A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought

Comprises 34 essays from leading scholars in history, classics, philosophy, and political science to illuminate Greek and Roman political thought in all its diversity and depth. Offers a broad survey of ancient political thought from Archaic Greece through Late AntiquityApproaches ancient political philosophy from both a normative and historical focusExamines Greek and Roman political thought within historical context and contemporary debateExplores the role of ancient political thought in a range of philosophies, such as the individual and community, human rights, religion. Read more... Abstract: Comprises 34 essays from leading scholars in history, classics, philosophy, and political science to illuminate Greek and Roman political thought in all its diversity and depth. Read more... Cover 1 Series page 10 Title page 14 Copyright page 15 Dedication 17 Notes on Contributors 18 Acknowledgments 26 Note on Translations 28 Abbreviations 29 PART I: The Broad View 46 CHAPTER 1: Introduction: Rethinking the History of Greek and Roman Political Thought 47 Ancient Greek and Roman Distinctiveness 48 Ancient and Modern 49 Particular and General 51 Politics, Ethics, Citizenship 56 Supplementing Contemporary Theory 61 Significant Editorial Choices 64 The Provocation to Self-Criticism 67 Conclusion 68 CHAPTER 2: What is Politics in the Ancient World? 70 Politics as Formalized Institutions 71 Group Politics: Prosopography, Social Power, and Social History 74 Politics as the Site of Class Relations 77 Politics and Legitimate Domination 80 Politics as Inscribed Relations of Power: From Structure to Poststructure 82 Politics as Cultural Performance 87 Ancient Politics as Reflection 90 CHAPTER 3: Early Greek Political Thought in Its Mediterranean Context 94 “Influence”: Thoughts on Methodology 95 Distorted Greek Views of Cultural Imports: Importing Egyptian Laws 97 Greek and Near Eastern Laws, “Law Codes,” and Monumental Inscriptions with Legal Texts 100 Near Eastern Origins of Greek Political Values? 110 Conclusion 115 CHAPTER 4: Civic Ideology and Citizenship 122 CHAPTER 5: Public Action and Rational Choice in Classical Greek Political Theory 140 Public Action: Incentives, Nature, and Knowledge 141 Incentive Problems in Greek Literature 143 Herodotus on Utilities and Knowledge Aggregation 145 Thucydides on Innovation and Learning 149 Plato on Rational Choice in the Ideal State 152 CHAPTER 6: Imperial Ideologies, Citizenship Myths, and Legal Disputes in Classical Athens and Republican Rome 161 Problematic Analytical Terms: “Imperialism” and “Citizenship” 164 Citizenship Myths and Historical Realities of Imperial Expansion 168 Citizenship Myths at Work in Athens and Rome 174 Conclusion 179 CHAPTER 7: Gendered Politics, or the Self-Praise of Andres Agathoi 182 Gender in Theory 182 Gender in Practice 187 Rights, Habits, and Bodies 188 Manly Men 191 The Gender of Politics 197 The Rhetoric of Gender 201 Conclusion, or the Hair-and-Clothes Issue 203 CHAPTER 8: The Religious Contexts of Ancient Political Thought 207 Theology 208 Cult Practice 214 PART II: Democracies and Republics 224 CHAPTER 9: Democracy Ancient and Modern 225 Introduction 225 Democratic Values 226 Democratic Institutions 232 The Practices of Democracy 235 Ancient and Modern Democratic Practice and Institutions Compared 239 What Is the Use of Studying Ancient Democracy? 242 CHAPTER 10: “Rights,” Individuals, and Communities in Ancient Greece 247 CHAPTER 11: Personal Freedom in Greek Democracies, Republican Rome, and Modern Liberal States 267 CHAPTER 12: The Mixed Constitution in Greek Thought 286 Plato 289 Aristotle 296 Polybius 303 The Mixed Constitution in Retrospect and Prospect 311 CHAPTER 13: Republican Virtues 314 Epilogue 329 CHAPTER 14: Roman Democracy? 335 PART III: The Virtues and Vices of One-Man Rule 354 CHAPTER 15: The Uses and Abuses of Tyranny 355 Historical Background: One-Man Rule in Ancient Greece 355 The Ideological Construction of Tyranny in the Archaic Period 357 Fifth Century Uses of the Concept of Tyranny 362 Tyranny in the Fourth Century 369 CHAPTER 16: Hellenistic Monarchy in Theory and Practice 377 Can Scholars Speak of “Hellenistic Monarchy” as a Political Category? 