CLA230H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Radical Democracy, Hoplite, Polis
Document Summary
When it begins is a matter of great debate. No prose historical account from the archaic period (2) poetry (contemporary) But, we do have a lot of archaic poetry. Most important culture context is the aristocratic ritual of the symposium (3) inscriptions. 7th century crete, earliest inscription: inscribed laws (4) archaeology. Not just a booming population in the late 8th century, but also widespread emergence of the polis. Institutions that encourage public monuments of certain types. Elites in the fields of troy (diomedes, glaucus) Even though in the poem, only some of the parties are greek. But they have more in common with one another than those at home plowing the fields. Elites had far more in common with other elites from other areas than they did with people living in the same areas as them. Modern notion: the shared greek identity, as well as the notion of the barbarians (others)
