"The ancient Greeks are widely considered the founders of Western civilization. To them we attribute such fundamental concepts as democracy, philosophy, theater, and athletics. This richly illustrated book traces their lasting contributions in the visual arts and places them in historical and cultural context. From the Minoans and Mycenaeans of the second millennium B.C. to the Athenians of the Golden Age of Perikles; from those who dwelled in small city-states to the inhabitants of the vast empires of Alexander the Great and his successors, who spread Greek culture far afield before they fell to the Romans, Greeks produced remarkable monuments of architecture, sculpture, and painting: majestic temples dedicated to the gods; life-like statues of bronze and marble; and painted pots renowned for their elegance. These were far more than works of art, however. They reflected - and projected - essential cultural values, whether they were intended for religious sanctuaries for aristocratic drinking parties, civic squares or tombs."--Jacket.