Greek and Roman Political Thought Edited by Christopher Rowe and Malcolm Schofield Frontmatter More Information

Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-61669-0 - The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Political Thought Edited by Christopher Rowe and Malcolm Schofield Frontmatter More information

the cambridge history of Greek and Roman Political Thought

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-61669-0 - The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Political Thought Edited by Christopher Rowe and Malcolm Schofield Frontmatter More information

THECAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF Greek and Roman Political Thought

Edited by

CHRISTOPHER ROWE professor of greek university of durham and MALCOLM SCHOFIELD professor of ancient philosophy university of cambridge

in association with

SIMON HARRISON fellow of st john’s college cambridge and MELISSA LANE university lecturer in history university of cambridge

cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City

Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 8ru, UK

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First published 2005 First paperback edition 2005 Reprinted 2010

A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library

Library of Congress cataloguing in publication data The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Political Thought / edited by Christopher Rowe and Malcolm Schofield. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Political science – Greece – History. 2. Political science – Rome – History. i.Rowe, Christopher. ii. Schofield, Malcolm. jc51.c294 2000 320'.0938–dc21 99–28162 cip

isbn 978-0-521-48136-6 Hardback isbn 978-0-521-61669-0 Paperback

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Contents

List of maps xiii Preface xv Abbreviations xvi–xx

22. Introduction by Christopher Rowe, Professor of Greek, University of Durham 1

part i ARCHAIC AND CLASSICAL GREECE

21. Greek political thought: the historical context 11 by Paul Cartledge, Reader in Greek History, University of Cambridge 1. Terminology 11 2. The ‘political’ 12 3. The polis 17 4. Political theory 20

THE BEGINNINGS

22. Poets, lawgivers, and the beginnings of political reﬂection in archaic Greece 23 by Kurt A. Raaflaub, Co-Director, Center for Hellenic Studies, Washington D.C. 1. Polis and political thinking 23 2. Archaic poetry and political thinking 26 3. Homer 27 4. Hesiod 34 5. Tyrtaeus to Theognis 37 6. Solon 39 7. Archaic lawgivers 42 8. Early philosophers 48

[v]

vi Contents

9. Near Eastern antecedents and inﬂuences 50 10. Conclusion: the beginnings of political thinking in Archaic Greece 57

23. Greek drama and political theory 60 by Simon Goldhill, Reader in Greek Literature and Culture, University of Cambridge 1. The institution of the theatre 61 2. Political themes of tragic writing 65 3. The Oresteia 74 4. Antigone 81 5. Comedy 84 6. Conclusion 87

24. Herodotus, Thucydides and the sophists 89 by Richard Winton, Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Nottingham 1. The sophists 89 2. Herodotus 101 3. Thucydides 111

25. Democritus 122 by C. C. W. Taylor, Reader in Ancient Philosophy, University of Oxford

26. The orators 130 by Josiah Ober, David Magie Professor of Ancient History, Princeton University 1. Introduction 130 2. Historical background and institutional context 131 3. The corpus of orations by Athenian orators 134 4. Popular wisdom and the problem of erroneous public decisions 135

27. Xenophon and Isocrates 142 by V. J. Gray, Professor of Classics and Ancient History, University of Auckland 1. Democracy 143 2. Rulership 146 3. Sparta 151 4. Panhellenism 154

Contents vii

SOCRATES AND PLATO

28. Socrates and Plato: an introduction 155 by Melissa Lane, University Lecturer in History, University of Cambridge 1. Approaches to Platonic interpretation 155 2. The chronology of Plato’s dialogues 157 3. The Socratic problem revisited 160 4. The death of Socrates 162

29. Socrates 164 by Terry Penner, Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin, Madison 1. The discontinuity between ‘Socratic’ intellectualism and ‘mature Platonic’ irrationalism about human behaviour 165 2. Some continuities between ‘Socratic’ and ‘mature Platonic’ thought: (i) the centrality of the question of the teaching of virtue, and (ii) the sciences and idealization 171 3. A further continuity between the ‘Socratic’ dialogues and the middle and late dialogues: (iii) the sciences and the good 174 4. Socrates’ response to the democratic political theory of the teaching of virtue which Protagoras propounds in the Protagoras 179 5. The political philosophy of Plato’s Apology and Crito and another continuity between Socrates and the mature Plato: (iv) the attitude towards practical politics 182 6. Conclusion 189

