Thebes the forgotten city of ancient Greece

" At one point the most powerful city in ancient Greece, Thebes has been long overshadowed by its better-known rivals, Athens and Sparta. In Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, acclaimed classicist and historian Paul Cartledge brings the city vividly to life and argues that it is central to our understanding of the ancient Greeks' achievements--whether politically or culturally--and thus to the wider politico-cultural traditions of western Europe, the Americas, and indeed the world. "--Amazon.

Pre-history. Introduction: From myth to history ; City of myth: the Theban cycle ; City of prehistory and protohistory: archaeology, the Linear B tablets and Homer -- Archaic Thebes. Religion ; Politics -- Classical Thebes. Foreign affairs ; City of song: Pindar and Athenian tragedy ; The Peloponnesian and Corinthian wars ; Theban heyday: city of Epaminondas and Pelopidas -- Downfall. Battle of Chaeronea ; The destruction of Thebes -- Afterlife: The persistence of Oedipus. Thebes rebuilt ; Mythic revivals: the 'pigs' bite back ; Conclusion -- Afterword: A tribute to Peter Mayer.