Jakob Falke (1825-1897) was a German historian and art critic. He studied Classics and worked first as a teacher. He later became curator of the Museum of Nuremberg and in 1858 was appointed librarian and advisor of the art collection of the Princes of Liechtenstein in Vienna. During the same period, Falke contributed to several art reviews and other publications. He is among the first exponents of the Arts and Crafts movement, and one of the founders of the Vienna Museum of Arts and Crafts (today Vienna Museum for Applied Arts). In 1871 he published the first manual of interior decoration in German, and was knighted in 1874.

His best-known works are the “History of modern taste in art”(“Geschichte des modernen Geschmacks”, 1866), “Contemporary cultural industry...” (“Die Kunstindustrie der Gegenwart...”, 1868) and “Greece and Rome” (“Hellas und Rom”, 1879). The edition presented on the website is a section of the latter work, translated by Nikolaos Politis and published in 1874 as “Greece, the life of the ancient Greeks”.

The first chapter deals with history and political organization. Its sections cover mythical times, the political regimes of Greek cities down to the time of the Persian wars and finally the Macedonian era and the decline of political freedom. The second chapter describes the everyday life of the ancient Greeks, with subjects such as childhood and youth, costume, self-care, women, the household, symposiums, rural life and sports as well as religion. The last chapter is dedicated to Greek art, poetry, prose, and historians, orators and philosophers.

The edition is illustrated with wood engravings of superb quality, which depict works of ancient Greek and Roman art, and imaginary representations of the public and private life of the Greeks, including reproductions of contemporary neoclassical paintings.

Written by Ioli Vingopoulou

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  Athens seen from the ancient Sacred Way. In the middleground, the Acropolis. In the background, Mount Hymettus.

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  View of Athens from the rocks of Piraeus.

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  View of Athens in the late 19th century.

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  View of Athens in the late 19th century.

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  The Parthenon at the time of Pericles (Imaginary reconstruction).

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  The plain of Marathon.

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  The grave stele of Aristion, discovered in Velanideza, Attica and kept at the Archaelogical Museum of Athens.

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  The plain of Plataeae.

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  Thermopylae.

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  Busts of Miltiades and Themistocles.

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  Megara and Salamis island.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of ancient Piraeus.

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  Thebes. On the left, the Acropolis of Cadmea.

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  Tanagra statuette of barber and customer.

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  The flower market of ancient Athens (imaginary representation).

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the Horologion of Andronikos Kyrristos and adjacent area, Athens.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the Agora of ancient Athens.

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  Two Athenians conversing.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of Athens at the age of emperor Hadrian. View from the east.

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  View of Pnyx hill.

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  View of the Crissaean plain from Delphi. In the background, the Corinthian gulf and Peloponnese.

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  The gorge of the Phaedriades and the Castalian spring, Delphi.

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  Ancient remains at the site of Delphi.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the Propylaea of the Acropolis of Athens.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the Erechtheion at the Acropolis of Athens.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the interior of the Parthenon.

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  Caryatid, from the southern side of the Erechtheion.

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  Dione and Aphrodite from the eastern pediment of the Parthenon, today at the British Museum, London.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of theatre of Dionysus, Athens.

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  View of Mount Parnassus.

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  Death of Socrates.

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  Title page.

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  Allegory of History.

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  Oak tree from Mount Parnassus.

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  Dodoni.

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  The plain of Troy in the late 19th century.

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  Diadem from the Treasure of Priam, discovered by Heinrich Schliemann on the site of Troy.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the Lion Gate of Mycenae.

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  View of the site of Heinrich Schliemann's excavation at Mycenae. In the foreground, Grave Circle A.

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  Golden vessels discovered by Heinrich Schliemann at the grave sites of Mycenae acropolis (reconstructed view).

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  Terracotta vases discovered by Luigi Palma di Cesnola in Cyprus in the mid-19th century (c.1865–1877).

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  Imaginary reconstruction of Mycenae acropolis.

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  View of the coast of Ithaca.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of ancient Sparta.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the agora of Sparta. In the background, the Acropolis. In the foreground, the statue of Hermes Agoraeus with young Dionusus. On the right, the Persian stoa which housed the spoils of the Persian wars. In the background, the sanctuary of Moirai with Orpheus's grave.

