Talking to Tyrants breaks new ground in the study of Classical Greek history and political thought, exploring the previously unexamined question of how citizens of Greek city-states approached interaction with kings, tyrants, and other absolute rulers. Throughout history, states that value collective government and civic liberties have struggled with how to deal with communities that reject these values. Modern, western democracies continually debate how to reconcile their beliefs in human rights and public institutions with the apparent need to maintain contacts with a range of...