Edith Hall unpacks the mysterious and successful ancient Greek people through ten uniquely ancient Greek personality traits.

"Terrifically good" -- Natalie Haynes Observer "[Hall] provides a thoroughly readable and illuminating account of this fascinating people... This excellent book makes us admire and like the ancient Greeks equally" -- John Davie Independent "A worthy and lively introduction to one of the two groups of ancient peoples who really formed the western world" -- Christopher Hart Sunday Times "This new tome serves as a fantastic general introduction" Big Issue "Edith Hall has a brilliant ability to intellectually analyse the Greeks... because of deep, searching curiosity, and her sense of how this culture reflects upon our moment now. Her writing is so clear and accessible... full of complex reflections and revelations" -- Ian Rickson "Wide-ranging and endlessly fascinating... It is a fitting tribute to history that ought to be preserved... because it would, at the very least, enrich our conversation and range of comparison with events today" -- Daisy Dunn Standpoint "This crisp little book is also worth reading for Hall's elegant prose" -- Suzi Feay Financial Times "Throughout, Hall exemplifies her subjects' spirit of inquiry, their originality and their open-mindedness... And in doing that...she reminds us of how civilizing and humanizing a study of the ancients can be" Daily Telegraph "A fascinating read, delightfully illustrated with unusual and exquisite drawings" -- Michael Scott BBC History Magazine "Groundbreaking ... acutely identifies and brilliantly explores ten defining qualities that together explain why we simply cannot do without the ancient Greeks" -- Professor Paul Cartledge, University of Cambridge

Edith Hall is one of Britain's foremost classicists, having held posts at the universities of Royal Holloway, Cambridge, Durham, Reading, and Oxford. In 2015 she was awarded the Erasmus Medal of the European Academy, given to a scholar whose works represent a significant contribution to European culture and scientific achievement. She is the first woman to win this award. Hall regularly writes in the Times Literary Supplement, reviews theatre productions on radio, and has written and edited more than a dozen works on the ancient world. She teaches at King's College London and lives in Gloucestershire.