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  Depiction of Spartan youth practicing sports at the Gymnasium.

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  Race in ancient Sparta.

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  The Corinthian gulf. On the left, Acrocorinth. On the right, the northern coast of the Peloponnese.

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  Quarry in ancient Corinth.

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  Greek hoplites.

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  Drawing of Roman copy of Kresilas's bust of Pericles, Vatican Museum.

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  Syracuse.

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  Bust of Alcibiades, Vatican Museums.

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  Statue of Demosthenes, Vatican Museums.

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  Statue of Aeschines, Museo Nazionale, Naples.

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  Drawing of relief showing the triumphal entry of Alexander the Great into Babylon, by Bertel Thorvaldsen.

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  Portrait of Alexander the Great drawn according to the bust discovered on Delos island and kept at Louvre Museum.

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  Bacchic procession.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of Poros island and the emple of Athena Apatouria.

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  Reconstruction of the sanctuary of Poseidon in Calauria (Poros island), where Demosthenes was killed.

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  Funerary stele of a mother and her young children.

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  Hellenistic bust of Aesop from Villa Albani, Rome

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  Scene from ancient vase showing teacher and pupil at school.

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  The tutor from the Niobids complex, Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

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  Young women playing a stringed instrument

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  Drawing of woman playing the flute (possibly a courtesan), from ancient vase.

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  Young women dancing and playing music (imaginary representation).

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  Roman statue of girl playing astragaloi (knucklebones), kept at Altes Museum, Berlin.

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  Young women playing on the swing (imaginary representation).

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  Tanagra figurines.

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  Relief of young man from the Parthenon frieze.

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  Apollo of Belvedere (Roman statue of Hadrian's era, based on a copper original of the 4th century, possibly by Leochares).

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  Statue of the Capitoline Venus type, from the Capitoline Museums.

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  Tanagra statuette.

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  Examples of male costume in antiquity, based on extant representations, such as those of Hephaestus (second from left) and Aeschines (fourth from left).

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  Examples of female costume in antiquity, based on extant representations.

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  Examples of female costume in antiquity, based on extant representations.

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  Example of dress of young man in chlamys, wearing a petasus, possibly based on extant representations of Hermes.

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  Example of dress of young man in chlamys, wearing a petasus, possibly based on extant representations of Hermes.

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  Tanagra statuette of seated young woman.

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  Examples of male and female ornate costume.

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  Examplles of ancient footwear.

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  Examples of ancient male hairstyles.

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  Examples of ancient female hairstyles.

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  Head of nymph Clytia, British Museum.

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  Female head from Munich Glyptothek.

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  Self-care implements: Perfume vases, brush, fans and mirror.

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  Fictional representation of gynaeconites (female quarters) of affluent house, possibly of a hetaera, showing typical morning activities.

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  Wedding preparations of Cassandra and Bellerophontes, from ancient vase.

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  Flower sellers (imaginary representation).

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  Greek women doing household tasks, from ancient Greek vases.

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  Young girl from Sparta.

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  Women doing household tasks, from ancient vase.

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  Iphigenia in Tauris, based on the painting by Anselm Feuerbach.

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  Bust of Sappho.

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  Reclining woman, from ancient vase.

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  Female sculpture, Vatican museum.

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  Portrait of Aspasia drawn according to the Vatican bust.

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  Aphrodite of Knidus (copy of the sculpture by Praxiteles), Munich Glyptothek.

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  The Eros of Centocelle, Vatican Museum.

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  Phryne before the Areopagus.

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  Entrance to an ancient Greek house (imaginary reconstruction).

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  Plan of ancient Greek house.

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  Atrium of an ancient Greek house, with the statue of Hestia.

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  Drawings of seats and chairs of antiquity.

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  Drawings of beds of antiquity.

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  Lamps of antiquity.

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  Greek women doing household tasks.

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  Men in banquet.

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  Reception of guest in a home, from ancient Greek vase.

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  Banquet with courtesans.

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  Receptacles to store and serve wine: Craters and oinochoes.

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  Cups to drink wine from: Skyphoi and rhyta.

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  Acrobats performing handstand stunts, from ancient vases.

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  Statue of Dionysus, British Museum, London.

