This book covers the political, diplomatic, and military history of the Aegean Greeks of the fourth century BC, raising new questions and delving into old disputes and controversies. It includes their power struggles, the Persian involvement in their affairs, and the ultimate Macedonian triumph over Greece. It deals with the political concept of federalism and its relations to the ideal of the polis. The volume concludes with the triumph of Macedonian monarchy over the polis. In dealing with the great public issues of fourth-century Greece, the approach to them includes a combination of sources. The usual literary and archaeological information forms the essential foundation for the topographical examination of every major site mentioned in the text. Numismatic evidence likewise finds its place here.
Age-old scholarly dogma holds that the death of serious theatre went hand-in-hand with the 'death' of the city-state and that the fourth century BC ushered in an era of theatrical mediocrity offering shallow entertainment to a depoliticised citizenry. The traditional view of fourth-century culture is encouraged and sustained by the absence of dramatic texts in anything more than fragments. Until recently, little attention was paid to an enormous array of non-literary evidence attesting, not only the sustained vibrancy of theatrical culture, but a huge expansion of theatre throughout (and even beyond) the Greek world. Epigraphic, historiographic, iconographic and archaeological evidence indicates that the fourth century BC was an age of exponential growth in theatre. It saw: the construction of permanent stone theatres across and beyond the Mediterranean world; the addition of theatrical events to existing festivals; the creation of entirely new contexts for drama; and vast investment, both public and private, in all areas of what was rapidly becoming a major 'industry'. This is the first book to explore all the evidence for fourth century ancient theatre: its architecture, drama, dissemination, staging, reception, politics, social impact, finance and memorialisation.
Greek Art and Aesthetics in the Fourth Century B.C. analyzes the broad character of art produced during this period, providing in-depth analysis of and commentary on many of its most notable examples of sculpture and painting. Taking into consideration developments in style and subject matter, and elucidating political, religious, and intellectual context, William A. P. Childs argues that Greek art in this era was a natural outgrowth of the high classical period and focused on developing the rudiments of individual expression that became the hallmark of the classical in the fifth century. As Childs shows, in many respects the art of this period corresponds with the philosophical inquiry by Plato and his contemporaries into the nature of art and speaks to the contemporaneous sense of insecurity and renewed religious devotion. Delving into formal and iconographic developments in sculpture and painting, Childs examines how the sensitive, expressive quality of these works seamlessly links the classical and Hellenistic periods, with no appreciable rupture in the continuous exploration of the human condition. Another overarching theme concerns the nature of “style as a concept of expression,” an issue that becomes more important given the increasingly multiple styles and functions of fourth-century Greek art. Childs also shows how the color and form of works suggested the unseen and revealed the profound character of individuals and the physical world.
The region of Boiotia was one of the most powerful regions in Greece between the Peloponnesian War and the rise of Macedonian power under Philip II and Alexander the Great. Its influence stretched across most of the Greek mainland and, at times, across the Aegean; its fourth-century leaders were of legendary ability. But the Boiotian hegemony over Greece was short lived, and less than four decades after the Boiotians defeated the Spartans at the battle of Leuktra in 371 B.C., Alexander the Great destroyed Thebes, Boiotia's largest city, and left the fabric of Boiotian power in tatters. Boiotia in the Fourth Century B.C. works from the premise that the traditional picture of hegemony and great men tells only a partial story, one that is limited in the diversity of historical experience. The breadth of essays in this volume is designed to give a picture of the current state of scholarship and to provide a series of in-depth studies of particular evidence, experience, and events. These studies present exciting new perspectives based on recent archaeological work and the discovery of new material evidence. And rather than turning away from the region following the famous Macedonian victory at Chaironeia in 338 B.C., or the destruction of Thebes three years later, the scholars cover the entire span of the century, and the questions posed are as diverse as the experiences of the Boiotians: How free were Boiotian communities, and how do we explain their demographic resilience among the catastrophes? Is the exercise of power visible in the material evidence, and how did Boiotians fare outside the region? How did experience of widespread displacement and exile shape Boiotian interactivity at the end of the century? By posing these and other questions, the book offers a new historical vision of the region in the period during which it was of greatest consequence to the wider Greek world. Contributors: Samuel D. Gartland, John Ma, Robin Osborne, Nikolaos Papazarkadas, P. J. Rhodes, Thom Russell, Albert Schachter, Michael Scott, Anthony Snodgrass.
The interaction between orator and audience, the passions and distrust held by many concerning the predominance of one individual, but also the individual’s struggle as an advisor and political leader, these are the quintessential elements of 4th century rhetoric. As an individual personality, the orator draws strength from his audience, while the rhetorical texts mirror his own thoughts and those of his audience as part of a two-way relationship, in which individuality meets, opposes, and identifies with the masses. For the first time, this volume systematically compares minor orators with the major figures of rhetoric, Demosthenes and Isocrates, taking into account other findings as well, such as extracts of Hyperides from the Archimedes Palimpsest. Moreover, this book provides insight into the controversy surrounding the art of discourse in the rhetorical texts of Anaximenes, Aristotle, and especially of Isocrates who took up a clear stance against the philosophy of the 4th century.
Syracuse possesses a unique place in the history of the ancient Mediterranean because of its contribution to Greek culture and political thought and practice. Even in the first century BC Cicero could still declare ’You have often heard that of all the Greek cities Syracuse is the greatest and most beautiful.’ Sicily’s strategic location in the Mediterranean brought the city prosperity and power, placing it in the first rank of states in the ancient world. The history and governance of the city were recorded from the fifth century BC and the volume of literary sources comes close to matching the records of Athens or Rome. Combining literary and material evidence this monograph traces the history of Syracuse, offering new arguments about the date of the city’s foundation, and continues through the fifth century when, as a democracy, Syracuse’s military strength grew to equal that of Athens or Sparta, surpassing them in the early fourth century under the tyrant Dionysius I. From ca. 350 BC, however, the city’s fortunes declined as the state was wracked with civil strife as the tyranny lost control. The result was a collapse so serious that the city faced complete and imminent destruction.
This work surveys all available evidence on Athenian settlements and settlers of the fourth century B.C., calling several conventional interpretations about them into question, through a rigorous preference for evidence over speculation. Three chapters trace a chronology of events relating to the settlements, examine their personnel collectively, statistically, and individually, and discuss evidence for their political, economic, and religious institutions. Long appendixes establish improved texts of numerous inscriptions relevant to the topic and provide several kinds of data on more than 1000 definite, probable, or possible settlers.
The contributors in this volume present a systematic survey of the struggles of Athens, Sparta and Thebes to dominate Greece in the fourth century - only to be overwhelmed by the newly emerging Macedonian kingdom of Philip II. Additionally, the situation of Greeks in Sicily, Italy and Asia is portrayed, showing the geographical and political diffusion of the Greeks in a broader historical context. This book will provide the reader with a clearly drawn and vivid picture of the main events and leading personalities in this decisive period of Greek history.
