Athens in the 5th century B.C. was the birthplace of ideas that still stir the heart; justice and democracy were vital ingredients of the harmonious existence which the Athenians held as their ideal. In Sparta the way of life was based on physical fitness and militarism.The eminent classicist Robert Flaceliere illuminates the town and country backgrounds of the Athenians and the Spartans, explaining their attitudes to women, marriage and the family, upbringing and education. He tells us about their jobs and professions and how well they could expect to live on the money they earned. He describes how they dressed, what they ate, what they did in their leisure time and of their life in the theatre and at war.Flaceliere uses all the resources of ancient literature, history and archaeology to reconstruct what it was actually like to live in the Golden Age of one of the greatest civilizations the world has seen. Read Less