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  Scene from the Symposium of Plato, after the painting by Anselm Feuerbach.

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  Women slaves at a fountain (imaginary representation).

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  Bust of Hippocrates, Louvre Museum.

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  Statue of Hermes. Statue of Asclepius.

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  The excavation site at ancient Olympia.

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  Komos scene, from ancient vase.

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  Greek chariot, from ancient vase.

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  Diana of Versailles, Louvre Museum.

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  View of Athens with Aegina island in the distance, from the Acropolis.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the Acropolis of Athens.

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  Capitoline Faun, Vatican Museums.

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  Reconstruction of the Sacred Way which led from Eleusis to Athens, with the temple of Aphrodite, fortress and inn.

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  Vatican Apoxyomenos.

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  Reconstruction of ancient Olympia, from drawing by Friedrich Wilhelm von Thiersch.

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  Drawing of sculpture of the Discobolus (Discus-thrower) type, probably based on Townley Discobolus, a copy of Myro's sculpture discovered in Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli and housed today at the British Museum, London. Drawing of sculpture of the Discophoros (Discus-bearer) type, probably based on Townley Discophoros, a copy of the sculpture by Polyclitus, discovered in Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli and housed today at the British Museum, London.

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  Statue of Hercules of Farnese, by Glycon , probably based on the original by Lysippos, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples. Statue of Hermes, Vatican Museums.

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  Scene from the Olympic Games (imaginary representation).

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  Statue of Nike by Paionius, Archaeological Musem of ancient Olympia.

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  Statue of Hermes by Praxiteles, Archaeological Musem of ancient Olympia.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of the interior of the temple of Zeus in Olympia, with Phidias's gold and ivory sculpture.

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  Zeus of Otricoli, Vatican Museums.

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  Hellenistic statue of the “praying boy”, Staatliche Museum, Berlin.

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  Drawing of thiasus (Bacchanalian procession), after the Borghese vase, Louvre Museum.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of Lesser Propylaea of the temple of Demeter at Eleusis.

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  Oxen led to sacrifice, drawing after the reliefs on the northern frieze of the Parthenon.

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  Women at the Panathenaean procession, drawing after the reliefs on the eastern frieze of the Parthenon.

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  Cavalry, drawing after the reliefs on the frieze of the Parthenon, today at the British Museum, London.

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  Waterfall of the Waters of the Styx, Peloponnese.

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  Greek sarcophagus and votive offerings.

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  Lekythoi (vases for storing oli destined to funerary rituals).

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  Drawing of the stele of Mika and Dion from Kerameikos cemetery, Archaeological Museum of Athens.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of Dipylon, the entrance to the cemetery of Kerameikos.

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  Jewellery discovered on the site of Troy.

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  Section of the putative Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae.

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  Imaginary reconstruction of temple of Poseidon in Paestum.

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  Doric column capital. Ionic column capital.

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  Types of ancient vases.

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  Ancient amphora, Munich.

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  Scene from pyxis vase.

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  Nibe and her youngest daughter from the Niobids complex, Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

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  Statue of the “Dying Gaul”, Roman copy of lost Hellenistic original, Capitoline Museums, Rome.

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  Detail of the Gigantomachy relief o the Pergamon Altar, today kept at Pergamonmuseum, Berlin.

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  Farnese bull, Hellenistic sculpture complex, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.

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  Venus of Medici, Hellenistic sculpture of Aphrodite, Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

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  Sculpture of Laocoön and his Sons, Vatican Museums, Rome.

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  Bust of Homer.

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  The meeting of Odysseus and Nausicaa.

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  Statue of Sophocles, Vatican Museums.

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  Medea, after painting by Anselm Feuerbach.

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  Statue of seated figure, traditionally called Menander, Vatican Museums, Rome.

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  Statue of Posidippus, Roman copy of Hellenistic original, Vatican Museums, Rome.

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  Scene from New Comedy play (imaginary representation).

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  Bust of Demosthenes, Vatican Museums.

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  Bust of Socrates, Vatican Museums.

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  Bust of Diogenes from Villa Albani, Rome.

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  The Alexander Mosaic, showing a battle between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius II, from the House of the Faun in Pompey (today kept at Naples Archaeological Museum).