This book asks an important question often ignored by ancient historians and political scientists alike: Why did Athenian democracy work as well and for as long as it did? Josiah Ober seeks the answer by analyzing the sociology of Athenian politics and the nature of communication between elite and nonelite citizens. After a preliminary survey of the development of the Athenian "constitution," he focuses on the role of political and legal rhetoric. As jurymen and Assemblymen, the citizen masses of Athens retained important powers, and elite Athenian politicians and litigants needed to address these large bodies of ordinary citizens in terms understandable and acceptable to the audience. This book probes the social strategies behind the rhetorical tactics employed by elite speakers.
A close reading of the speeches exposes both egalitarian and elitist elements in Athenian popular ideology. Ober demonstrates that the vocabulary of public speech constituted a democratic discourse that allowed the Athenians to resolve contradictions between the ideal of political equality and the reality of social inequality. His radical reevaluation of leadership and political power in classical Athens restores key elements of the social and ideological context of the first western democracy.
eBook - ePub
Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens
Rhetoric, Ideology, and the Power of the People
- 408 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
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Information
Publisher
Princeton University PressYear
2009Print ISBN
9780691028644
9780691094434
eBook ISBN
9781400820511
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- I. Problems and Method
- II. History of the Athenian “Constitution”: A Diachronic Survey
- III. Public Speakers and Mass Audiences
- IV. Ability and Education: The Power of Persuasion
- V. Class: Wealth, Resentment, and Gratitude
- VI. Status: Noble Birth and Aristocratic Behavior
- VII. Conclusions: Dialectics and Discourse
- Appendix: Catalogue of Speeches and Citation Index
- Select Bibliography
- Index
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Yes, you can access Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens by Josiah Ober in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Greek Ancient History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.