The City States of Classical Greece
N.E.R. Fisher surveys the historiographical treatments of these ancient democratic states, in this month's Reading History.
As Paul Cartledge remarked in a recent issue (History Today , July 1983) the achievements and failures of the Greek poleis, the small, independent, predominantly peasant and slave-owning communities of ancient Greece, continue to exercise a powerful fascination over us today, with their fruitfully provoking combination of familiarity and foreignness. Study of the period traditionally labelled 'Classical Greece' – here taken to have begun with the triumphantly successful resistance by many of the mainland poleis to the invasions of the Persians (490-79 BC) and to have ended with their failure to prevent the bearer and. more powerful monarch Philip II of Macedon from establishing effective control over Greece – has been no less intense and productive than that of the archaic period reviewed by Cartledge. In contrast to the situation with which he was concerned, however, there has appeared of late only one general account of precisely this period.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
