The Greeks

A Global History

By: Roderick Beaton

Narrated by: Anna Crowe

A sweeping history of the Greeks, from the Bronze Age to today.

“With suave latitude and dependable detail, Beaton takes his readers from a bright prehistoric ‘dawn’ in the Aegean to the heavy skies of contemporary geo-politics.” —The New Criterion

More than two thousand years ago, the Greek city-states, led by Athens and Sparta, laid the foundation for much of modern science, the arts, politics, and law. But the influence of the Greeks did not end with the rise and fall of this classical civilization. As historian Roderick Beaton illustrates, over three millennia Greek speakers produced a series of civilizations that were rooted in southeastern Europe but again and again ranged widely across the globe.

In The Greeks, Beaton traces this history from the Bronze Age Mycenaeans who built powerful fortresses at home and strong trade routes abroad, to the dramatic Eurasian conquests of Alexander the Great, to the pious Byzantines who sought to export Christianity worldwide, to today’s Greek diaspora, which flourishes on five continents. The product of decades of research, this is the story of the Greeks and their global impact told as never before.

“In this magisterial yet readable introduction to Greek history—one of the best of its kind, whether for academic or popular audiences—Beaton reveals the far more complicated reality.” —Foreign Affairs

Critic reviews

“A monumental, sweeping history of the Greeks covering more than three thousand years right up to the present day. Authoritative, compelling, and beautifully written. A wonderful book.”—Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

“A masterpiece, from a towering expert in all things Greek.”—Gregory Nagy, Harvard University

"Roderick Beaton has given us a wonderful big picture of the Greeks, with a very generous cross-cultural, temporal, and geographical sweep. At the same time, the book’s solid detail and careful distinctions—for example, between the Platonic and the Christian vocabulary for "virtue"—should help in discouraging political exploitation of stilted, anachronistic ideas about Greek civilization.”—Sarah Ruden, translator and author of Paul Among the People

"A remarkable and readable book: this single, masterful volume lays out the entire thirty-five-century history of the Greek-speaking peoples. From Minoan to modern times, their triumphs, their tragedies, and above all their endurance are all here. For anyone who wants to understand Greece today, this is the place to start."—Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules—For Now

“Over three millennia, the locus of the Greek spirit has shifted perpetually. In antiquity it darted about between the cities, harbors, and mountain valleys of the east Mediterranean, moving eventually through the swathes of North Africa, the Levant and southwest Asia where Alexander and his successors held sway. In modern times, it has flowed between the footloose global diaspora and the two volatile states which embody Greekness. In a tour de force, Roderick Beaton has managed to tie this story together in a single compelling narrative, written with deep affection and hard-earned knowledge of all things Greek.”—Bruce Clark, author of Athens: A History

“Histories of the Greeks have so far been written with a classical or a modern bias, but Roderick Beaton does not play favorites: with the vantage-point of a scholar enjoying a deep knowledge of Byzantium as well as all phases of Greek literature, he weaves together a vivid narrative reaching from the age of heroes and lore down to the present. The Greeks emerge not as a single nation but rather as a series of great civilizations. They were often at odds with each other but, in all phases of their long history, contributed cultural capital to the rest of the world. Beaton’s Greeks are always on the move, self-reflexive, and surprising. Their story has not yet been told in a global fashion, as it is here.”—Anthony Kaldellis, Ohio State University

Narrator’s presentation

One of the best Greek history- ancient history- I’ve listened to in a long time

Comprehensive overview

Really enjoyed this comprehensive history of Greece. The subject matter was compelling with a balanced telling of the long history of Greece. The narrator was terrific.

All encompassing history of the Greeks beautifully read

Ranging from 5000 BCE to 2022 this history demonstrates again and again that is much more important to study the Greeks than Greece - although you will find plenty of both in this masterful work. The wonderful narration keeps this lengthy tome fresh and engaging.

The narrator was my favorite part

This will be a two part review. First, I want to give full credit to the narrator. Her voice is perfect for narrating books about history. I have listened to so many and have found them boring or hard to listen to because of the narrator, but this narrator kept me engaged the entire time. I was she could narrate every historical book that I will listen to from here on out. I give her full credit for me being able to get through this book, retain the information, and not find it boring.

The second part of the review. I liked how each chapter was very clearly separated by the time periods. This book was easy to follow and easy to learn from. I would highly recommend this book if you are wanting to learn more about the Greeks.

Great to focus on one region and people.

I'm a layman and no scholar, so your perception may vary. I felt this book was one of the best histories I've read because it didn't have any artificial boundaries, i.e the Persian empire or the Crusades. Just because the Persian empire fell didn't mean that Asia didn't have a huge impact on the Aegean afterward. This book keeps the story going forward all the way to the present.