The Greek polis and the invention of democracy : a politico-cultural transformation and its interpretations

__The Greek Polis and the Invention of Democracy__ presents a series of essays that trace the Greeks’ path to democracy and examine the connection between the Greek __polis__ as a citizen state and democracy as well as the interaction between democracy and various forms of cultural expression from a comparative historical perspective and with special attention to the place of Greek democracy in political thought and debates about democracy throughout the centuries. * Presents an original combination of a close synchronic and long diachronic examination of the Greek __polis -__ city-states that gave rise to the first democratic system of government * Offers a detailed study of the close interactionbetween democracy, society, and the arts in ancient Greece * Places the invention of democracy in fifth-century bce Athens both in its broad social and cultural context and in the context of the re-emergence of democracy in the modern world * Reveals the role Greek democracy played in the political and intellectual traditions that shaped modern democracy, and in the debates about democracy in modern social, political, and philosophical thought * Written collaboratively by an international team of leading scholars in classics, ancient history, sociology, and political science Content: Chapter none Introduction (pages 1–18): Johann P. Arnason, Kurt A. Raaflaub and Peter WagnerChapter 1 Exploring the Greek Needle's Eye (pages 19–46): Johann P. ArnasonChapter 2 Transformations of Democracy (pages 47–68): Peter WagnerChapter 3 To Act with Good Advice (pages 69–98): Egon FlaigChapter 4 Democracy and Dissent (pages 99–125): Lucio BertelliChapter 5 Democracy, Oratory, and the Rise of Historiography in Fifth?century Greece (pages 126–143): Jonas GrethleinChapter 6 Political Uses of Rhetoric in Democratic Athens (pages 144–162): Harvey YunisChapter 7 Law and Democracy in Classical Athens (pages 163–180): Adriaan LanniChapter 8 Democracy and Political Philosophy (pages 181–204): Ryan K. BalotChapter 9 Inscriptions and the City in Democratic Athens (pages 205–223): Elizabeth A. MeyerChapter 10 The Impact of Democracy on Communal Life (pages 225–259): Sara L. ForsdykeChapter 11 The Demos's Participation in Decision?making (pages 260–273): Claude MosseChapter 12 Democracy and Religion in Classical Greece (pages 274–297): Robin OsborneChapter 13 Democracy and War (pages 298–320): Lawrence A. TritleChapter 14 Perfecting the “Political Creature” (pages 321–350): Kurt A. RaaflaubChapter 15 Tyranny and Tragedy in Nietzsche's Understanding of the Greek Polis (pages 351–370): Tracy B. StrongChapter 16 The Liberty of the Moderns Compared to the Liberty of the Ancients (pages 371–388): Nathalie Karagiannis and Peter Wagner Content: Introduction / Johann P. Arnason, Kurt A. Raaflaub, and Peter Wagner -- Part I. The Greek Experience in Long-term Perspective -- Exploring the Greek Needle's Eye : Civilizational and Political Transformations / Johann P. Arnason -- Transformations of Democracy : Towards a History of Political Thought and Practice in Long-term Perspective / Peter Wagner -- Part II. Ways of Polis-making : Grasping the Novelty of the Political -- To Act with Good Advice : Greek Tragedy and the Democratic Political Sphere / Egon Flaig -- Democracy and Dissent : The Case of Comedy / Lucio Bertelli -- Democracy, Oratory, and the Rise of Historiography in Fifth-century Greece / Jonas Grethlein -- Political Uses of Rhetoric in Democratic Athens / Harvey Yunis -- Law and Democracy in Classical Athens / Adriaan Lanni -- Democracy and Political Philosophy : Influences, Tensions, Rapprochement / Ryan Balot -- Inscriptions and the City in Democratic Athens / Elizabeth Meyer -- Part III. Changing a Way of Life : Democracy's Impact on polis-Society -- The Impact of Democracy on Communal Life / Sara Forsdyke -- The Participation of the demos in Decision-Making : Principles and Reality / Claude Mossé -- Democracy and Religion in Classical Greece / Robin Osborne -- Democracy and War / Lawrence A. Tritle -- Part IV. Political Concepts and Commitments -- Perfecting the Political Creature (z?ion politikon) : Equality and "the Political" in the Evolution of Greek Democracy / Kurt A. Raaflaub -- Tyranny and Tragedy in Nietzsche's Understanding of the Greek polis / Tracy Strong -- The Liberty of the Moderns Compared to the Liberty of the Ancients / Nathalie Karagiannis and Peter Wagner.

The Greek Polis and the Invention of Democracy presents a series of essays that trace the Greeks' path to democracy and examine the connection between the Greek polis as a citizen state and democracy as well as the interaction between democracy and various forms of cultural expression from a comparative historical perspective and with special attention to the place of Greek democracy in political thought and debates about democracy throughout the centuries.

• Presents an original combination of a close synchronic and long diachronic examination of the Greek polis - city-states that gave rise to the first democratic system of government
• Offers a detailed study of the close interactionbetween democracy, society, and the arts in ancient Greece
• Places the invention of democracy in fifth-century bce Athens both in its broad social and cultural context and in the context of the re-emergence of democracy in the modern world
• Reveals the role Greek democracy played in the political and intellectual traditions that shaped modern democracy, and in the debates about democracy in modern social, political, and philosophical thought
• Written collaboratively by an international team of leading scholars in classics, ancient history, sociology, and political science