Who were the Greeks of antiquity and what do they still have to tell us today? This volume addresses these core questions of cultural historical consideration in an overview manner. From the emergence of the Greek city-states through the Persian Wars to the Age of Pericles, and from the development of democracy in Athens to the economic foundations of Greek communities, as well as the brutal wars fought among the Greeks and against others, the narrative arc of this introduction is drawn. The history, art, literature, and daily life of the Greeks in the archaic and classical periods are presented in a comprehensive picture of an era, and their ongoing significance for a present that has moved far from humanistic-classical traditions is critically analyzed. In this context, the Greeks are examined from their humanistic foundation.