Growth of the Greek City

Abstract

The Hellenic city-states grew slowly from modest beginnings in the course of the first half of the first millennium B.C. By the sixth century they had reached a high level of political development and had achieved great things in art and literature. In the latter part of the sixth century and the early years of the fifth the great Persian Empire threatened to engulf them; but by attaining for a time an unusual degree of unity and by fighting bravely and skilfully they averted the threat; and in the middle of the fifth century Greece, and especially Athens, rose to still greater heights of achievement. But in the closing decades (431–404 B.C.) nearly the whole Hellenic world was involved in the most disastrous of the wars of Greek against Greek which, with the equally incessant party strife within the cities, constantly sapped the strength of Greece. The fourth century still saw incomparable achievements in art, literature and philosophy; but the political vigour of the cities was weakening and finally they lost their independence to the rising power of Macedonia (the batde of Chaeronea, 338 B.C., was decisive).

Two major works on Greek architecture in general have appeared — W. B. Dinsmoor, Architecture of Ancient Greece, 3rd edition, London and New York, 1950 (full and detailed bibliographies); A. W. Lawrence, Greek Architecture (in Pelican History of Art Series), 1957.