Class in Archaic GreeceArchaic Greece saw a number of decisive changes, including the emergence of the polis, the foundation of Greek settlements throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea, the organization of panhellenic games and festivals, the rise of tyranny, the invention of literacy, the composition of the Homeric epics and the emergence of lyric poetry, the development of monumental architecture and large scale sculpture, and the establishment of 'democracy'. This book argues that the best way of understanding them is the application of an eclectic Marxist model of class struggle, a struggle not only over control of agricultural land but also over cultural ideals and ideology. A substantial theoretical introduction lays out the underlying assumptions in relation to alternative models. Material and textual remains of the period are examined in depth for clues to their ideological import, while later sources and a wide range of modern scholarship are evaluated for their explanatory power. |
Contents
Class in the Dark Age and the rise of the polls | 56 |
alienation from a changing World | 93 |
Trade colonization and the Odyssey | 134 |
cosmogony basilées farmers and justice | 186 |
Tyranny and the Solonian Crisis | 201 |
Sparta and the consolidation of the oligarchic ideal | 267 |
Athens and the emergence of democracy | 317 |
364 | |
411 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Achilles Agamemnon analysis ancient Ancient Greece archaeological Archaic Period argues argument aristocratic Athenian Athenian democracy Athens Attica audience Cartledge cites citizens class conflict class struggle classical concept consciousness critique Croix culture Dark Age declares defined democracy demos discussion dismiss divine dominant Donlan earlier economic eighth century emphasis entails evidence exploitation farmers fifth century figure final find Finley Finley’s first fits focus fragments gods Greece Greek hasilees helots Herodotus Hesiod Hodkinson Homer hoplite human hyhris ideological Iliad imply kings Kleisthenes Kurke labor land Lefkandi major Marx Marx’s Marxist Morris Morris’s Mycenaean noted Odysseus offers ofthe Peisistratos poem poet poleis polis political production Raaflaub radically reflect relations rightly role ruling class scholars seems sense significant sixth century slaves Snodgrass social society Solon Solonian Spartan Spartiates specific stresses suggests Theogony Thucydides traditional tyranny tyrants Tyrtaeus wealth Wees whole women Zeus Zeus’s