Unthinking the Greek Polis : Ancient Greek History Beyond Eurocentrism

This study explores how modern scholars came to write Greek history from a Eurocentric perspective and challenges orthodox readings of Greek history as part of the history of the West. Since the Greeks lacked a national state or a unified society, economy or culture, the polis has helped to create a homogenizing national narrative. This book re-examines old polarities such as those between the Greek poleis and Eastern monarchies, or between the ancient consumer and the modern producer city, in order to show the fallacies of standard approaches. It argues for the relevance of Aristotle's concept of the polis, which is interpreted in a novel way. Finally, it proposes an alternative way of looking at Greek history as part of a Mediterranean world-system. This interdisciplinary study engages with modern debates on globalization, nationalism, Orientalism and history writing, while also debating recent developments in classical studies. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 11 Abbreviations......Page 15 Introduction......Page 17 PART I Defining the contexts of thinking about the polis......Page 27 CHAPTER 1 An archaeology of discourses......Page 29 The Greeks and their History Genres......Page 31 Renaissance to the French Revolution......Page 33 Counter-tendencies......Page 38 From the French Revolution to the 1860s......Page 44 Temporalities......Page 46 Constructing the Subject......Page 52 Historical Narrative......Page 54 1860s to the Second World War: Restructuring and the Competing Currents......Page 60 The First Current: Fustel and Burckhardt......Page 61 The Second Current: Meyer, Beloch and Rostovtzeff......Page 63 The Post-War Period: The Formation of the Current Orthodoxy......Page 68 The polis as a distinctive Greek feature......Page 71 The polis as a stage in Greek history......Page 72 The polis as a solitary entity......Page 74 Towards an Alternative: Recent Developments since the 1980s......Page 79 CHAPTER 2 The ancient discourses on the polis......Page 84 The Aristotelian Definitions of the Polis......Page 87 The Polis of Aristotle and the Historical Greek Poleis......Page 93 CHAPTER 3 Making use of Aristotle: concepts and models......Page 101 The Poleis and the Koinôniai......Page 102 The Poleis and the Merê......Page 104 The Polis, the State and Interstate Relationships......Page 107 The Polis and the External Environment......Page 109 PART II Rethinking the contexts. The polis as an entity: a critique......Page 113 CHAPTER 4 East and West, Greece and the East: the polis vs. Oriental despotism......Page 117 General Issues......Page 120 City Identity......Page 122 Self-Government......Page 124 Magistrates and Assemblies......Page 125 Political Deliberation......Page 127 Settlement of Disputes......Page 129 Representation to Authorities......Page 130 Conclusions......Page 133 CHAPTER 5 The consumer city: ancient vs. medieval/modern......Page 139 The Distribution of Population......Page 144 Exports–Imports......Page 146 The Place of Cities within Wider Systems......Page 149 Cities within Systems......Page 151 The Role of the City in Pre-Industrial Times......Page 153 Conclusion......Page 156 PART III Beyond the polis: the polis as part of a système-monde......Page 159 CHAPTER 6 The polis as a unit of analysis: poleis and koinôniai......Page 163 CHAPTER 7 Poleis and space......Page 172 Varieties of poleis territories: a classification......Page 173 Poleis and networks......Page 178 Poleis, networks and spatial arrangements......Page 179 Settlement, territory and exploitation......Page 181 Poleis and regions......Page 182 Poleis and the Système-Monde......Page 184 World environment: bordering space, bordering communities......Page 185 The nature of bordering communities......Page 186 World processes: processes beyond control......Page 187 Movements of goods......Page 188 Movement of people......Page 190 Movement of ideas/technologies......Page 194 World Centres: Centres, Peripheries and Networks......Page 197 Epilogue......Page 202 CHAPTER 8 Poleis and polities......Page 206 Poleis and Sovereignty......Page 207 Poleis, Ethnê, Koina......Page 209 Poleis, Networks and the Système-Monde......Page 211 Polities, the Système-Monde and Forms of Change......Page 215 The Consequences of Eurocentrist Temporalities......Page 219 Linear Time......Page 225 A Temporality of the Polis?......Page 229 CHAPTER 10 Towards new master narratives of Greek history?......Page 237 Evidence......Page 238 What kind of history? A history of koinai praxeis......Page 242 History from above emplotments and metanarratives......Page 245 History from below: how to fit in the pieces......Page 249 References......Page 257 Index......Page 300 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Acknowledgements 11 Abbreviations 15 Introduction 17 PART I Defining the contexts of thinking about the polis 27 CHAPTER 1 An archaeology of discourses 29 The Greeks and their History Genres 31 Renaissance to the French Revolution 33 Counter-tendencies 38 From