After Thermopylae The Oath of Plataea and the End of the Graeco-Persian Wars

"Filled with rich detail, interesting etymologies, and wonderful contrasts, this work is a reminder that history (as readers are reminded, a term initiated by Herodotus, meaning "enquiry") is subject to interpretation, manipulation, and exploitation...Well argued, thoughtful, and accessible, this will be welcomed by any generalist interested in the Persian Wars and their social, political, and religious context." --Library Journal
"After Thermopylae is a historical detective story, unraveling the mysteries of the Oath of Plataea, one of the most famous but least understood documents in Greek history. Paul Cartledge tears away the veil of myths that the Greeks wove around their great victory over the Persians at Plataea to expose a fascinating, unsuspected story of ancient culture wars. Essential reading for anyone interested in the politics of the past." --Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules--For Now "As a student of the Battle of Salamis, I was fascinated by this account, by a distinguished historian, of the Battle of Plataea and its afterlife. Like today, ancient Greece had its culture wars-and memory wars." --Barry Strauss, author of The Spartacus War and The Battle of Salamis "The solemn oath which the Athenians are said to have sworn as they prepared to fight the Persians at the Battle of Plataea is one of the most interesting documents to survive from classical antiquity. "IAfter Thermopylae vividly explores the remarkable story of the battle -- a more significant turning point in history than the famous clashes that preceded it -- and its afterlife. This fascinating material deserves to be much better known, and no one is better than Paul Cartledge at making ancient history accessible to a wide audience." --Hans van Wees, author of Greek Warfare: Myths andRealities