Out of One, Many
Ancient Greek Ways of Thought and Culture
Published on 26. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
464 pages
978-0-691-24386-3 (ISBN)
Description
A sweeping new account of ancient Greek culture and its remarkable diversity
Covering the whole of the ancient Greek experience from its beginnings late in the third millennium BCE to the Roman conquest in 30 BCE, Out of One, Many is an accessible and lively introduction to the Greeks and their ways of living and thinking. In this fresh and witty exploration of the thought, culture, society, and history of the Greeks, Jennifer Roberts traces not only the common values that united them across the seas and the centuries, but also the enormous diversity in their ideas and beliefs.
Examining the huge importance to the Greeks of religion, mythology, the Homeric epics, tragic and comic drama, philosophy, and the city-state, the book offers shifting perspectives on an extraordinary and astonishingly creative people. Century after century, in one medium after another, the Greeks addressed big questions, many of which are still very much with us, from whether gods exist and what happens after we die to what political system is best and how we can know what is real. Yet for all their virtues, Greek men set themselves apart from women and foreigners and profited from the unpaid labor of enslaved workers, and the book also looks at the mixed legacy of the ancient Greeks today.
The result is a rich, wide-ranging, and compelling history of a fascinating and profoundly influential culture in all its complexity-and the myriad ways, good and bad, it continues to shape us today.
Covering the whole of the ancient Greek experience from its beginnings late in the third millennium BCE to the Roman conquest in 30 BCE, Out of One, Many is an accessible and lively introduction to the Greeks and their ways of living and thinking. In this fresh and witty exploration of the thought, culture, society, and history of the Greeks, Jennifer Roberts traces not only the common values that united them across the seas and the centuries, but also the enormous diversity in their ideas and beliefs.
Examining the huge importance to the Greeks of religion, mythology, the Homeric epics, tragic and comic drama, philosophy, and the city-state, the book offers shifting perspectives on an extraordinary and astonishingly creative people. Century after century, in one medium after another, the Greeks addressed big questions, many of which are still very much with us, from whether gods exist and what happens after we die to what political system is best and how we can know what is real. Yet for all their virtues, Greek men set themselves apart from women and foreigners and profited from the unpaid labor of enslaved workers, and the book also looks at the mixed legacy of the ancient Greeks today.
The result is a rich, wide-ranging, and compelling history of a fascinating and profoundly influential culture in all its complexity-and the myriad ways, good and bad, it continues to shape us today.
Reviews / Votes
"Roberts's clever close readings and personality shine through. For example, there are engaging asides and examinations of ancient Greek thought that may seem particularly new or distinctive to modern readers. . . . What makes this title different is its admirable spotlight on women's lives. . . . An entertaining and witty exploration of Greek history that will introduce readers to a variety of beliefs from ancient Greece." * Library Journal * "[A] beautifully written, thoroughly engaging, thoughtful, wide-ranging, informative and humane take on the ancient Greeks."---Peter Jones, Classics for All "[Roberts'] conversational style and emphasis on social tropes such as gender roles and class tensions make this an engaging volume for newcomers to the field. . . . A welcome updated introduction to the Greeks and why they continue to fascinate us." * Choice Reviews * "[A] storehouse of knowledge. . . . Roberts deserves a lot of credit for synthesizing so much of Greek culture in a way that readers without a classical education can understand and value."---Richard Weigel, Bowling Green Daily News "Jennifer Roberts has created a rich Hellenic tapestry in Out of One, Many. . . . Roberts' achievement might better be characterized by the metaphor of a quilt, a pleasing composite made from the many thought pieces that antiquity has left for us. Fitting together her appraisals of these, the whole or fragmentary works of ancient authors, Roberts has created a work of contemporary style designed to make the ancients feel familiar, highlighting in an artful way the distinctive elements that compose the work."---Mark Munn, Bryn Mawr Classical Review "[A] valuable, capacious study. . . [Roberts] demonstrates compellingly that she is a classicist in the fullest sense of the word, equipped to portray a complex civilization in in the round, interweaving its philosophy, literature, art and archaeology in a vibrant and cohesive tapestry."---Edith Hall, Times Literary Supplement "A book of remarkable accessibility and scope."---David Lorimer, Paradigm ExplorerMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
24 b/w illus. 1 map.
Dimensions
Height: 139 mm
Width: 217 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
602 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-24386-3 (9780691243863)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2024
1st Edition
Princeton University Press
€33.99
Available for download
Person
Jennifer T. Roberts is Distinguished University Professor of Classics and History at the City College of New York and the City University of New York Graduate Center. Her many books include The Plague of War: Athens, Sparta, and the Struggle for Ancient Greece, Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction, and Athens on Trial: The Antidemocratic Tradition in Western Thought (Princeton).