Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history

The Resource Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history

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Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history

Title remainder

a political history

Statement of responsibility

Matthew Simonton

Language

eng

Summary

" Classical Greek Oligarchy thoroughly reassesses an important but neglected form of ancient Greek government, the "rule of the few." Matthew Simonton challenges scholarly orthodoxy by showing that oligarchy was not the default mode of politics from time immemorial, but instead emerged alongside, and in reaction to, democracy. He establishes for the first time how oligarchies maintained power in the face of potential citizen resistance. The book argues that oligarchs designed distinctive political institutions--such as intra-oligarchic power sharing, targeted repression, and rewards for informants--to prevent collective action among the majority population while sustaining cooperation within their own ranks. To clarify the workings of oligarchic institutions, Simonton draws on recent social science research on authoritarianism. Like modern authoritarian regimes, ancient Greek oligarchies had to balance coercion with co-optation in order to keep their subjects disorganized and powerless. The book investigates topics such as control of public space, the manipulation of information, and the establishment of patron-client relations, frequently citing parallels with contemporary nondemocratic regimes. Simonton also traces changes over time in antiquity, revealing the processes through which oligarchy lost the ideological battle with democracy for legitimacy. Classical Greek Oligarchy represents a major new development in the study of ancient politics. It fills a longstanding gap in our knowledge of nondemocratic government while greatly improving our understanding of forms of power that continue to affect us today. " --

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Provided by publisher

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DLC

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index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

dictionaries
bibliography

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Context of Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history

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Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history

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The work Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Bates College. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

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Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history Resource Information The work Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Bates College. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Context

Work of

Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history

Resource Information

The work Classical Greek oligarchy : a political history represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Bates College. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.