378 The Theory of Monarchy in the Hellenistic Age 385 Hellenistic Kingship in Practice 388 Conclusion 395 CHAPTER 17: The Ethics of Autocracy in the Roman World 405 Political Thought in the Roman Empire 405 The Theory of Monarchy in the Hellenistic Age 408 Hellenistic Kingship in Practice 413 Conclusion 419 PART IV: The Passions of Ancient Politics 425 CHAPTER 18: Political Animals: Pathetic Animals 426 Passion and Power 428 The Pathetic Apparatus of Monarchy 430 The Pathetic Apparatus of Democracy 431 Political Animals, Moral Animals, Pathetic Animals 436 CHAPTER 19: Anger, Eros, and Other Political Passions in Ancient Greek Thought 442 Honor, Shame, and Awe 443 Eros 446 Anger and the Idea of Spiritedness 448 Affection and Civic Friendship 452 Civic Friendship and Modern Liberalism 455 CHAPTER 20: Some Passionate Performances in Late Republican Rome 461 PART V: The Athens of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle 479 CHAPTER 21: The Trial and Death of Socrates 480 Meletus’ Summons and the Political Background 482 The Theaetetus: 484 The Euthyphro 487 The Preliminary Hearing 488 The Pretrial Examination 489 The Trial and Socrates’ Defense: The Apology 490 The Crito 494 The Execution of Socrates in the Phaedo 496 CHAPTER 22: The Politics of Plato’s Socrates 502 The Constitutional Debate 505 Professionalizing Political Rule 509 Consequences for Political Thought 515 CHAPTER 23: Freedom, Tyranny, and the Political Man: Plato’s Republic and Gorgias, a Study in Contrasts 522 Callipolis: The Anti-Athens 523 Freedom and Power in the Gorgias 527 Disarming the Tyrant 533 Conclusion 537 CHAPTER 24: Plato on the Sovereignty of Law 541 The Rule of Law and Platonic Ideals 541 Liberalism, Perfectionism, and the Rule of Law 547 The Rule of Law and the Rule of Reason 550 The Preludes 553 CHAPTER 25: “Naturalism” in Aristotle’s Political Philosophy 562 Five Senses in Which We Should Not Call Aristotle a Naturalist 562 Three Senses in Which We Should Call Aristotle a Naturalist 565 Aristotle’s Doctrine That the Polis Is Natural 568 Need and Self-Sufficiency 570 The Capability Approach 576 CHAPTER 26: The Ethics of Aristotle’s Politics 585 Politics and Ethics 585 The Ethical Implications of Aristotle’s Anthropology 589 The Politics of Aristotle’s Ethics 596 Ethical Sticking Points in Aristotle’s Political Theory 603 PART VI: Constructing Political Narrative 612 CHAPTER 27: Imitating Virtue and Avoiding Vice: Ethical Functions of Biography, History, and Philosophy 613 Greek Virtue 616 Virtue and Exemplary Narrative 621 Instruction in Virtue 629 Conclusion 635 CHAPTER 28: Greek Drama and Political Thought 640 Citizens and Others, Institutional Setting 641 Drama and Ideology 645 Conclusion 658 CHAPTER 29: Character in Politics 662 Fourth Century: Theory and Practice 663 Historians of the Roman Republic 666 Historians of the Roman Empire 670 PART VII: Antipolitics 683 CHAPTER 30: Cosmopolitan Traditions 684 CHAPTER 31: False Idles: The Politics of the “Quiet Life” 701 The Ideology Opposed to Withdrawal 701 Three Defenses of Withdrawal 703 Withdrawal to Transcend Politics 707 Withdrawal to Reject Politics 712 Withdrawal to Transform Politics 715 Contesting the Political 720 CHAPTER 32: Citizenship and Signs: Rethinking Augustine on the Two Cities 724 PART VIII: Receptions 761 CHAPTER 33: Republicanism: Ancient, Medieval, and Beyond 762 CHAPTER 34: Twentieth Century Revivals of Ancient Political Thought: Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss 780 Arendt’s Advocacy of Political “Action” 782 Leo Strauss’s Revival of Platonic Political Philosophy 790 References 800 Index of Subjects 922 Index Locorum 1011 EBC,Converted Content: Cover Series page Title page Copyright page Dedication Notes on Contributors Acknowledgments Note on Translations Abbreviations PART I: The Broad View CHAPTER 1: Introduction: Rethinking the History of Greek