Readings in Greek History: Sources and Interpretations

This concise volume is Oxford's course book for the Ancient Greek World, containing 180 extracts from historical sources, translated , organized and placed in context with introductory passages and historical commentary. As such it goes up against two other other books sharing the same source-collection approach, those from JACT and Routledge, and it is useful to note the principal differences, mainly related to length and coverage (they are all very similarly priced). The Oxford volume covers by far the longest period, starting earlier than either of the other two with the origins of the polis system, and finishing much later with coverage of the Hellenistic Age (the others cover only the Archaic and Classical Ages, in the case of the JACT volume only Classical Athens). Despite this the Oxford volume is the most concise of the three, although well illustrated and clearly laid out. The maps are a particular strength. Thus although the Routledge book undoubtedly contains more information, the Oxford volume feels much more student friendly, and contains a broader coverage than the JACT one.