Associations beyond and above the polis in the Greek world

Pre-requisites: None

Course objectives: Acquiring knowledge about the federalist ideas in the ancient Greek world in theory and practice.

Course description: We will examine the circumstances in the Greek world during the Classical and Hellenistic periods in which federalist ideas were born and political alliances were created that moved beyond the limits of the polis as a city-state. We will analyze political alliances in the Classical period from the Peloponnesian League under Sparta and Delian League under Athens to the numerous types of koina that appeared in the Hellenistic and Roman period, frequently under the patronage of Hellenistic rulers and Romans.

Learning Outcomes: Learning about the Greek federalist ideas.

Literature/Reading:

• V. Ehrenberg, The Greek State, London 1969
• J. A. O. Larsen, Representative Government in Greek and Roman History, Berkeley 1966
• J. A. O. Larsen, Greek Federal States, Oxford 1968
• G. Busolt, Griechische Staatskunde, München 1920
• F. Adcock, D. Mosley, Diplomacy in Ancient Greece, London 1975
• R. Brock(ed.), Alternatives to Athens, Oxford 2000