A Cultural History of Democracy in Antiquity: (The Cultural Histories Series)

This volume surveys democracy broadly as a cultural phenomenon operating in different ways across a very wide range of ancient societies throughout Antiquity. It examines the experiences of those living in democratic communities and considers how ancient practices of democracy differ from our own. The origins of democracy can be traced in a general way to the earliest civilizations, beginning with the early urban societies of the Middle East, and can be seen in cities and communities across the Mediterranean world and Asia. In classical Athens, male citizens enjoyed full participation in the political life of the city and a flourishing democratic culture, as explored in detail in this volume. In other times and places democratic features were absent from the formal structures of regimes, but could still be found in the participatory structures of local social institutions. Each chapter takes a different theme as its focus: sovereignty; liberty and the rule of law; the “common good”; economic and social democracy; religion and the principles of political obligation; citizenship and gender; ethnicity, race, and nationalism; democratic crises, revolutions, and civil resistance; international relations; and beyond the polis. These ten different approaches to democracy in Antiquity add up to an extensive, synoptic coverage of the subject.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations General Editor's Preface Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction Carol Atack and Paul Cartledge (University of Cambridge, UK) 1. Sovereignty Andrew Monson (New York University, USA) and Carol Atack (University of Cambridge, UK) 2. Liberty and the Rule of Law Valentina Arena (University College London, UK) 3. The Common Good Dhananjay Jagannathan (Columbia University, USA) 4. Economic and Social Democracy Emily Mackil (University of California, Berkeley, USA) 5. Religion and the Principles of Political Obligation Georgia Petridou (University of Liverpool, UK) 6. Citizenship and Gender Carol Atack (University of Cambridge, UK) 7. Ethnicity, Race, and Nationalism Denise Eileen McCoskey (Miami University, USA) 8. Democratic Crises, Revolutions, and Civil Resistance Paul Cartledge (University of Cambridge, UK) 9. International Relations Carol Atack with Paul Cartledge (University of Cambridge, UK) 10. Beyond the Classical Polis Benjamin Gray (Birkbeck, University of London, UK) Notes References Notes on Contributors Index

About the Author :
Paul Cartledge is A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow of Clare College and Emeritus A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at the University of Cambridge, UK. Carol Atack is a Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics at Newnham College, University of Cambridge, UK.

Review :
As a collection, [the essays] effectively demonstrate the plurality of approaches that currently fall under the umbrella of “cultural history,” and... show a laudable self-awareness of the evidentiary and methodological obstacles that make studying the ancient experience of democratic association at once so challenging and so rewarding.