The Life of Greece was published by Simon & Schuster in 1939 as the second volume of The Story of Civilization. Durant covered Greek civilization from its Bronze Age origins on Crete and at Mycenae through the Golden Age of Athens, the Peloponnesian War, the conquests of Alexander, and the Hellenistic period that followed. The book is particularly strong on Athenian culture — philosophy, drama, sculpture, architecture, and democratic politics — which Durant regarded as one of the supreme achievements of human civilization.
Durant’s Greece is vibrant, concrete, and populated with individuals rather than abstractions. His accounts of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pericles, Phidias, and Euripides are biographical narratives that place ideas within the social and political contexts that produced them.
Collecting The Life of Greece
First edition (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1939): Cloth binding with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $100–$300
- Very good: $30–$80
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate-to-strong appreciation.
The Greek World
The Life of Greece (1939) is Volume II of The Story of Civilization, covering Greek civilization from its Minoan and Mycenaean origins through the Hellenistic age. Durant brings the same narrative energy to Athens, Sparta, and the Greek colonies that he brought to the Orient, and his portraits of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pericles, and Alexander are among the most vivid in popular historical writing. The volume demonstrates Durant’s central conviction: that understanding the past requires engaging with its art, philosophy, and daily life, not just its wars and politics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is Durant’s history? Professional historians have noted errors and oversimplifications, particularly in the earlier volumes. Durant was a synthesizer, not an original researcher, and some of his interpretations reflect the biases of his era. But his narrative skill and breadth of vision remain impressive, and the series endures as a gateway to world history.