Greek Political Imagery from Homer to AristotleThe great helmsman, the watchdog of the people, the medicine the state needs: all these images originated in ancient Greece, yet retain the capacity to influence an audience today. This is the first systematic study of political imagery in ancient Greek literature, history and thought, tracing it from its appearance, influenced by Near Eastern precursors, in Homer and Hesiod, to the end of the classical period and Plato's deployment of images like the helmsman and the doctor in the service of his political philosophy. The historical narrative is complemented by thematic studies of influential complexes of images such as the ship of state, the shepherd of the people, and the state as a household, and enhanced by parallels from later literature and history which illustrate the persistence of Greek concepts in later eras. |
Contents
| 1 | |
2 The State as a Household and Family | 25 |
3 The Shepherd of the People | 43 |
4 The Ship of State | 53 |
5 The Body Politic | 69 |
The Archaic Period c750480 BC | 83 |
The Fifth Century c480404 BC | 107 |
The Fourth Century to Alexander c400322 BC | 147 |
Epilogue | 197 |
Bibliography | 199 |
Index of Authors and Images | 221 |
| 227 | |
| 249 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Adesp Aeschin Aeschylus Alcaeus allusion analogy ancient animals appears applied archaic period argues Arist Aristophanes Aristotle association Ath.Pol Athenian Athenian democracy Athens authority body politic Brock Cambridge University Press Clarendon Press Cleon concept conceptual metaphor constitution context contrast cosmic Cyrus democracy democratic demos Demosthenes described discussion disease divine doctor echo elite Euripides father fifth century figure fourth century gods Gorgias Greece Greek Guardians helmsman hence Herodotus Hesiod Homer household idea ideology Iliad implication Isoc Isocrates king kingship language leader likewise LSJ s.v. maritime imagery master metaphor monarchy oligarchy Oxford particularly passage perhaps Pericles Persian Pindar Plato Plut poetry polis political imagery politicians position reference rule ruler shepherd ship slavery slaves Socrates Solon Sophocles Spartans specific speech stasis suggests Theognis Thuc Thucydides trireme tyranny tyrant Vesp Xenophon Xerxes Zeus