This one-stop resource for information and examination of the ten most important topics and events in Ancient Greek history is an ideal student companion to a study of Greek civilization. Each chapter focuses on one topic or event and contains two essays: a clear, concise introduction to the event that presents complex, factual material in an easily understandable way, followed by an insightful interpretive essay by a recognized authority that explores the short-term and far-reaching ramifications of the event and encourages critical thinking. Chapters cover: Early Greek civilization, political revolutions and the development of ethnic Greek identity, the Olympic games and the rise of Greek religious institutions, Sparta and Athens, the Persian Wars, Athenian imperialism, the Peloponnesian War, the development of Greek philosophy, Makedonian conquests, and Hellenistic empires.