Among the extensive writing available about the history of ancient Greece, there is precious little about the city-state of Thebes. At one point the most powerful city in ancient Greece, Thebes has been long overshadowed by its better-known rivals, Athens and Sparta. In Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, acclaimed classicist and historian Paul Cartledge brings the city vividly to life and argues that it is central to our understanding of the ancient Greeks’ achievements—whether politically or culturally—and thus to the wider politico-cultural traditions of western Europe, the Americas, and indeed the world.
 
From its role as an ancient political power, to its destruction at the hands of Alexander the Great as punishment for a failed revolt, to its eventual restoration by Alexander’s successor, Cartledge deftly chronicles the rise and fall of the ancient city. He recounts the history with deep clarity and mastery for the subject and makes clear both the differences and the interconnections between the Thebes of myth and the Thebes of history. Written in clear prose and illustrated with images in two color inserts, Thebes is a gripping read for students of ancient history and those looking to experience the real city behind the myths of Cadmus, Hercules, and Oedipus.

在现有的关于古希腊历史的大量文字中，关于底比斯城邦的记载少之又少。底比斯曾一度是古希腊最强大的城市，但长期以来一直被其更知名的对手雅典和斯巴达所掩盖。在《底比斯。在《底比斯：被遗忘的古希腊城市》一书中，著名的古典主义学者和历史学家保罗-卡特利奇将这座城市生动地展现在我们面前，并认为它是我们理解古希腊人成就的核心--无论是政治上还是文化上，从而也是西欧、美洲乃至全世界更广泛的政治文化传统的核心。

从它作为古代政治强国的角色，到它在亚历山大大帝手中被摧毁作为对一次失败的起义的惩罚，再到它最终被亚历山大的继任者恢复，卡特利奇巧妙地记录了这座古城的兴衰。他对这一主题进行了深刻的阐述，明确了神话中的底比斯和历史中的底比斯之间的差异和相互联系。底比斯》以清晰的散文写成，并在两个彩色插页中配有图片，对于研究古代历史的学生和那些希望体验卡德摩斯、赫拉克勒斯和俄狄浦斯等神话背后的真实城市的人来说，这是一本扣人心弦的读物。