In this original and rewarding combination of intellectual and political history, Ryan Balot offers a thorough historical and sociological interpretation of classical Athens centered on the notion of greed. Integrating ancient philosophy, poetry, and history, and drawing on modern political thought, the author demonstrates that the Athenian discourse on greed was an essential component of Greek social development and political history.

Over time, the Athenians developed sophisticated psychological and political accounts of acquisitiveness and a correspondingly rich vocabulary to...

This wide-ranging history of ancient Greek political thought shows what ancient political texts might mean to citizens of the twenty-first century.

• A provocative and wide-ranging history of ancient Greek political thought
• Demonstrates what ancient Greek works of political philosophy might mean to citizens of the twenty-first century
• Examines an array of poetic, historical, and philosophical texts in an effort to locate Greek political thought in its cultural context
• Pays careful attention to the distinctively ancient connections between politics and...

This wide-ranging history of ancient Greek political thought shows what ancient political texts might mean to citizens of the twenty-first century.

• A provocative and wide-ranging history of ancient Greek political thought
• Demonstrates what ancient Greek works of political philosophy might mean to citizens of the twenty-first century
• Examines an array of poetic, historical, and philosophical texts in an effort to locate Greek political thought in its cultural context
• Pays careful attention to the distinctively ancient connections between politics and...

In this careful and compelling study, Ryan K. Balot brings together political theory, classical history, and ancient philosophy in order to reinterpret courage as a specifically democratic virtue. Ranging from Thucydides and Aristophanes to the Greek tragedians and Plato, Balot shows that the ancient Athenians constructed a novel vision of courage that linked this virtue to fundamental democratic ideals such as freedom, equality, and practical rationality. The Athenian ideology of courage had practical implications for the conduct of war, for gender relations, and for the citizens' self-image...