A survey of the greatest period of Greek civilization, from the 5th to the 1st century BC. In the opening chapter, the author outlines the achievements of the Greeks in literature, philosophy, science, government and the arts. Two chapters then trace the history of archaeological research, from Pausanias in the 2nd century AD to the excavators of today, using such modern techniques as aerial photography and underwater exploration. The last three chapters review military and political history, economics and society, and art and architecture. Four visual stories portray three major archaeological sites - Delos, Olympia and the Acropolis at Athens - and everyday life in classical Greece. The work also contains a new introduction describing recent finds and the progress of research since the book's first publication in 1976 as "The Greek World". The author has directed the British research project at Pompeii since 1979.