the French Revolution to the 1860s 44 Temporalities 46 Constructing the Subject 52 Historical Narrative 54 1860s to the Second World War: Restructuring and the Competing Currents 60 The First Current: Fustel and Burckhardt 61 The Second Current: Meyer, Beloch and Rostovtzeff 63 The Post-War Period: The Formation of the Current Orthodoxy 68 The polis as a unitary entity 71 The polis as a distinctive Greek feature 71 The polis as a stage in Greek history 72 The polis as a solitary entity 74 Towards an Alternative: Recent Developments since the 1980s 79 CHAPTER 2 The ancient discourses on the polis 84 The Aristotelian Definitions of the Polis 87 The Polis of Aristotle and the Historical Greek Poleis 93 CHAPTER 3 Making use of Aristotle: concepts and models 101 The Poleis and the Koinôniai 102 The Poleis and the Merê 104 The Polis, the State and Interstate Relationships 107 The Polis and the External Environment 109 PART II Rethinking the contexts. The polis as an entity: a critique 113 CHAPTER 4 East and West, Greece and the East: the polis vs. Oriental despotism 117 General Issues 120 City Identity 122 Self-Government 124 Magistrates and Assemblies 125 Political Deliberation 127 Settlement of Disputes 129 Representation to Authorities 130 Conclusions 133 CHAPTER 5 The consumer city: ancient vs. medieval/modern 139 Legal vs. Economic Definitions 144 The Distribution of Population 144 Exports–Imports 146 The Place of Cities within Wider Systems 149 Cities within Systems 151 The Role of the City in Pre-Industrial Times 153 Conclusion 156 PART III Beyond the polis: the polis as part of a système-monde 159 CHAPTER 6 The polis as a unit of analysis: poleis and koinôniai 163 CHAPTER 7 Poleis and space 172 Poleis and Territories 173 Varieties of poleis territories: a classification 173 Poleis and networks 178 Poleis, networks and spatial arrangements 179 Settlement, territory and exploitation 181 Poleis and regions 182 Poleis and the Système-Monde 184 World environment: bordering space, bordering communities 185 The nature of space 186 The nature of bordering communities 186 World processes: processes beyond control 187 Movements of goods 188 Movement of people 190 Movement of ideas/technologies 194 World Centres: Centres, Peripheries and Networks 197 Epilogue 202 CHAPTER 8 Poleis and polities 206 Poleis and Sovereignty 207 Poleis, Ethnê, Koina 209 Poleis, Networks and the Système-Monde 211 Polities, the Système-Monde and Forms of Change 215 CHAPTER 9 Poleis and time 219 The Consequences of Eurocentrist Temporalities 219 Linear Time 225 A Temporality of the Polis? 229 CHAPTER 10 Towards new master narratives of Greek history? 237 Evidence 238 Narrative 242 What kind of history? A history of koinai praxeis 242 History from above emplotments and metanarratives 245 History from below: how to fit in the pieces 249 References 257 Index 300 "This study explores how modern scholars came to write Greek history from a Eurocentric perspective and challenges orthodox readings of Greek history as part of the history of the West. Since the Greeks lacked the national state or a unified society, economy or culture, the polis has helped to create a homogenizing national narrative. This book re-examines old polarities such as those between the Greek poleis and Eastern monarchies, or between the ancient consumer and the modern producer city, in order to show the fallacies of standard approaches. It argues for the relevance of Aristotle's concept of the polis, which is interpreted in a novel way. Finally, it proposes an alternative way of looking at Greek history as part of a Mediterranean world-system. This interdisciplinary study engages with modern debates on globalization, nationalism, Orientalism and history writing, while also debating recent developments in classical studies."--Jacket This 2007 study explores how modern scholars came to write Greek history from a Eurocentric perspective and challenges orthodox readings of Greek history as part of the history of the West. Since the Greeks lacked a national state or a unified society, economy or culture, the polis has helped to create a homogenising national narrative. This book re-examines old polarities such as those between the Greek poleis and Eastern monarchies, or between the ancient consumer and the modern producer city, in order to show the fallacies of standard approaches. It argues for the relevance of Aristotle's concept of the polis, which is interpreted in an intriguing manner. Finally, it proposes an alternative way of looking at Greek history as part of a Mediterranean world-system. This interdisciplinary study engages with debates on globalisation, nationalism, Orientalism and history writing, while also debating developments in classical studies. This 2007 study explores how modern scholars came to write Greek history from a Eurocentric perspective and challenges orthodox readings of Greek history centred on the polis. It proposes an intriguing way of writing Greek history, by situating the Greek world within the wider Mediterranean and Near Eastern world-system.