Alexandria: City of the Western Mind

By Theodore Vrettos

Classicist Theodore Vrettos's Alexandria is a cultural, political, and intellectual biography of the Egyptian metropolis that he deems more influential than any other in world history. Vrettos,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743205693
• ISBN13: 9780743205696
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.6" x 0.9" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Really enjoyed it

An accessible history of Alexandria, and a pleasant read. Not intended for an academic audience, but nevertheless, not dumbed-down either. The chapters on Antony and Cleopatra are especially exciting. Other highlights include brief biographies of Alexandria's prominent scholars, and a detailed history of the Pharos (lighthouse).Vrettos has a nice, lucid, prose style, and the chapters are never convoluted or boring.My only complaint would be that more maps are needed, especially of Greece. I found myself digging into other books to find the locations of some of the cities and provinces Vrettos mentions. Perhaps this will be corrected in a future edition.

A Lovely Book

This book provoked my western imagination. It's a lovely and loving look at the city of Alexandria, and explores both its thinkers, its history and its layout. I'm lead to believe it isn't the most reliable account for scholars, but for the average lay person, it's so lovely that after reading it in the library, I had to own it.

An Adequate History of the Ancient City

Though you will not find too much written about Alexandria from a historical point of view, this book is a good introduction into the city's life and importance. (The book, by the way, is dedicated to Lawrence Durrell - the author of the Alexandria Quartet.)The book is divided in to 5 sections: 1. The Birth of the City2. The Mind of the City3. The Power of the City4. The Soul of the City5. The Death of the CityThe first two chapters are very good. They outline the philosophers and cultural aspects that thrived in Alexandria from ancient to Byzantine times. However, the book is centered around the 3rd chapter, which is a lenghty retelling of the Roman invasion, Cleopatra's effort to successfully incorporate Egypt into the Empire with Caesar, and her eventually fall with Antony. More could have been written about the city's finances and politics. The philosophical discussion is basic -- it doesn't go into much detail regarding the Alexandrian philosophers' teachings. Altogether, this Alexandrian history is valuable as there is very little else out there (besides Cavafy's Alexandria-myth poetry and Durrell's love themes) that cloud the real, important history of the city.

"Engaging and Informative"

"Alexandria, City of the Western Mind," is a masterful account of an illustrious city. Theodore Vrettos, a graduate of Holy Cross Greek Theological Seminary at Harvard, uses his eloquent prose and thorough knowledge of the classical world to bring to life the city's famous architecture and accomplishments, its affluent and ambitious rulers, its restless but refined inhabitants, and its brilliant philosophers and the sublime Christian theologians and teachers who suceeded them. Excellent historical background is given concerning the lives and deeds of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Octavian, and of Antony and Cleopatra; and also of the principle people who helped contribute to the city's birth, mind, power, soul, and finally its death. Vrettos captures the identity of this magnificent city in every way possible, and with it, the attention of accomplished scholars, aspiring students, and general readers alike, will be captured as well.