Self-Governance in Antiquity

Local Groups, the City and the State
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-3-515-14137-6
Verlag: Steiner Franz Verlag

Buch, Englisch, Deutsch, Band Band 280, 285 Seiten, Gebunden, Format (B × H): 176 mm x 244 mm, Gewicht: 628 g

Reihe: Historia-Einzelschriften

How did local initiative shape the functioning of governance arrangements in antiquity, a historical period characterized by structurally weak statehood? This volume argues that societal stability relied less on state institutions than on self-governing local groups. It thus challenges conventional top-down approaches by showing how local cooperation generated durable governance arrangements and reinforced the stability of ancient states.

The contributors explore the complex relationship between state and local levels in the ancient world. They examine the internal logics, such as modes of organization and decision-making, that shaped local groups and show how local contexts, including customs and civil-society activities, conditioned their agency. They also investigate how these groups influenced state power and how cooperation between state and local actors took shape. In doing so, they highlight the intricate interconnections between different levels of ancient governance. Case studies from Classical Greece to Byzantium provide a broad comparative perspective.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Erben, Adrian

Schwarzer, Julia

Pfeilschifter, Rene

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Alte Geschichte & Archäologie Geschichte der klassischen Antike
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Staats- und Regierungsformen, Staatslehre
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Geschichte

Über Autor(innen)

Pfeilschifter, Rene
Rene Pfeilschifter ist Professor für Alte Geschichte an der Universität Würzburg.