Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander: The Evidence

690 Pages·2011·5.4 MB·English

by  Joseph Roisman

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Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander
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Blackwell Sourcebooks in Ancient History
This series presents readers with new translations of the raw material of ancient history. It
provides direct access to the ancient world, from wars and power politics to daily life and
entertainment, allowing readers to discover the extraordinary diversity of ancient societies.
Published
The Ancient Near East
Edited Mark W. Chavalas
The Roman Games
Alison Futrell
Alexander the Great
Waldemar Heckel and J. C. Yardley
The Hellenistic Period
Roger Bagnall and Peter Derow
Ancient Greek Religion
Emily Kearns
Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander
Joseph Roisman; translations by J. C. Yardley
In Preparation
Sexuality in the Classical World
Holt Parker
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Ancient Greece from
Homer to Alexander
The Evidence
Joseph Roisman
Translations by J. C. Yardley
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication
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This edition first published 2011
© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Translations © 2011 John Yardley
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Roisman, Joseph, 1946–
Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander: the evidence / Joseph Roisman.
p. cm. — (Blackwell sourcebooks in ancient history)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4051-2775-2 (hardcover: alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4051-2776-9 (pbk.: alk.
paper) 1. Greece—Civilization—To 146 B.C.—Sources. 2. Greece—History—To 146
B.C.—Sources. I. Title.
DF12.R65 2011
938–dc22
2010025066
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Set in 10/13pt Stone Serif by SPi Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India
1 2011
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Contents
List of Illustrations xxix
List of Maps xxxi
Preface and Acknowledgments xxxii
How to Use This Book xxxiv
Abbreviations xxxv
Glossary xxxvii
Greek Weights, Measures, Coins, and the Athenian Calendar xl
Timeline xlii
Introduction: The Evidence for Greek History and Culture 1
I The Archaeological Evidence 2
I.1 Pottery 5
II Coins 7
III The Written Evidence 8
III.1 Investigation of Sources and Fragments
of Lost Historians 10
III.2 Herodotus 13
III.3 Thucydides 16
III.4 Xenophon 20
III.5 Diodorus of Sicily 21
III.6 Plutarch 22
III.7 The Attic Orators 23
1 The World of Homer 26
1.1 A Funeral Scene on a Dipylon Vase 28
1.2 The Homeric Household (Oikos) 29
1.3 Women and the Homeric Household WEB1
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vi CONTENTS
1.4 Slaves and the Homeric Household WEB1
1.5 The Measure of Happiness 30
1.6 A Household in Trouble 30
1.7 Households and Community 31
1.8 Homeric Leaders 32
1.9 Kings, Council, and Assembly 33
1.10 A Trial Scene WEB2
1.11 Homeric Values: Honor and Excellence 37
1.12 Reciprocity and Guest-Friendship (Xenia) 38
1.13 A Bust of Homer WEB3
2 The World of Hesiod 41
2.1 Individual, Communal, and Divine Justice 42
2.2 Women and Pandora’s Jar 44
2.3 Household and Marriage WEB4
2.4 The Value of Labor 45
2.5 Hesiod WEB4
2.5.I Slaves in Hesiod WEB4
2.5.II Hesiod on Competitiveness WEB5
2.5.III A Bust of Hesiod WEB5
2.6 The Orientalizing Period 45
3 The Early Greek Polis (City-State) and the Ethnos 48
3.1 The Homeric Polis 49
3.2 A Walled Homeric Polis WEB6
3.3 An Early Settlement on Andros (Zagora; ca. 700) 50
3.4 Links to Andros and the Azoria Project WEB6
3.5 Ancient Views of the Origins of the Polis 52
3.5.A Theseus’ Unification of Attica 52
3.5.B Aristotle on the Evolution of the Polis 53
