The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Political Thought: (The Cambridge History of Political Thought)

This is the first general and comprehensive treatment of the political thought of ancient Greece and Rome ever to be published in English. It begins with Homer and ends in late antiquity with Christian and pagan reflections on divine and human order. In between come studies of Plato, Aristotle and a host of other major and minor thinkers - poets, historians, philosophers - whose individuality is brought out by extensive quotation. The international team of distinguished scholars assembled by the editors includes historians of law, politics, culture and religion, and also philosophers. Some chapters focus mostly on the ancient context of the ideas they are examining, while others explore these ideas as systems of thought which resonate with modern or perennial concerns. This clearly written volume will long remain an accessible and authoritative guide to Greek and Roman thinking about government and community.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Christopher Rowe; Part I. Archaic and Classical Greece: 1. Greek political thought: the historical context Paul Cartledge; 2. Poets, lawgivers, and the beginnings of political reflection in archaic Greece Kurt A. Raaflaub; 3. Greek drama and political theory Simon Goldhill; 4. Herodotus, Thucydides and the Sophists Richard Winton; 5. Democritus C. C. W. Taylor; 6. The orators Josiah Ober; 7. Xenophon and Isocrates V. J. Gray; 8. Socrates and Plato: an introduction Melissa Lane; 9. Socrates T. M. Penner; 10. Approaching the Republic Malcolm Schofield; 11. The Politicus and other dialogues Christopher Rowe; 12. The laws André Laks; 13. Plato and practical politics Malcolm Schofield; 14. Cleitophon and Minos Christopher Rowe; 15. Aristotle: an introduction Malcolm Schofield; 16. Naturalism Fred D. Miller Jr; 17. Justice and the polis Jean Roberts; 18. Aristotelian constitutions Christopher Rowe; 19. The Peripatos after Aristotle Christopher Rowe; Part II. The Hellenistic and Roman Worlds: 20. Introduction: the Hellenistic and Roman periods Peter Garnsey; 21. The Cynics John Moles; 22. Epicurean and Stoic political thought Malcolm Schofield; 23. Kings and constitutions: Hellenistic theories David E. Hahm; 24. Cicero E. M. Atkins; 25. Reflections of Roman political thought in Latin historical writing Thomas Wiedemann; 26. Seneca and Pliny Miriam Griffin; 27. Platonism and Pythagoreanism in the early Empire Bruno Centrone; 28. Josephus Tessa Rajak; 29. Stoic writers of the imperial era Christopher Gill; 30. The jurists David Johnston; 31. Christianity Frances Young; Epilogue Malcolm Schofield.

Review :
'It would be hard to think how this superb collection of essays about Greek and Roman political thought could be improved. ... There could be no better introduction than this collection of well-written, scholarly and absorbing essays.' Literary Review 'It is impossible to do justice here to the sweep of this volume ... It belongs on the shelf of every student of politics.' The Anglo-Hellenic Review '... is nothing less than the very first general and comprehensive treatment of its subject in the English language ... The broad and inclusive conception of [the book] is reflected not only in the range of authors discussed, but also in the heterogeneous authorship of the volume itself ... It is not easy to do justice to a volume of this kind ... There can be no doubt that this well-organized, accessible and carefully produced volume will remain one of the standard overviews of Greek and Roman political thought for years to come.' Arctos