Status in Classical Athens

Hands down, the most concise, accessible, and nuanced introduction to the broad spectrum of Athenian society one could hope for. It summarizes the most important recent scholarship and is an indispensable gateway to further research on any specific group. I particularly appreciated the way that the author takes care to note ways in which even slaves and women could exercise agency despite the heavily prescribed nature of their lives. Little touches like that make this book not only a handy "just the facts, ma'am" reference, but a surprisingly humane and empathetic one as well. There are ten chapters, each about 10 pages long. The writing is clear and very accessible. This book, in parts or in its entirety, would be excellent to assign to students in a college class--as an introduction to different social groups, a jumping off point for independent research projects, or as a way to think about the range of statuses of different groups within American society. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's truly an impressive accomplishment.

Pretty good, but a little superficial. It would be much better with another 150 pages or so. As it is, this is super useful for an undergrad. class, but a bit lacking for research purposes.

Hands down, the most concise, accessible, and nuanced introduction to the broad spectrum of Athenian society one could hope for. It summarizes the most important recent scholarship and is an indispensable gateway to further research on any specific group. I particularly appreciated the way that the author takes care to note ways in which even slaves and women could exercise agency despite the heavily prescribed nature of their lives. Little touches like that make this book not only a handy "just the facts, ma'am" reference, but a surprisingly humane and empathetic one as well. There are ten chapters, each about 10 pages long. The writing is clear and very accessible. This book, in parts or in its entirety, would be excellent to assign to students in a college class--as an introduction to different social groups, a jumping off point for independent research projects, or as a way to think about the range of statuses of different groups within American society. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's truly an impressive accomplishment.

Pretty good, but a little superficial. It would be much better with another 150 pages or so. As it is, this is super useful for an undergrad. class, but a bit lacking for research purposes.