How did local initiative shape the functioning of governance arrangements in antiquity, a historical period characterized by structurally weak statehood? This volume argues that societal stability relied less on state institutions than on self-governing local groups. It thus challenges conventional top-down approaches by showing how local cooperation generated durable governance arrangements and reinforced the stability of ancient states.
The contributors explore the complex relationship between state and local levels in the ancient world. They examine the internal logics, such as modes of organization and decision-making, that shaped local groups and show how local contexts, including customs and civil-society activities, conditioned their agency. They also investigate how these groups influenced state power and how cooperation between state and local actors took shape. In doing so, they highlight the intricate interconnections between different levels of ancient governance. Case studies from Classical Greece to Byzantium provide a broad comparative perspective.