First published in 1931 as the second edition of a 1901 original, this book contains the first volume of Sir William Ridgeway's history of the culture and practises of the early Greeks. Ridgeway uses a number of ancient sources from literature and archaeological findings to demonstrate how the Achaeans gradually distinguished themselves from the surrounding tribes and developed the basis of the various cultures, languages and societies that became the civilizations of ancient Greece. Contemporary ethnic groups are also discussed as a point of contrast. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in ancient Greece and the genesis of the Greek people.