This two-volume book, originally published in German in 1824, was revised, corrected and enlarged for this 1830 English translation. Carl Otfried Müller (1797–1840) was a pioneering scholar of ancient civilisations and Greek mythology, who taught at Göttingen for twenty years, but died in Greece during an archaeological expedition. Volume 1 describes the origins and migrations of the Dorians, their principles of government, and their religion and mythology, including the legends of Hercules. Volume 2 focuses on the Dorians' political institutions, monetary systems and taxation, domestic life, education and the arts, including architecture, music, drama and poetry. This substantial study was a landmark in its field and is still consulted by scholars and students of ancient history, philosophy and religion.