The Greek View of Life

The volume offers a general introduction to ancient Greek culture, surveying religion, political institutions, personal ethics, and the arts. It argues that Greek religion was expressed through myth, ritual, and public festivals rather than creed or a separate clergy, and treats divination, sacrifice, mysteries, and beliefs about death. It examines the city-state as the political unit, law, military emphasis, property, and forms of government. It considers social attitudes toward labor, physical excellence, pleasure, women, and friendship, and analyzes sculpture, music, poetry, tragedy, and comedy, concluding by tracing how these elements form a distinct Greek outlook on life.