Epigraphical Approaches to the Post-Classical Polis: Fourth Century BC to Second Century AD(Oxford Studies in Ancient Documents)

This volume richly illustrates the multiple ways in which epigraphy enables historical analysis of the postclassical polis (city-state) across a world of geographically dispersed poleis: from the Black Sea and Asia Minor to Sicily via the Aegean and mainland Greece. The collection of 16 papers looks at themes such as the modes of interaction between polis and ruling powers, the construction of ethnic and social identity, interstate and civil conflict and its resolution, social economics, institutional processes and privileges, polis representations, ethics, and, not least, religious phenomena. The contributions range from 'hard epigraphy' to sophisticated conceptual studies of aspects of the postclassical polis, and approach the inscriptions both as textual objects and as artefacts. The aim of this volume is to identify the postclassical polis both as a reality and as a constructed concept, not only a monolithic block, but a result of tension in the exercise of different kinds of powers. All the individual contributions of this collective volume show that the postclassical polis, both as a reality and as a representation, is the result of negotiations, ancient and modern; but they also illustrate how much of our understanding of the polis is built on patient, painstaking work on the inscriptions.

Table of Contents:
Preface List of Contributors List of Illustrations Abbreviations Table of Contents Introduction: Epigraphy and the PolisP. Martzavou and N. Papazarkadas: POLEIS AND RULING POWERS 1: M. B Hatzopoulos: Observations on the Pistiros Inscription 2: P. Thonemann: Alexander, Priene, and Naulochon 3: J. Prag: Sicilian Identity in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods POLEIS IN CONFLICT 4: A. P. Matthaiou: An Arbitration Concerning Lampsakos and Parion 5: G. Kantor: Local Courts of Chersonesus Taurica in the Roman Age THE SOCIAL ECONOMICS OF THE POLEIS 6: A. Chaniotis: Public Subscriptions and Loans as Social Capital in the Hellenistic City: Reciprocity, Performance, Commemoration 7: A. Ellis-Evans: The Ideology of Public Subscriptions POLEIS OF HONOUR 8: I. Salvo: Romulus and Remus at Chios Revisited: a Re-examination of SEG XXX 1073 9: W. Slater: The Victor's Return and the Categories of Games 10: J. Ma: The History of Hellenistic Honorific Statues 11: N. Papazarkadas: The Epigraphy of Honours at Siphnos: New Evidence INSTITUTIONS, ETHICS, RELIGION 12: G. Malouchou: Two Overlooked Attic Inscriptions 13: N. Kennell: Who Were the Neoi? 14: B. Gray: Philosophy of education and the Later Hellenistic Polis 15: S. Kravaritou: Thessalian Perceptions of the Ruler Cult: 'Archegetai' and 'Ktistai' from Demetrias 16: A. Schachter and F. Marchand: Fresh Light on the Institutions and Religious Life of Thespiai: Six New Inscriptions from the Thespiai Survey Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Paraskevi Martzavou is a postdoctoral Research Associate in Epigraphy as part of the Greek Emotions project in Oxford. After working as an archaeologist, she has specialized in the epigraphy, institutions, and religious history of the Hellenistic and Roman world. Nikolaos Papazarkadas is Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of California at Berkeley. He specializes in Greek Epigraphy and has published extensively on inscriptions from Athens and the Cyclades.

Review :
The volume is an excellent collection of epigraphic essays, most of them characterized, as proudly stressed by the editors, by "the work of the hard epigraphist" (6) and accompanied by useful photographs of the inscriptions. ... Nonetheless, scholars and advanced students will find in this volume a vast range of topics and approaches useful to illustrate the most recent tendencies in the study of the post-classical polis, with the presentation of new findings and the reconsideration of extremely important inscriptions as the real cherry on the top.