The Discovery of Freedom in Ancient Greece

Revised and Updated Edition

Translated by Renate Franciscono

Cloth $62.50 ISBN: 9780226701011 Published February 2004

Although there is constant conflict over its meanings and limits, political freedom itself is considered a fundamental and universal value throughout the modern world. For most of human history, however, this was not the case. In this book, Kurt Raaflaub asks the essential question: when, why, and under what circumstances did the concept of freedom originate?

To find out, Raaflaub analyses ancient Greek texts from Homer to Thucydides in their social and political contexts. Archaic Greece, he concludes, had little use for the idea of political freedom; the concept arose instead during the great confrontation between Greeks and Persians in the early fifth century BCE. Raaflaub then examines the relationship of freedom with other concepts, such as equality, citizenship, and law, and pursues subsequent uses of the idea—often, paradoxically, as a tool of domination, propaganda, and ideology.

Raaflaub's book thus illuminates both the history of ancient Greek society and the evolution of one of humankind's most important values, and will be of great interest to anyone who wants to understand the conceptual fabric that still shapes our world views.

American Historical Association: James Henry Breasted Prize
Won

View Recent Awards page for more award winning books.

"A carefully crafted and richly rewarding book. Raaflaub's subject is the origin and history of the Greek concept of political freedom. Although "freedom" was a concept central to the political, social, and intellectual life of the Greeks, this is the first systematic study of its history . . . . The book is a solid addition to the literature on Greek politics and an elegant example of the genre of word-study. A valuable and compendious guide."

"Following the major political and social developments in Greece of the archaic and classical periods through the political discourse on freedom, Raaflaub provides a subtle and sophisticated explanation for changes in key political values."—Andrew Wolpert, Review of Politics

"A thorough and convincing analysis of a fundamental topic, and it is good to have it available in an updated English version. A bibliography . . . copious annotations, and three indexes make it an invaluable tool for future research in a wide range of topics of ancient Greek social and political history. Author, translator, and publisher alike deserve our warmest thanks."

2004 James Henry Breasted Prize, American Historical Association

“This is a work that has indisputably stood the test of time. Those who know the original edition will find little to surprise them here, although the updated bibliography and references make the new edition well worth having. . . . Those encountering the work afresh . . . should welcome this new version.”

"[Raaflaub's] consideration of each topic is exhaustive . . . and he takes full account of relevant scholarship through extensive (and impressive) annotation. . . . The result is a carefully nuanced study that is persuasive to the extent that we accept as plausible all of the elements of the methodology employed."

“This long overdue English edition of Kurt Raalaub’s seminal work is more than just the translation of an old book. It is the definitive version, revised and updated by the author himself in the light of twenty years of scholarship. . . . A fascinating study of a concept’s emergence approached as a matter of Greek social history.”

"A meticulous and sage examination of the concept of freedom among the Greeks. . . . Without question, this work enriches our understanding of ancient democracy and lays the very foundation for the study of freedom, one of the most formative, essential, and oft-misused concepts in Western society."

“Raaflaub’s careful and insightful research on freedom stands out in the field of classical Greek history. This book is a major contribution to the important subject of the history of the concept of freedom in the western world and is likely to remain the standard work for the foreseeable future.”<\#209>Josiah Ober, Princeton University

“Raaflaub is an impeccably meticulous scholar. . . . Unusually too for someone who is capable of scrupulous care over the small pictures, he is willing and able to tackle the really big picture. . . . Raaflaub concludes by isolating five central characteristics of the Greek concept of freedom. These are—in my order, and my words, not his—a comprehensiveness of scope and reach, a focus on community and collectivity, a literally ‘bottom-up’ social foundation in non-aristocratic middle and lower classes, and emphatic politicization, and an interpenetration of the political with the social aspects.”—Paul Cartledge, Anglo-Hellenic Review

“Required reading.”—Antiquity

"This is a rich book, and even a long summary does not do justice to the full range of explorations in it. Much of the main argument is surely right."

