DANIELLA Jouanna.
POLITICS: A dangerous activity in ancient Greece?
The Belles Lettres.
Regular price
€21,50
| N° d'inventaire | 25271 |
| Format | 13.5 x 21 cm |
| Détails | 312 p., Paperback. |
| Publication | Paris, 2022 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782251452692 |
"If I had been involved in politics, I would have been dead long ago," declared Socrates at the age of 70, during his trial in Athens in 399 BC. A surprising observation: he lived under a regime that is considered the ideal model of our modern democracies. Was it really so dangerous to engage in this activity in Greece?
In fact, the risks of modern political life in France have nothing to do with those taken by "orators" in Greece, even if they sometimes present disturbing similarities. Greek and especially Athenian politicians experienced incredible judicial harassment, often ending very badly (loss of property, citizenship, exile, death sentence) – when they were not simply assassinated. It is surprising that Pericles died in his bed when we consider the sad end of Alcibiades or Demosthenes.
This work, which is based on widely cited texts, will be of interest to all those who wish to better understand the real functioning of Greek democracy and compare it to our own... as well as to modern politicians quick to refer to this regime which may not have been ideal, but which nevertheless remains admirable in many respects.
In fact, the risks of modern political life in France have nothing to do with those taken by "orators" in Greece, even if they sometimes present disturbing similarities. Greek and especially Athenian politicians experienced incredible judicial harassment, often ending very badly (loss of property, citizenship, exile, death sentence) – when they were not simply assassinated. It is surprising that Pericles died in his bed when we consider the sad end of Alcibiades or Demosthenes.
This work, which is based on widely cited texts, will be of interest to all those who wish to better understand the real functioning of Greek democracy and compare it to our own... as well as to modern politicians quick to refer to this regime which may not have been ideal, but which nevertheless remains admirable in many respects.
In fact, the risks of modern political life in France have nothing to do with those taken by "orators" in Greece, even if they sometimes present disturbing similarities. Greek and especially Athenian politicians experienced incredible judicial harassment, often ending very badly (loss of property, citizenship, exile, death sentence) – when they were not simply assassinated. It is surprising that Pericles died in his bed when we consider the sad end of Alcibiades or Demosthenes.
This work, which is based on widely cited texts, will be of interest to all those who wish to better understand the real functioning of Greek democracy and compare it to our own... as well as to modern politicians quick to refer to this regime which may not have been ideal, but which nevertheless remains admirable in many respects.