Politics Ancient and Modern

by Pierre Vidal-Naquet

Written by one of the leading ancient historians in the world today, this book shows how politics in the ancient world has been interpreted and re-interpreted through the ages.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 1995

About the author

Pierre Vidal-Naquet was a French historian who began teaching at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) in 1969.
Vidal-Naquet was a specialist in the study of Ancient Greece, but was also interested (and deeply involved) in contemporary history, particularly the Algerian War (1954–62), during which he opposed the use of torture by the French Army, as well as Jewish history. Having participated with Michel Foucault and Jean-Marie Domenach in the founding of the Groupe d'information sur les prisons (GIP), one of the first French new social movements, he criticized negationism. Vidal-Naquet, who never abandoned his fascination with Antiquity, was also a supporter of Middle East peace efforts.

Reviews

[Varad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a valuable collection of essays by one of France's most eminent classicists of the late twentieth century. Their common theme is the continuing influence of antiquity on modern culture, especially politics. As Vidal-Naquet declares, "our relationship with Antiquity is an integral part of our own world" (67). The core of the volume is a triptych of essays on the appropriation of classical antiquity during the Enlightenment and French Revolution. Much of his focus here is on the century-long struggle between partisans of Sparta and Athens, a conflict that implicated many of the great intellectual and political struggles of the long eighteenth century. Other essays concern historians' use of Plato, the role of the Atlantis myth in the formation of nationalism, Chateaubriand's sojourn at Athens, and Renan's lifelong fascination with the Greeks, about whom he never wrote in his long and prolific career. The scholarship is impeccable, the writing easy, graceful, and absent any antiquarian pedantry. The only defects, such as they are, are the lack of a bibliography and a tighter cohesion of the essays, which are not always linked as closely as they could be. Overall, though, this is a book that holds considerable appeal for scholars working in such disparate fields as classical literature and history, classical receptions, and European intellectual history. Serving such disparate audiences is a challenging task, but it is one Vidal-Naquet fulfills admirably.


Monday, August 27, 2012