Contents

Preface
1. Introduction
1.1. Objectives and State of Research
1.2. History of Concepts: Approaches and Methodology
1.3. Evidence: Value and Limitations
1.4. A "Greek" Concept of Freedom?
1.5. Plurality of Statuses and the Value of Freedom
1.6. Thematic and Chronological Limits
1.7. Doulos and Eleutheros in Greek Bronze Age Society
2. Awareness of Freedom in Archaic Greek Society
2.1. Eleutheros and Doulos in the Archaic Period
The Evidence
Conclusions and Questions
2.2. The Limited Value of Freedom in Early Greek Society
Homeric Society
The World of Hesiod
Conclusions
2.3. Political Awareness of Freedom: Beginnings in Solonian Athens
Individual Freedom as a Political Issue: Liberation from Debt Bondage
Freedom and Citizenship
The Citizen as Slave of a Tyrant: A Political Concept of Servitude
Conclusions
3. The Emergence of the Political Concept of Freedom
3.1. Polis Independence and the Persian Wars
The Persian Wars as Freedom Wars: Origins of a Historical Tradition
Meanings of Freedom in the Persian Wars
Wars and Loss of Freedom in Greece before the Persian Wars
Limited Polis Independence before the Persian Wars
The Defense of Freedom against Non-Greek Powers: Principle and Limitations
The Emergence of the Term "Freedom" in the Persian Wars
3.2. Tyranny and the Citizen's Freedom in the Polis
Sources and Problems
Aristocratic Equality and Opposition to Tyranny
The Emergence of the Term "Freedom" as a Contrast to "Tyranny"
3.3. Reflections in the Religious Sphere: The Cult of Zeus Eleutherios
Early Cults of Zeus Eleutherios and Their Common Features
Zeus Soter and Zeus Eleutherios: Cult Change and Conceptual Development
The Samian Cult of 522: A Historicizing Fiction
Conclusions: Zeus Eleutherios and Power Politics
4. The Concept of Freedom after the Persian Wars: Its Meaning and Differentiation in Interstate Relations
4.1. Contemporary Expectations and the Rise of the Athenian Empire
Empire, Subjection, and Freedom: Problems and Questions
Relationships in the Peloponnesian League
The Douleia of Greek Poleis under Persian Rule
4.2. Freedom and Servitude of a Polis: Terminology and Definitions
The Terminology of Servitude
The Terminology of Domination
The Emergence of the Terminology of Servitude: Time and Reasons
The Emergence of the Phrase Polis Turannos
Conclusions: Elements of Polis Freedom
4.3. Emergence and Meaning of the Concept of Autonomia
Evidence and Questions
The Function of Autonomia and Its Relationship to Eleutheria
The Coining of Autonomia: A Reaction to Athens's Imperial Rule
4.4. Polis Freedom: A Concept of Relative Value
5. "Freedom" in Ideology and Propaganda
5.1. Athens: Freedom Justifies Domination
The Preservation of Greek Freedom and Athens's Claim to Rule
Rule over Those Unworthy of Freedom
Rule in the Best Interest of the Subjects
The Empire as Guarantor of Athens's Own Freedom
Conclusions: Freedom as a Propaganda Slogan
5.2. The Athenian Concept of Absolute Freedom
Absolute Sovereignty
Absolute Self-Sufficiency (Autarkeia)
Absolute Freedom
Conclusions: Freedom through Power
5.3. Sparta's Freedom Propaganda
The Legitimacy and Intensity of Sparta's Propaganda of Liberation
The Realization of the Program: Liberation under Dark Clouds
The Effectiveness of Sparta's Freedom Propaganda
6. Meaning and Function of Freedom within the Polis
6.1. Freedom and Democracy
Freedom versus Tyranny
The Identification of Freedom with Democracy: Evidence
The Equation of Democracy and Freedom: Causes and Time
Confirmation: From Equality of Speech to Freedom of Speech
6.2. Freedom in Democracy and in Oligarchy
Questions
Definitions of Democratic Freedom
Elements of Democratic Freedom
Freedom and Law in Democracy
Democratic Freedom versus Oligarchic Claims to Exclusive Power: The Theory
Corroboration in Practice: The Experiences of 411 and 404
Freedom as the Monopoly of Democracy
An Aristocratic-Oligarchic Counterconcept: The Fully Free Citizen
6.3. Conclusions
7. Summary and Final Considerations
7.1. Summary
7.2. Characteristics of the Greek Concept of Freedom
Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
Index

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Classical Studies

History: Ancient and Classical History

Political Science: Classic Political Thought

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