Athenian Empire, The

Description:
In the fifth century BC, the Athenian Empire dominated the politics and culture of the Mediterranean world. Historians, then and now, have been fascinated by that domination, and continue to grapple with the problem of explaining and analysing it. This book offers a comprehensive, and multi-faceted, analysis of the history and significance of the Athenian Empire. It starts by exploring possible answers to the crucial questions of the origins and growth of the empire. Subsequent sections deal with the institutions and regulations of empire, and the mechanisms by which it was controlled; the costs and benefits of imperialism (for both rulers and ruled); and the ideological, cultural and artistic aspects of Athenian power. The articles collected here are among the most influential studies in the field, written by the foremost scholars of the 20th and 21st centuries. They engage with the full range of evidence available to the historian of the Athenian Empire -- literary, epigraphic, archaeological and art-historical -- and offer a compelling demonstration of the range of approaches, and conclusions, for which that evidence allows.The book includes a chronology and a guide to further reading. All passages of ancient Greek are translated and difficult terms are explained. One article has been translated and is available in English for the first time. Key Features: / Key articles are collected and available in one location / Articles in Greek and other foreign languages are translated into English / Provides access to a range of scholarly views on contested topics / Includes editorial introductions, timelines and a bibliography which provide orientation for students and scope for further study

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements; Note to the Reader; Abbreviations; Maps; Introduction; General Introduction; 1. The Fifth-Century Athenian Empire: A Balance Sheet, Moses Finley; Part I: Origins, Development and Chronology; Introduction to Part I; 2. Thucydides on the Purpose of the Delian League, Hunter R. Rawlings III; 3. The Growth of Athenian Imperialism, Russell Meiggs; 4. Periclean Imperialism, Harold B. Mattingly; Part II: Controlling the Empire; Introduction to Part II; 5. The Athenian Coinage Decree, David Lewis; 6a. Proxeny and Proxenos in Fifth-Century Athens, Michael Walbank; 6b. A Note on Athenian Imperialism, Russell Meiggs; 7. Religion and the Athenian Empire, Robert Parker; Part III: Costs and Benefits; Introduction to Part III; 8. The Parthenon, the Treasury of Athena, and the Tribute of the Allies, Adalberto Giovannini; 9. Money Talks: Rhetor, Demos, and the Resources of the Athenian Empire, Lisa Kallet; 10. Archaeology and the Athenian Empire, Robin Osborne; Part IV: Popularity and Propaganda; Introduction to Part IV; 11. The Character of the Athenian Empire, Geoffrey de Ste. Croix; 12. Thucydides and the Cities of the Athenian Empire, Jacqueline de Romilly; 13. Images and Political Identity: The Case of Athens, Tonio Holscher; Postscript: The Aftermath of Empire; Intellectual Chronology; Guide to Further Reading; Bibliography; Index.

Author Biography:
Polly Low is a Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Manchester. She is co-editor of Cultures of Commemoration: War Memorials, Ancient and Modern with P. J. Rhodes and Graham Oliver, (under contract with Oxford University Press ) and she is author of The Political Rhetoric of Demosthenes (Duckworth, forthcoming).