Product Description

The textbook Greek art and archaeology, written by Greek specialist Dimitris Plantzos and published by Kapon Editions in 2011, was selected by Atlanta-based American publishers Lockwood Press as their first venture into the field of classical archaeology. Translated by British archaeologist Nicola Wardle, the book, which has just appeared, was thoroughly revised and expanded by its author. The English-language edition is distributed in Greece and the rest of Europe by Kapon Editions, who also redesigned the Greek-language edition.

In the five years since its first edition, the book has been established as the standard textbook in the teaching of classical art and archaeology, offered by most Greek university departments where the subject is taught. It surveys Greek archaeology from the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces to the subordination of the last Hellenistic kingdoms to Rome. The author studies Greek art through the material record, and against its cultural and social backdrop. The book’s target audience is archaeology and art students, as well as anyone interested in Greek art and culture. Through concise, systematic covering of the main categories of classical monuments, the reader is taken to a tour of ancient Greece along the most spectacular period in its history, the 1st millennium BC. Architecture and city planning, sculpture, painting, pottery, metallurgy, jewelry, and numismatics are some of the areas covered. The first history of ancient Greek art demonstrating such chronological and disciplinary depth to be published in Greece for almost a century, it is now the first to be taken on by a foreign publisher.

Endorsed by:

“This is not just another handbook on Greek Art. It is longer than most, far more fully illustrated and concerned to see that even the ‘minor arts’ are properly considered. The writer is a teacher with long experience of Greek art ‘at home’ and in foreign museums, and able therefore to give a wide perspective to his subject. I strongly recommend it to both students and the interested public.”

Emeritus Professor Sir John Boardman, University of Oxford

“This beautifully illustrated volume situates Greek art within the framework of classical archaeology and classical studies, as well as within the growing field of reception studies. With an emphasis on terminology, a combined chronological and thematic approach, many rich contextual references, and useful bibliographies, students of many levels will be delighted to engage with this fresh and attractive introduction to the subject.”

Tyler Jo Smith, University of Virginia

A selection from the reviews published on Greek Art and Archaeology by Dimitris Plantzos:

Classical Journal:

This book is a lively translation of the 2011 version written in Greek. It matches up very favorably with the similar recent textbooks such as Pedley (a 5^th edition in 2011), Neer (2011), Barringer (now in paperback (2015)). […] This is one of the most instructively illustrated textbooks that this reviewer has ever seen.  Each of the 592 magnificent color illustrations has been strategically positioned to coordinate with accompanying test and incredibly well blended into the large page format. Commentary is well organized, terse, pointed and minimalist in description. […] As a textbook this volume provides a very viable platform current, comprehensive, and convenient for teaching a survey approach which promotes more than a fleeting academic traction.

Henry V. Bender, St. Joseph’s University

Bryn Mawr Classical Review:

In 2016, the English translation of a survey of Greek art and archaeology by Dimitris Plantzos was published. In five chapters the author introduces the reader to the research methodology of archaeological investigation and discusses a select number of mostly familiar monuments within their historical and cultural context. Textboxes focus on specific works of art and various cultural issues, with topics ranging from the symposion to the problems associated with using Roman copies to reconstruct lost Greek works. The material covered in the textboxes serves to enhance the reader’s appreciation of the material covered in the chapter. The monuments presented in each chapter are, for the most part, canonical but the author departs from the approaches of other authors of survey texts by taking a decidedly archaeological approach and including issues such as excavation history and authenticity. Plantzos’ text […] offers a good balance between monuments and narrative; that is, the number of monuments is manageable and the discussions include stylistic and cultural information.

Linda Maria Gigante, University of Louisville