10 . Approaching the Republic 190 by Malcolm Schofield, Professor of Ancient Philosophy, University of Cambridge 1. Introduction 190 2. Gorgias and Menexenus 192 3. Republic: a sketch 199 4. The problem 203 5. The response: (i) a ﬁrst model 207 6. The response: (ii) a causal story 213 7. The digression: (i) unity and the good city 217 8. The digression: (ii) philosopher rulers 224 9. The response: (iii) justice and the city within 228

viii Contents

11 . The Politicus and other dialogues 233 by Christopher Rowe 1. The deﬁnition of the ‘statesman’ in the Politicus 234 2. The myth of the Politicus and other political myths 239 3. King or law? 244 4. The statesman as director and weaver 251 5. The Politicus, the Timaeus-Critias, and the Laws 254

12 . The Laws 258 by André Laks, Professor of Ancient Philosophy, University of Lille III 1. A singular work 258 2. The structure and content of the Laws 260 3. Three models for interpreting the Laws: completion, revision, implementation 267 4. Man and god: the anthropology of the Laws 275 5. Political institutions 278 6. The forms of political speech: what is a preamble? 285 7. Conclusion 291

13 . Plato and practical politics 293 by Malcolm Schofield

14 . Cleitophon and Minos 303 by Christopher Rowe

ARISTOTLE

15 . Aristotle: an introduction 310 by Malcolm Schofield 1. Politics, the legislator, and the structure of the Politics 310 2. Sitz im Leben 315 3. Aristotle’s analytical models 318

16 . Naturalism 321 by Fred D. Miller, jr, Professor of Philosophy, Bowling Green State University 1. ‘Nature’ in Aristotle’s natural philosophy 322 2. The naturalness of the polis 325 3. The naturalness of the household 332 4. Nature and education 338

Contents ix

17 . Justice and the polis 344 by Jean Roberts, Professor of Philosophy, University of Washington 1. Natural and conventional justice 345 2. Justice as a virtue of individuals 350 3. Individuals as citizens 353 4. Just individuals and just citizens 355 5. Justice and the distribution of power in the city 360

18 . Aristotelian constitutions 366 by Christopher rowe 1. Introduction: the nature of the Politics 366 2. Aristotle and Plato 368 3. Kingship, aristocracy and polity 371 4. Mixed and ‘deviant’ constitutions 378 5. ‘Polity’ 384 6. The absolutely best constitution 386 7. The ideal and the actual 387

19 . The Peripatos after Aristotle 390 by Christopher Rowe 1. The fate of Aristotle’s writings 390 2. Aristotle’s successors in the Peripatos 391

part ii THE HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN WORLDS

20 . Introduction: the Hellenistic and Roman periods 401 by Peter Garnsey, Professor of the History of Classical Antiquity, University of Cambridge

21 . The Cynics 415 by John Moles, Professor of Classics, University of Durham 1. The problem of evidence 415 2. Reconstructing Cynicism 417 3. The Cynics and politics 423 4. Signiﬁcance and inﬂuence 432

22 . Epicurean and Stoic political thought 435 by Malcolm Schofield 1. Introduction 435 2. Epicureanism 437

x Contents

3. Zeno’s Republic 443 4. Later Hellenistic Stoicism 446 5. Roman epilogue 453

23 . Kings and constitutions: Hellenistic theories 457 by David E. Hahm, Professor of Classics, Ohio State University 1. Kingship theories 458 2. Constitutional theory 464

24 . Cicero 477 by E. M. Atkins, Lecturer in Theology, Trinity and All Saints College, University of Leeds 1. Introduction 477 2. The historical background 478 3. The aristocratic code 481 4. Cicero’s early career 483 5. The writings of the ﬁfties 487 6. The civil war and its aftermath 502 7. Philosophy for Romans 503 8. Conclusion 514

25 . Reﬂections of Roman political thought in Latin historical writing 517 by Thomas Wiedemann, Professor of Latin, University of Nottingham

26. Seneca and Pliny 532 by Miriam Griffin, Fellow and Tutor of Somerville College, Oxford 1. De Clementia 535 2. Seneca’s eulogies and Pliny’s Panegyricus 543 3. De Beneﬁciis 545 4. Pliny’s correspondence 551 5. Seneca on public versus private life 555 6. Conclusion 558

27 . Platonism and Pythagoreanism in the early empire 559 by Bruno Centrone, Professor of Classics, University of Perugia 1. Preliminary considerations 559 2. Philo of Alexandria 561 3. Pseudo-Pythagorean literature 567

Contents xi

4. Plutarch 575 5. Conclusions 583

28. Josephus 585 by Tessa Rajak, Reader in Ancient History, University of Reading 1. The place of political thought in Josephus’ writings 585 2. Greek-Jewish thought 586 3. Leading ideas in Josephus 587