and Roman Political Thought Ancient Greek and Roman Distinctiveness Ancient and Modern Particular and General Politics, Ethics, Citizenship Supplementing Contemporary Theory Significant Editorial Choices The Provocation to Self-Criticism Conclusion CHAPTER 2: What is Politics in the Ancient World? Politics as Formalized Institutions. Group Politics: Prosopography, Social Power, and Social HistoryPolitics as the Site of Class Relations Politics and Legitimate Domination Politics as Inscribed Relations of Power: From Structure to Poststructure Politics as Cultural Performance Ancient Politics as Reflection CHAPTER 3: Early Greek Political Thought in Its Mediterranean Context "Influence": Thoughts on Methodology Distorted Greek Views of Cultural Imports: Importing Egyptian Laws Greek and Near Eastern Laws, "Law Codes," and Monumental Inscriptions with Legal Texts Near Eastern Origins of Greek Political Values? ConclusionCHAPTER 4: Civic Ideology and Citizenship CHAPTER 5: Public Action and Rational Choice in Classical Greek Political Theory Public Action: Incentives, Nature, and Knowledge Incentive Problems in Greek Literature Herodotus on Utilities and Knowledge Aggregation Thucydides on Innovation and Learning Plato on Rational Choice in the Ideal State CHAPTER 6: Imperial Ideologies, Citizenship Myths, and Legal Disputes in Classical Athens and Republican Rome Problematic Analytical Terms: "Imperialism" and "Citizenship" Citizenship Myths and Historical Realities of Imperial Expansion. Citizenship Myths at Work in Athens and RomeConclusion CHAPTER 7: Gendered Politics, or the Self-Praise of Andres Agathoi Gender in Theory Gender in Practice Rights, Habits, and Bodies Manly Men The Gender of Politics The Rhetoric of Gender Conclusion, or the Hair-and-Clothes Issue CHAPTER 8: The Religious Contexts of Ancient Political Thought Theology Cult Practice PART II: Democracies and Republics CHAPTER 9: Democracy Ancient and Modern Introduction Democratic Values Democratic Institutions The Practices of Democracy. Ancient and Modern Democratic Practice and Institutions ComparedWhat Is the Use of Studying Ancient Democracy? CHAPTER 10: "Rights," Individuals, and Communities in Ancient Greece CHAPTER 11: Personal Freedom in Greek Democracies, Republican Rome, and Modern Liberal States CHAPTER 12: The Mixed Constitution in Greek Thought Plato Aristotle Polybius The Mixed Constitution in Retrospect and Prospect CHAPTER 13: Republican Virtues Epilogue CHAPTER 14: Roman Democracy? PART III: The Virtues and Vices of One-Man Rule CHAPTER 15: The Uses and Abuses of Tyranny. A COMPANION TO GREEK AND ROMAN POLITICAL THOUGHT Justice, virtue, and citizenship were at the center of political life in ancient Greece and Rome and were frequently discussed by classical poets, historians, and philosophers. This Companion illuminates Greek and Roman political thought in all its range, diversity, and depth. Thirty-four essays from leading scholars in history, classics, philosophy, and political science provide stimulating discussions of classical political thought, ranging from the Archaic Greek epics to the final days of the Roman Empire and beyond. These essays strike a judicious yet thought-provoking balance between theoretical and historical perspectives. A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought is an authoritative guide to the ancient Greek and Roman political questions that continue to shape and challenge the modern world.

Comprises 34 essays from leading scholars in history, classics, philosophy, and political science to illuminate Greek and Roman political thought in all its diversity and depth.

• Offers a broad survey of ancient political thought from Archaic Greece through Late Antiquity
• Approaches ancient political philosophy from both a normative and historical focus
• Examines Greek and Roman political thought within historical context and contemporary debate
• Explores the role of ancient political thought in a range of philosophies, such as the individual and community, human rights, religion, and cosmopolitanism