This volume is fortunate in the moment of its appearance, for it is now possible for the first time to illustrate the prehistoric culture of Greece in a worthy manner, and to attempt, at any rate, to link it up historically with the classical periods. Both the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, and the British Museum have recently added to their collections magnificent and faithful models of the artistic treasures of Crete and Mycenæ. These I have been allowed to reproduce in colour (Plates 5 and 7) by kind permission of Sir A. J. Evans. I must also acknowledge my obligation to the Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass., U.S.A., for permission to reproduce photographs of the lately discovered reliefs from the “Ludovisi Throne,” which have not as yet been adequately reproduced anywhere (Plate 32); to the Committee of the British School at Athens, through the kind offices of the Secretary, Mr. John Penoyre, for permission to use many of the illustrations of Cretan objects that have appeared in their _Annual_; to Mr. John Murray, for the use of the block representing the “Cupbearer Fresco” (Plate 6) and the illustration on p. 27 from Schliemann’s “Tiryns”; to the Cambridge University Press for a similar accommodation in respect of the illustration (p. 37) from Professor Ridgeway’s “Early Age of Greece”; and to M. Ernest Leroux, of Paris, for courteously permitting a reproduction to be made from a plate in MM. Reinach and Hamdy Bey’s sumptuous work, “Une Nécropole Royale à Sidon.” The authorities of the Greek and Roman and of the Coin and Medal Departments of the British Museum have also allowed many subjects to be reproduced; while I have gratefully to record the fact that the task of illustrating this book has been materially lightened by the co-operation of Messrs. W. A. Mansell & Co. I must thank Mr. Robert Whitelaw and his publishers, Messrs. Longmans, for permission to quote from the former’s translation of Sophocles, and finally I must acknowledge my debt to Mr. Arnold Gomme for much assistance in the correction of the proofs of this book. J. C. S. [Illustration: Mycenæan Gems (_see_ p. 23)] CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii INTRODUCTION HELLENISM : THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE 1 CHAP. I. ÆGEAN CIVILISATION A NEW CHAPTER IN HISTORY : CRETE, THE DOORSTEP OF EUROPE : PROGRESS OF ÆGEAN CULTURE : THE MAINLAND PALACES, MYCENÆ AND TIRYNS : THE MAKERS OF ÆGEAN ART 12 II. THE HEROIC AGE THE NORTHERN INVADERS : HOMER AND THE ACHÆANS : THE SHIELD OF ACHILLES : KINGS AND GODS : ART OF THE EPIC PERIOD : THE HERO’S HOME : HESIOD’S WORLD 35 III. THE AGES OF TRANSITION