3.6 Ethnos: The Ionians 54
3.6.A Ion’s Ancestors 55
3.6.B Ionians in the Peloponnese 56
3.6.C The History of the Ionians 56
3.7 Links of Interest WEB7
4 Settlements Across the Sea: Greek “Colonization” 59
4.1 Greek Settlements in the Western Mediterranean 60
4.2 The Settlement at Pithecoussae (ca. 750) 60
4.2.A The Settling of Pithecoussae 61
4.2.B The “Nestor Cup” 62
4.3 Livy on the Settlement of Pithecoussae WEB8
4.4 The Foundation of Cyrene (631) 63
4.5 Herodotus on the Foundation of Cyrene (631) WEB8
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CONTENTS vii
4.5.I The Delphic Oracle WEB11
4.6 Mother-City and Colony: Corinth, Corcyra,
and Epidamnus (435) 64
4.7 Settlers and Locals 66
4.8 Selinus (651/0?) 67
4.9 Links of Interest WEB12
5 Aristocratic Power and Attitudes 69
5.1 Aristocratic Power and Offices in Athens 70
5.2 Kings by Merit WEB13
5.3 Aristocratic Exclusiveness 71
5.3.A The Unworthy 72
5.3.B Do Not Marry a Commoner 72
5.4 Aristocratic Anxiety 73
6 Archaic Tyranny 75
6.1 How Tyrants Attained Power 76
6.2 The Birth and Rescue of Cypselus WEB14
6.3 Cypselus’ Tyranny in Corinth (ca. 650–625) 78
6.3.A Cypselus’ Harsh Tyranny 78
6.3.B Cypselus’ Mild Tyranny 79
6.4 Periander’s Tyranny in Corinth (625–585) 80
6.5 Additional Information on Tyranny in Corinth WEB16
6.6 A Failed Attempt at Tyranny in Athens: Cylon (632) 81
6.7 Herodotus on Cylon WEB16
7 Archaic and Classical Sparta 85
7.1 Thucydides on the Spartan City WEB17
7.2 The Messenian Wars (735–650) and the
Conquered Population 87
7.3 The Helots 88
7.3.A Tyrtaeus on the Helots 88
7.3.B The Helot System 89
7.4 Eliminating Helots 90
7.5 The Krypteia 90
7.6 Lycurgus’ Regulations 92
7.7 Early Sparta WEB18
7.7.I Crises in Early Sparta WEB18
7.7.II Early Economic Disparity in Sparta WEB18
7.7.III Lycurgus’ Identity WEB19
7.8 The Spartan Government and the Great Rhetra 93
7.8.A Tyrtaeus on the Spartan Government 93
7.8.B Plutarch on Lycurgus’ Rhetra 94
7.9 Spartan Kingship 95
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viii CONTENTS
7.10 Xenophon on Spartan Kingship WEB20
7.11 The Spartan Gerousia (Council) 97
7.12 The Ephors 98
7.13 The Ephors and Theopompus; Aristotle on
the Spartan Government WEB20
7.13.I The Ephors and King Theopompus WEB20
7.13.II Aristotle on the Spartan
“Mixed” Constitution WEB21
7.14 State and Family: The Scrutiny of Spartan Babies 99
7.15 The Schooling of Boys 99
7.16 Xenophon on the Schooling of Spartan Boys WEB21
7.17 Girls’ Education and Rituals 102
7.17.A Girls’ Education 102
7.17.B Spartan Maidens and Rituals 103
7.17.C A Female Spartan Runner 103
7.18 Plutarch on Spartan Girls’ Education and Rituals WEB22
7.19 Spartan Marriage 105
7.20 Wife-Sharing 105
7.20.A Xenophon on Wife-Sharing 106
7.20.B Polybius on Wife-Sharing 106
7.21 Sayings of Spartan Mothers WEB22
7.22 The Common Messes 107
7.22.A Xenophon on the Common Messes 107
7.22.B Plutarch on the Common Messes 108
7.23 Aristotle on the Common Messes WEB23
7.24 Spartan Equality: Ideology and Reality 109
7.24.A Lycurgus’ Egalitarian Measures 109
7.24.B The Similar Ones (Homoioi)? 110
7.25 Courage and Cowardice in Sparta 111
7.26 The Peloponnesian League and Spartan Alliances 112
7.26.A The Spartans’ Agreement with Tegea 113
7.26.B The Spartans’ Treaty with Olynthus 113
7.27 Sparta, Arcadia, and Corinth WEB23
7.27.I Sparta Obtains the Bones of Orestes WEB23
7.27.II The First Corinthian Opposition
to King Cleomenes I (506) WEB25
7.27.III The Second Corinthian Opposition
to King Cleomenes I (504) WEB26
7.28 King Cleomenes, Plataea, and Athens (519) 114
7.29 King Cleomenes WEB26
7.29.I Cleomenes’ Birth WEB26
7.29.II Cleomenes and Argos (494) WEB28
7.29.III Cleomenes and Aegina WEB30
7.29.IV Cleomenes and Demaratus (491/0) WEB31
7.29.V Cleomenes’ Downfall (490–489) WEB34
7.30 Links of Interest WEB36
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