Athens, Sparta and Corinth are arguably three of the most famous, and most significant, Greek city-states of antiquity. But there is one 'polis' that is often forgotten. A city that rose to prominence during the 4th century BC. That city was Thebes. From fighting with the Persians during the Persian War to being sacked by Alexander the Great in 335 BC Thebes experienced a remarkable history. Professor Paul Cartledge, the author of Thebes, the Forgotten City, answers the key question about this prime Boeotian city.