Archaic Greece (1976) describes the typical polis, and considers in turn each city-state in mainland Greece, the Aegean and the coast of Asia Minor. In detailing its history and local culture, as well as events which had great impact on the period – the reforms of Solon, the expulsion of tyrants – the book shows how each contributed to the structure of Greek society as a whole.
Part 1. Introduction 1. The Background 2. Ancient Sources for Greek History 3. The Archaic City-State and its Government 4. Colonisation Part 2. Central and Northern Greece 5. Euboia and the Lelantine War 6. Thessaly, Phokis, the Lokrides, Boiotia: the First Sacred War and its Aftermath 7. Athens and Attica Part 3. The Peloponnese 8. Sparta: the Messenian Wars, and the Peloponnesian League 9. Argos: the Heritage of Temenos 10. Corinth, Epidauros and Aigina: Megara 11. Sikyon: Elis, Arkadia, Achaia Part 4. The Aegean Islands 12. The Islands Part 5. The Eastern Greeks 13. The Ionic Greeks 14. The Aiolic Greeks
Biography
L.H. Jeffery was a British Classicist and archaeologist. She was a tutor in Greek history and archaeology and a lecturer in ancient history in the University of Oxford.
‘There can be nothing but praise for Miss Jeffery’s new book, both as a physical product and as a work of scholarship … will have a long life if one may judge by the striking merits and elegance of its presentation of the currently available evidence.’ The Times Literary Supplement
‘The book strikes a judicious balance between detailed reasoning and a presentation aimed at the relatively untutored reader … the text is lucid and uncluttered with polemic … Miss Jeffery’s book does not strive for novelty nor provocation. Rather, it offers a scrupulous review of Greek political, constitutional and social history in the archaic age, with sound and cautious conclusions. The benefit will be great both for professional historians and for students.’ History
