'Irresistibly fascinating' MARIE CLAIRE GREECE 'Essential' VICTORIA HISLOP 'Brilliantly
conceived' PAUL CARTLEDGE An enormous bestseller in Greece this is a bold witty retelling of
the story of Ancient Greece by a rising star in archaeology Two strangers meet in a trapped
elevator. One is an archaeologist the other isn't. A simple question 'What do you do?'
becomes the springboard for a dialogue that weaves a fascinating tale. Archaeologist Theodore
Papakostas takes the reader on a spectacularly iconoclastic and hugely engrossing journey
through ancient Greece from its beginnings in prehistory to its end. Marvelling at the exalted
moments in history as well as the more mundane Papakostas introduces the reader to countless
fascinating stories about the cradle of western civilisation - many of which upend received
wisdom about the empire as well as about archaeology itself. Along the way he settles
questions such as: What did a Minoan princess pack for a trip to Egypt? How did a raunchy dance
lead to the birth of Democracy? Why did Heraclitus suggest that Homer should be slapped? A
whistle-stop tour through three hundred years of Greek history How to Fit All of Ancient
Greece in an Elevator is an unforgettable love letter to the treasures we've inherited from the
ancient world as well as to those who have helped us unearth them.
