Böcker av Mabel Lang

The artifacts and monuments of the Athenian Agora provide our best evidence for the workings of ancient democracy. As a concise introduction to these physical traces, this book has been a bestseller since it was first published almost 20 years ago.

Like fragments of overheard conversations, the thousands of informal inscriptions scratched and painted on potsherds, tiles, and other objects give us a unique insight into the everyday life of the Athenian Agora.

Preserved beneath the surface of the Agora are thousands of terracotta pipes, stone drainage channels, and lead pressure lines. This book discusses the complex engineering that channeled fresh water into the Agora and disposed of waste water, and shows some of the ornate wells and fountain houses where ancient Athenians gathered to drink and bathe.

As far as we know, the 5th-century B.C. Greek philosopher Socrates himself wrote nothing. We discover his thoughts and deeds entirely through the writings of his followers.

Hundreds of life-size human limbs made from terracotta, including the remains of at least 125 human hands, testify to the efficacy of the medicine practiced at the Aklepieion, on the hillside north of ancient Corinth.

The scraps of pottery on which were written the names of candidates for ostracism are one of the most intriguing pieces of evidence for ancient democracy found in the Athenian Agora. This book is a complete catalogue and discussion of these. Chapter One discusses the history of ostracism in Athens with brief remarks about the "candidates".

The artefacts and monuments of the Athenian Agora provide our best evidence for the workings of ancient democracy. As a concise introduction to these physical traces, this book has been a bestseller since it was first published almost 20 years ago.

Mabel Lang's long career as a scholar and teacher has given her a unique perspective on one of the most important authors in western literature. This book brings together several of her most thoughtful papers on figures and issues including the 400, Cleon, and Alcibiades, and joins them with new material on narrative technique.