we were sitting around and he was relating this incredible tale (albeit a tale we have heard before). Not a criticism, really, but if you are a newcomer to the histories of Greece and Rome than I fear a lot of what is spoken of here will fly over your head, in spite of his earlier claim.

The Story of Greece and Rome is a sweeping, beautifully written story covering eight and a half millennia – from the first traces of Neolithic life in what we now call Greece to the fall of Rome in the late 400s A.D. We get the well-known stops on this tour (the Minoans, the Mycenaeans who displaced them, the Dark Age, the Iliad and Odyssey) before the rise of the Classical Greece that began Western civilization (or so we like to think, as Spawforth points out). Then Rome, from village alliance to world empire, meeting along the way Julius Caesar, Augustus, Cicero, Virgil, Nero and a cavalcade of generals, warmongers, thugs and, crucially, historians. It all here, and it’s all terrific, as Western culture, under the pen of a teacher and admirer, has never looked so good.