Benefactors And The Polis

Analyses elite public generosity as a structural feature of the polis throughout all periods of ancient Greek history.

Studies the nature and development of Greek 'euergetism' from its origins to the Hellenistic period, through the prism of gift exchange.

A sourcebook in translation covering the history of Greece from archaic times through to the rise of Philip of Macedon. Sources translated are mainly the Greek historians themselves.

This is the first comprehensive sourcebook in English concentrating entirely on the Hellenistic age.

This book provides a survey of modern debates on Greek and Roman cities, and a sketch of the cities' chief characteristics.

In the first two centuries AD, the eastern Roman provinces experienced a proliferation of elite public generosity unmatched in their previous or later history. In this study, Arjan Zuiderhoek attempts to answer the question why this should have been so. Focusing on Roman Asia Minor, he argues that the surge in elite public giving was not caused by the weak economic and financial position of the provincial cities, as has often been maintained, but by social and political developments and tensions within the Greek cities created by their integration into the Roman imperial system. As disparities of wealth and power within imperial polis society continued to widen, the exchange of gifts for honours between elite and non-elite citizens proved an excellent political mechanism for deflecting social tensions away from open conflicts towards communal celebrations of shared citizenship and the legitimation of power in the cities.

Examines Aristotle's approaches to how to develop a political community based on the notions of justice and friendship.

Professor Roger Woodard brings together a group of the world's most authoritative scholars of classical myth to present a thorough treatment of all aspects of Greek mythology. Sixteen original articles guide the reader through all aspects of the ancient mythic tradition and its influence around the world and in later years. The articles examine the forms and uses of myth in Greek oral and written literature, from the epic poetry of 8th century BC to the mythographic catalogues of the early centuries AD. They examine the relationship between myth, art, religion and politics among the ancient Greeks and its reception and influence on later society from the Middle Ages to present day literature, feminism and cinema. This Companion volume's comprehensive coverage makes it ideal reading for students of Greek mythology and for anyone interested in the myths of the ancient Greeks and their impact on western tradition.