European history microfilming project
Description
George Grote (1794-1871) was a successful businessman, who came from a family of wealthy bankers. He was so successful in business, he was able to retire in 1843 to devote himself to writing his History of Greece (first published in 1846-1856). He brought a businessman's self-assurance to his task. He was "untroubled by any doubt about the supreme merits of democracy and progress; and he naively adopted the middle-class ideals of his period as a yardstick for measuring the civilization of ancient Greece. The History is, in fact, a paean in praise of political liberty, and he glorified the Athenian democracy as fervently as he misrepresented the despotism of the 'barbarian', Alexander the Great."
How the series evolves
Books in this Series
A history of Greece
George Grote (1794-1871) was a successful businessman, who came from a family of wealthy bankers. He was so successful in business, he was able to retire in 1843 to devote himself to writing his History of Greece (first published in 1846-1856). He brought a businessman's self-assurance to his task. He was "untroubled by any doubt about the supreme merits of democracy and progress; and he naively adopted the middle-class ideals of his period as a yardstick for measuring the civilization of ancient Greece. The History is, in fact, a paean in praise of political liberty, and he glorified the Athenian democracy as fervently as he misrepresented the despotism of the 'barbarian', Alexander the Great."