INTERPRETING ATHENIAN STATECRAFT: THE DELIAN LEAGUE
Authors
Zimo Tian
Share
Annotation
This paper examines the multifaceted nature of Athenian politics during the "Golden Age," particularly during the Peloponnesian War, and its enduring influence on modern political thought. While democracy is commonly associated with ancient Athens, this study reveals that Athens' political landscape was characterized by a triad of interwoven ideologies, including democracy, imperialism, and a quest for Hellenic unity, each comprising various sub-ideologies. The research draws from ancient literary and epigraphic sources as well as modern scholarship to deconstruct the Athenian statecraft of the time. It argues that Athens employed a citizen-based democracy alongside economic exploitation, military imperialism, and a search for unity in classical Greece. The paper also provides a historical review of scholarship spanning from the 18th century to the 20th century, followed by an exploration of Athens' political policies and relations within the Delian League. By highlighting the complex coexistence of democratic ideals and imperialistic actions, this paper underscores the importance of reevaluating historical and modern concepts of governance. It suggests that the intricate dynamics of Athens during this period offer valuable insights for contemporary historians engaged in discussions regarding democracy, empire, and neo-colonialism.
Keywords
Authors
Zimo Tian
Share
References:
Allan, D. (2001). The Age Of Pericles In The Modern Athens: Greek History, Scottish Politics, And The Fading Of Enlightenment. The Historical Journal, 44(2), 391-417. https://10.1017/S0018246X01001686
Balcer, J. M. (1974). Separatism and Anti-Separatism in the Athenian Empire (478-433 B.C.). Historia: Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte, 23(1), 21-39. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4435384
Blok, J. (2017). Citizenship in classical Athens. Cambridge University Press. https://10.1017/9781139017916
Bonner, R.J. (1923), ‘The Commercial Policy of Imperial Athens’, CP 18: 193-201.
Bulwer Lytton, E. (2004). Athens: Its Rise and Fall (Bicentenary ed. ed.). Routledge. https://10.4324/9780203490440
DeSantis, M. G., P.J. Rhodes, & Martin Hammond. (2009). The Peloponnesian War. Oxford University Press.
Fliess, P. (1961). Alliance and Empire in a Bipolar World: Athenian Imperialism during the Peloponnesian War. Archiv Für Rechts- Und Sozialphilosophie, 47(1), 81. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1298781052
Grote, G. (1851), A History of Greece, 2nd edn, vol. 6 (London).
Koehler, U. (1869), Urkunden und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des delische-attischen Bundes (Berlin).
Larsen, J. A. O. (1940). The Constitution and Original Purpose of the Delian League. Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, 51, 175-213. https://10.2307/310927
Legon, R. P. (1972). Samos in the Delian League. Historia: Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte, 21(2), 145-158. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4435256
Lewis, D.M. (1966), ‘After the Profanation of the Mysteries’, in E. Badian (ed.), Studies in Ancient Societies Presented to Victor Ehrenberg on his 75th Birthday (Oxford), 177-91.
Low, P. (2023). The Cambridge Companion to Thucydides. Cambridge University Press. https://10.1017/9781316227442
Mattingly, H.B. (1963), ‘The Growth of Athenian Imperialism’, Historia 12: 257-73.
Mitford, W. (1795), The History of Greece, 3rd edn, 8 vols (London).
Montesquieu, C. (1758), Oeuvres complètes de Montesquieu, vol. 1, ed. A. Mason (Paris).
Nettels, C. P. (1952). British Mercantilism and the Economic Development of the Thirteen Colonies. The Journal of Economic History, 12(2), 105-114. https://10.1017/S0022050700055133
Ober, J. (1991). Mass and elite in democratic Athens (1st ed.). Princeton University Press. https://10.1515/9781400820511
Raaflaub, K. A. (1983). Democracy, Oligarchy, and the Concept of the "Free Citizen" in Late Fifth-Century Athens. Political Theory, 11(4), 517-544. https://www.jstor.org/stable/191448
Roger Brock, Lisa Kallet, John H. Kroll, Peter Liddel, John Ma, Alfonso Moreno, Nikolaos Papazarkadas, Robert Parker, Kurt A. Raaflaub and Peter Thonemann. (2009) Interpreting the Athenian Empire (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. https://10.5040/9781472540751
Samons, L. J. (1993). Athenian Finance and the Treasury of Athena. Historia: Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte, 42(2), 129-138. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4436281
Samons, L. J., & II. (2007). The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Pericles (1. publ. ed.). Cambridge Univ. Press.
Stanyan, T. (1707-39), The Grecian History. From the Original of Greece, to the Death of Philip of Macedon, 2 vols (London).
Starr, C. G. (1987). Athens and Its Empire
Young, W. (1777), The Spirit of Athens, being a Political and Philosophical Investigation of the History of that Republic (London).