Ancient Greek political thought in practice / Paul Cartledge.

Format:

• Book

Author/Creator:

• Cartledge, Paul.

Series:

• Key themes in ancient history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• Political science--Greece--History--To 1500.
• Political science.
• History.
• Greece.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 169 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Summary:

Ancient Greece was a place of tremendous political experiment and innovation, and it was here too that the first serious political thinkers emerged. Using carefully selected case studies, Professor Cartledge investigates the dynamic interaction between ancient Greek political thought and practice from early historic times to the early Roman Empire. Of concern throughout are three major issues: first, the relationship of political thought and practice; second, the relevance of class and status to explaining political behaviour and thinking; and, third, democracy - its invention, development and expansion, and extinction, prior to its recent resuscitation and even apotheosis. In addition, monarchy in various forms and at different periods, and the peculiar political structures of Sparta, are treated in detail over a chronological range extending from Homer to Plutarch. The book provides an introduction to the topic for all students and non-specialists who appreciate the continued relevance of ancient Greece to political theory and practice today.

Contents:

• Chapters and Narratives
• 1 Meaning in context: how to write a history of Greek political thought 1
• 2 The Greek invention of the polis, of politics and of the political 11
• Narrative I The prehistoric and protohistoric Greek world, c. 1300-750 BCE 25
• 3 Rule by one: the politics of Homer, c. 750 BCE 29
• Narrative II The archaic Greek world, c. 750-500 BCE 41
• 4 Rule by some: the politics of Solon, c. 600 BCE 46
• 5 Rule by all: the Athenian revolution, c. 500 BCE 55
• Narrative III The classical Greek world I, c. 500-400 BCE 65
• 6 The human measure: the Greek invention of political theory, c. 500-400 BCE 69
• 7 The trial of Socrates, 399 BCE 76
• Narrative IV The classical Greek world II, c. 400-300 BCE 91
• 8 Rule by one revisited: the politics of Xenophon, Plato, Isocrates, Aristotle - and Alexander the Great, c. 400-330 BCE 96
• Narrative V The Hellenistic Greek world, c. 300-30 BCE 107
• 9 (E)utopianism by design: the Spartan revolution, 244-221 BCE 110
• Narrative VI 'Graecia capta' (Greece conquered'), c. 146 BCE - CE 120 120
• 10 The end of politics? The world of Plutarch, c, CE 100 124
• 11 The Greek legacy and democracy today 131.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 148-163) and index.

ISBN:

• 9780521454551
• 0521454557
• 9780521455954
• 0521455952

OCLC:

297147076