
Ancient Greek Civilization
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Acheter pour 46,98 $
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Auteur(s):
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Jeremy McInerney
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The Great Courses
À propos de cet audio
Clearly, the Greeks are a source of much that we esteem in our own culture: democracy, philosophy, tragedy, epic and lyric poetry, history-writing, our aesthetic sensibilities, ideals of athletic competition, and more. But what is it about Hellenic culture that has made generations of influential scholars and writers view it as the essential starting point for understanding the art and reflection that define the West? This series of 24 lectures by an accomplished Greek scholar and teacher traces the complex web of links between the present and its Mediterranean origins, taking you from the Late Bronze Age up to the time of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great. It's an intellectual journey that lets you see ancient Greek civilization in the light shed by the newest and best research and criticism, expanding your understanding of history, literature, art, philosophy, religion, and more.
With a special focus on the two crucial centuries from 600-400 B.C.-the era of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars and of classical Athens as described in the histories of Herodotus and Thucydides and the philosophic dialogues of Plato-you'll come to understand how the uniquely "Greek" identity was forged, and how it gave root to so much of what we consider vital about our own present day. Just as important, you'll learn how the differences between our own modern values and beliefs and those of the Hellenic world-including slavery and the exclusion of women from public life-do not imply a lack of relevance to our own times but can instead teach us as just much as our affinities.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©1998 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1998 The Great CoursesMcInerney stumbles on his words and smacks his lips very occasionally.. but his delivery is overall commendable. His lecturing follows the lesson plan seamlessly, but his style includes an appreciated "off-the-cuff" element that puts listeners in a hypothetical darkened lecture hall.. this course feels incredibly authentic.
The appended PDF is likewise excellent: each lecture's summary (including suggested reading & questions for further research) is spot-on. Additionally, the document includes useful maps, a timeline that reorients learners to the chronology of the lectures (McInerney tends to go off on conjectural tangents at times), and an invaluable Glossary of the Important Greek Figures referenced in the lectures.
When all is considered, I rate this audiocourse 9 stars out of 10. McInerney and the Producers are to be commended for putting together a quality presentation (if perhaps over-broad and intermediate between "beginner" and "advanced" in complexity).
I feel fortunate to have gotten this recording offered as a 'Plus' option.. because it would rate a Credit for the right listener.
[Incidentally: The Parallels drawn between stoic, stubbornly conservative, xenophobic, ultrapatriotic, militaristic Sparta among the Greeks and The United States among the modern Western World is fascinating]
Strikingly Well-Organized
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One should not fear the fact that McInerney inserts his opinion on the histories into the lecture. When he does so, he makes clear why a single agreeable answer is not found in the field, what the leading hypotheses are, and why he disagrees or agrees with each one. There are no conscious attempts at obscuring the history or forcing a particular lens upon the audience, which is something I am extremely grateful for.
As others have noted, McInerney chronologically jumps around a fair bit to talk briefly about related subjects from other points in Greek history, but overall follows the civilization's history through chronological order. Although I had just enough requisite knowledge to follow along, others have noted that he sometimes will mention persons, events, and concepts with little-to-no introduction. This is really not a large issue that demands a lot from the reader, but it does distinguish this as not being a "beginner's guide" to the history; rather it is best as an intermediary gateway to further understanding and/or study of the topic. Skimming some wikipedia articles on the broad topics should prime you well enough to follow along. And there's no shame in searching up terms on the side which you don't recognize! For instance, when he mentions characters such as Plato, Socrates, Zeus, or Apollo, these should not be foreign names that cause surprise for you. One should have an idea of where in Greece the major cities of Athens and Sparta exist, as well as the island of Crete. I had never heard of the people Solon or Pisistratus, but due to being less pop-recognizeable, these were given proper introductions.
The accompanying .pdf file is also extremely helpful, giving a short, 2-3 page overview of each lecture, as well as textbook-style questions for the listener to answer to ensure they understood the main points of each lecture. In the endnotes is also a comprehensive timeline so that people can keep track of the chronology as McInerney jumps around, and list of single-sentence bibiolgraphies of all the important persons talked about throughout the audiobook.
Great work, this was exactly what I was expected and needed!
Comprehensive Overview
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love it
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Very good
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