Ancient Greece Daily Life

July 1, 2007
Gr 5-7-Each book has the same one-page introduction to the ancient Greeks and a map of their civilization. An introduction to the topic of the book, 12 chapters of 2 pages each, and a time line follow. There are abundant boxed quotes from Greek philosophers and writers; photos, mainly in color; and color illustrations. The first title discusses laws, courts and juries, etc. "Health" includes information on plagues, the influence of gods and goddesses on healing, doctors' diagnoses, the importance of a healthy lifestyle, etc. "Daily Life" covers such topics as the home, getting married, children, games, jobs, and slavery. "Entertainment" describes parties, hunting and fishing, art, music, dance, poetry, storytelling, festivals, theater, sports, and Olympic Games. The texts are geared to younger students, but the boxed material requires a higher level of interpretation. Together, these books offer a good understanding of the lives of the ancient Greeks, but that assumes that they're all on the shelf at the same time, and that children are willing to take all four volumes. Lynn Peppas's "Life in Ancient Greece" (Crabtree, 2004) covers the same information in one volume."Ann Joslin, Fort LeBoef School District, Waterford, PA"

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