The ancients Greeks were not empire builders by nature, and they did not seek to conquer or rule others by force. As John Boardman points out, however, they were adept at trade, and they spread their monetary economy, religion, art, and literature through Eurasia. In this illustrated history, Boardman examines a wealth of art and artifacts as well as literary sources to reveal the remarkable influence of Greek culture on peoples—Anatolians, Levantines, Persians, Indians, and Chinese—whose civilizations were far older. The texts here follow Greece's small collection of city-states as they rose and fell, yet established a culture whose values remain with us today.