J. P. Mahaffy’s Old Greek Education is a classic study of how the ancient Greeks raised and educated their children, examining the aims, methods, and stages of Greek schooling. Drawing on classical sources, Mahaffy describes the training of body and mind, from early childhood through the teaching of letters, music, and gymnastics to the higher education of citizens.
The book illuminates the ideals that lay behind Greek education and the place of the family, the school, and the city in shaping the young. Mahaffy, a distinguished classical scholar, writes with learning and accessibility. For readers interested in the ancient world, the history of education, and the cultural foundations of Greek civilization, it remains a concise and illuminating introduction to its subject.