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Athenian Democracy
Was ancient Athens the "cradle of democracy" or, as many have charged, a society based on slave labor and ruled by an irresponsible mob of idlers who would neither fight nor pay taxes? In this classic work, one of the twentieth century's most distinguished ancient historians provides a succinct and elegant appraisal of Athenian democracy's merits and short-coming. Relying almost exclusively on close and careful analysis of primary sources, A. H. M. Jones examines the economic, social, and governmental structues that formed the basis of democracy in Athens. He also discusses the criticisms leveled against Athenian society by its own philosophers, histroians, and statemen. Athenian Democracy remains an indispensable resource for anyone with an interest in classical Athenian society.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
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About the author
A.H.M. Jones
28 books11 followersArnold Hugh Martin Jones (9 March 1904 – 9 April 1970) — known as A.H.M. Jones — was a prominent 20th century British historian of classical antiquity, particularly of the later Roman Empire.
Jones's best-known work, The Later Roman Empire, 284–602 (1964), is considered the definitive narrative history of late Rome and early Byzantium, beginning with the reign of the Roman tetrarch Diocletian and ending with that of the Byzantine emperor Maurice. One of the most common modern criticisms of this work is its almost total reliance on literary and epigraphic primary sources, a methodology which mirrored Jones's own historiographical training. Archaeological study of the period was in its infancy when Jones wrote, which limited the amount of material culture he could include in his research.
He published his first book, The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces, in 1937. In 1946, he was appointed to the chair of the Ancient History department at University College, London. In 1951, he moved to Cambridge University and assumed the same post there. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1947.
Jones was reportedly an extremely fast reader with an encyclopedic memory. His disdain for "small talk" sometimes made him seem remote and cold to those who did not know him well, but he was warmly regarded by his students. He was sometimes criticized for not fully acknowledging the work of earlier scholars in his own footnotes, a habit he was aware of and apologized for in the preface to his first book.
Jones died of a heart attack in 1970 while traveling via boat to Thessaloniki to give a series of lectures.
Since Jones's death, popular awareness of his work has often been overshadowed by the work of scholars of Late Antiquity, a period which did not exist as a separate field of study during his lifetime. Late Antiquity scholars frequently refer to him, however, and his enormous contributions to the study of the period are widely acknowledged.
Jones's best-known work, The Later Roman Empire, 284–602 (1964), is considered the definitive narrative history of late Rome and early Byzantium, beginning with the reign of the Roman tetrarch Diocletian and ending with that of the Byzantine emperor Maurice. One of the most common modern criticisms of this work is its almost total reliance on literary and epigraphic primary sources, a methodology which mirrored Jones's own historiographical training. Archaeological study of the period was in its infancy when Jones wrote, which limited the amount of material culture he could include in his research.
He published his first book, The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces, in 1937. In 1946, he was appointed to the chair of the Ancient History department at University College, London. In 1951, he moved to Cambridge University and assumed the same post there. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1947.
Jones was reportedly an extremely fast reader with an encyclopedic memory. His disdain for "small talk" sometimes made him seem remote and cold to those who did not know him well, but he was warmly regarded by his students. He was sometimes criticized for not fully acknowledging the work of earlier scholars in his own footnotes, a habit he was aware of and apologized for in the preface to his first book.
Jones died of a heart attack in 1970 while traveling via boat to Thessaloniki to give a series of lectures.
Since Jones's death, popular awareness of his work has often been overshadowed by the work of scholars of Late Antiquity, a period which did not exist as a separate field of study during his lifetime. Late Antiquity scholars frequently refer to him, however, and his enormous contributions to the study of the period are widely acknowledged.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 7, 2019
I'm not sure how I always wind up stumbling upon books few people have bothered to review, but it just adds to the fun, and in the case of this book I was more than satisfied.
Athenian Demo racy is a collection of previously published essays and lectures that were compiled into this book for posterity, and scholars and history enthusiasts of the Classical period are fortunate for such a decision. Jones's book attempts to explore the facets and character of the Athenian democratic system and to understand how this system actually operated for, as he observes, often it was truly an oligarchy rather than a functioning republic. Looking at the economics, military structure, governmental bodies, and class differences the reader observe a side of Athens that is not always so elaborated upon by popular and even academic scholars.
This is not always an easily approachable book, for Jones's prose can be rather dense, and when he digs into the minutiae of economic figures it becomes a bit of a slog. Yet despite this Jones's book is still worth the reader's time because it offers an examination that is critical without being condemnatory. Jones gives his reader a real glimpse into the realities of the Athenian state pointing towards the inconsistencies and faults without dissolving into condemnation. This book is still relevant and important to the discourse even after close to half a century.
The image of Athens as a bastion of liberty, freedom, and democracy is underscored by the economic realities of oligarchical establishment and the proliferation of slaves within the city. It's the skill of Jones as a writer and historian that the reader is, by the end, not forgiving of these faults but at least a little understanding.
Athenian Demo racy is a collection of previously published essays and lectures that were compiled into this book for posterity, and scholars and history enthusiasts of the Classical period are fortunate for such a decision. Jones's book attempts to explore the facets and character of the Athenian democratic system and to understand how this system actually operated for, as he observes, often it was truly an oligarchy rather than a functioning republic. Looking at the economics, military structure, governmental bodies, and class differences the reader observe a side of Athens that is not always so elaborated upon by popular and even academic scholars.
This is not always an easily approachable book, for Jones's prose can be rather dense, and when he digs into the minutiae of economic figures it becomes a bit of a slog. Yet despite this Jones's book is still worth the reader's time because it offers an examination that is critical without being condemnatory. Jones gives his reader a real glimpse into the realities of the Athenian state pointing towards the inconsistencies and faults without dissolving into condemnation. This book is still relevant and important to the discourse even after close to half a century.
The image of Athens as a bastion of liberty, freedom, and democracy is underscored by the economic realities of oligarchical establishment and the proliferation of slaves within the city. It's the skill of Jones as a writer and historian that the reader is, by the end, not forgiving of these faults but at least a little understanding.
July 18, 2009
In this study, Jones attempts to trace the outlines of Athenian society along modern historiographic lines. The book presents five essays, which include economic and demographic analyses of Athens during the classical period. He also attempts to answer the question, which can only be addressed conjecutrally, of the extent to which the Athenian economy was based on slave labor. In general, Jones provides the most reasonable hypotheses that I have seen about the total population, the distribution of wealth, the class structure and other vital statistics of classical Athens. In some cases, as in his discussion of trade balance at the end of the fourth chapter, he moves in the direction of conclusions that the evidence might not really warrant, but these instances are limited and do not affect the overall reliability of the book.
Most useful is his third chapter, entitled "The Critics." It is a commonplace that the Athenians practiced democracy without theorizing about it. Those philosophers whose writings survive to us almost exclusively represent the oligarchic perspective. Jones provides a plausible reconstruction of how the large majority of citizens and politicians who believed in, worked and bled for Athenian democracy would have answered the intellectual elites who invented political philosophy, had those citizens thought it worth their while to do so.
Most useful is his third chapter, entitled "The Critics." It is a commonplace that the Athenians practiced democracy without theorizing about it. Those philosophers whose writings survive to us almost exclusively represent the oligarchic perspective. Jones provides a plausible reconstruction of how the large majority of citizens and politicians who believed in, worked and bled for Athenian democracy would have answered the intellectual elites who invented political philosophy, had those citizens thought it worth their while to do so.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews