Digital Maps of the Ancient World

Persia and Greece

Embark on a captivating exploration of the tumultuous conflicts between Persia and Greece with our comprehensive reading list, meticulously curated to provide a nuanced understanding of this pivotal period in ancient history.

Dive into classic accounts such as Herodotus’ Histories, which vividly narrates the Greco-Persian Wars, offering valuable insights into the motivations, strategies, and battles that defined these epic struggles. Delve into the scholarly works of modern historians like Balcer, Cawkwell, and Briant, whose meticulous research sheds new light on the geopolitical dynamics, cultural clashes, and enduring legacies of the Persian Wars. Explore the intricate interplay of politics, diplomacy, and military tactics as Persia and Greece clashed on the fields of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis, shaping the course of Western civilization. Whether you’re an academic scholar or an avid history enthusiast, our curated reading list offers a diverse array of perspectives and analyses, inviting you to unravel the complexities of these ancient conflicts and their profound impact on the world.

General

• Balcer, J.M., The Persian Conquest of the Greeks, 545-450 B.C., Konstanz, 1995.
• Briant, P., From Cyrus to Alexander: a history of the Persian Empire, Winona Lake IN, 2002, 339-42 & 949-50.
• Cawkwell, G.L., The Greek wars: the failure of Persia, New York, 2005.
• Miller, M.C., Athens and Persia in the fifth century BC: a study in cultural receptivity, Cambridge, 1997.

Further Reading

• Andrewes, A., ‘Thucydides and the Persians’ in Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte, 1961, 1-18.
• Badian, E., ‘The Peace of Callias’ in From Plataea to Potidaea: studies in the history and historiography of the Pentecontaetia, Baltimore, 1993.
• Balcer, J.M., ‘The Persian Wars against Greece: A Reassessment’ in Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte 38, 1989, 127-143.
• Boedeker, D., ‘Persian gender relations as historical motives in Herodotus’ in Herodot und das Persische Weltreich =: Herodotus and the Persian Empire : Akten des 3. Internationalen Kolloquiums zum Thema “Vorderasien im Spannungsfeld klassischer und altorientalischer Überlieferungen,” Innsbruck, 24.-28. November 2008, Wiesbaden, 2011, 211-235.
• Braun, T.F.R., ‘The Greeks in the Near East’ in The Cambridge ancient history: Vol. 3, part 3: The expansion of the Greek world, eighth to sixth centuries B.C., Cambridge, 1982, 1-31.
• Cuyler Young, T., ‘480/479 B.C.-A Persian Perspective’ in Iranica Antiqua 15, 1980.
• Flower, M., ‘Herodotus and Persia’ in The Cambridge companion to Herodotus, Cambridge, 2006, 274-289.
• Harrison, T., ‘Herodotus on the character of Persian imperialism (7.5-11)’ in Assessing Biblical and classical sources for the reconstruction of Persian influence, history, and culture, Wiesbaden, 2015.
• Lewis, D.M., ‘Persians in Herodotus’ in The Greek historians: literature and history : papers presented to A.E. Raubitschek, Saratoga CA, 1985, 89-105.
• Lewis, D.M. & Bradeen, D.W., Sparta and Persia: lectures delivered at the University of Cincinnati, Autumn 1976 in memory of Donald W. Bradeen, Leiden, 1977.
• Meiggs, R., The Athenian empire, Oxford, 1972, Ch 8.
• Mitchell. L.G., Greeks bearing gifts, Cambridge, 1998, Ch 6.
• Munson, R.V., ‘Who Are Herodotus’ Persians?’ in The Classical World 102, 2009, 457-470.
• Olmstead, A.T., ‘Persia and the Greek Frontier Problem’ in Classical Philology 34, 1939, 305-322.
• Powell, A., ‘The Peace of Callias’ in Athens and Sparta, London, 2001, 49-54.
• Rhodes, P.J., ‘The impact of the Persian wars on classical Greece’ in Cultural responses to the Persian wars: antiquity to the third millennium, Oxford, 2007, 31-45.
• Ruzicka, S., ‘The eastern Greek world‘ in The Greek world in the fourth century: from the fall of the Athenian Empire to the successors of Alexander, London, 1997.
• Sancisi-Weerdenburg, H., ‘The Personality of Xerxes, King of Kings’ in Brill’s companion to Herodotus, Leiden, 2002.
• Starr, C.J., ‘Why did the Greeks Defeat the Persians?’ in La Parola del passato: rivista di studi antichi 17, Naples, 1962, 321-332.
• Wiesehofer, J., ‘“O Master, remember the Athenians”: Herodotus and Persian foreign policy’ in The world of Herodotus: proceedings of an international conference held at the Foundation Anastasios G. Leventis, Nicosia, September 18-21, 2003 and organized by the Foundation Anastasios G. Leventis and the Faculty of Letters, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, 2004, 209-221.
• Wiesehofer, J., ‘“Keeping the two sides equal”: Thucydides, the Persians and the Peloponnesian War’ in Brill’s companion to Thucydides, Leiden, 2006, 657-667.