29. Stoic writers of the imperial era 597 by Christopher Gill, Professor of Classical Thought, University of Exeter 1. Introduction 597 2. Musonius Rufus 601 3. Dio 603 4. Epictetus 607 5. Marcus Aurelius 611

30 . The jurists 616 by David Johnston, formerly Regius Professor of Civil Law, University of Cambridge 1. Introduction 616 2. General theory of law 618 3. Public law and private law 625 4. Conclusions 632

31 . Christianity 635 by Frances Young, H. G.Wood Professor of Theology, University of Birmingham 1. A political movement? 635 2. Political attitudes in the New Testament 637 3. Developments under persecution 640 4. The response to Constantine 650 5. The separation of spheres 657

Epilogue 661 by Malcolm Schofield 1. Julian and Themistius 661 2. Augustine 665 3. Conclusion 671

xii Contents

Bibliographies I Archaic and Classical Greece 1. The beginnings (Introduction and chs. 1–7) 672 2. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle (chs. 8–19) 698 II The Hellenistic and Roman Worlds (chs. 20–31 and Epilogue) 709

Index 729

Maps

1. Greece in the ﬁfth century bc pages 8–9 2. The Roman empire, 45 bc–ad69 398–9

[xiii]

Preface

The Editors take this opportunity of thanking all who have helped to make this volume a reality. First among them are the contributing authors, who mostly delivered copy in good order on time – and where not, without too great a delay. Many gave up the time to discuss each others’ drafts and to attempt to agree a common house style at an enjoyable workshop held in Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in September 1995. Apologies are accordingly due for editorial delays in preparing their work for the printer. Secondly, with the contributors we salute our successive Associate Editors, Melissa Lane and Simon Harrison, whose energy, enthusiasm and e√ciency have been indispensable to the success of the project. Finally, we express our gratitude to all at the Press who have been involved in the production of the book, and above all to Pauline Hire, who has simultaneously nagged and encouraged us until we ﬁnished. CJR . MS January 1999

[xv]

Abbreviations

Acronyms are used for modern series or collections of texts as follows:

CCode[of Justinian] = Corpus iuris civilis,vol.ii (Berlin) CCSL Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina (Turnholt) CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum CPF Corpus dei Papyri Filosoﬁci Greci e Latini: Testi e lessico nei papiri di cultura greca e latina, Accademica Toscana di Scienze e Lettere “La Colombaria” (Florence 1989– ) CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (Vienna and Leipzig) D Digest = Corpus iuris civilis, vol. i (Berlin) DK H. Diels and W. Kranz, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2 vols., sixth edition (Berlin 1951–2) GCS Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller, Berlin Academy (Berlin) GP B. Gentili and C. Prato, Poetarum elegiacorum testimonia et fragmenta, vol. i (Leipzig 1988) IGInscriptiones Graecae (Berlin 1873– ) KRS G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven, and M. Schoﬁeld, The Presocratic Philosophers (Cambridge, 2nd edn. 1983) Migne, PG/PL J.-P. Migne, Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graecus/Latinus (Paris) ML R. Meiggs and D. Lewis, A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions to the End of the Fifth Century bc (Oxford, rev. edn. 1988) NPNF Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids MI 1975– ) P D. L. Page, Poetae Melici Graeci (Oxford 1962) SC Sources Chrétiennes (Paris) SVF J. von Arnim, Stoicorum Veterum Fragmenta, 3 vols. (Leipzig 1903–5) WM.L.West,Iambi et elegi Graeci ante Alexandrum cantati,2vols. (Oxford, 2nd edn. 1992)

Abbreviations of the names and writings of Greek and Latin authors generally follow standard forms, usually but not invariably those adopted in A Greek–English Lexicon,by H. G. Liddell and R. Scott, revised by H. S. Jones (Oxford, 9th edn. 1925–40) [= LSJ] and in A Latin Dictionary, by C. T. Lewis and C. Short (Oxford 1879). Many of those used in this book are immediately intelligible from the context. Others which may not be are:

Aelian Ver.Hist. Aelian Vera Historia Arist. An.Pr. Aristotle Analytica Priora

[xvi]

Abbreviations xvii

Ath. Pol. Athe¯naio¯n Politeia Cael. de Caelo Cat. Categories de An. de Anima EE Eudemian Ethics EN Nicomachean Ethics GA de Generatione Animalium GC de Generatione et Corruptione HA Historia Animalium Metaph. Metaphysics Meteor. Meteorology MM Magna Moralia PA de Partibus Animalium Phys. Physics Pol. Politics Rhet. Rhetoric Somn. de Somno Top. Topics Athen. Deipn. Athenaeus Deipnosophistae August. CD Augustine de Civitate Dei (City of God) C. Iul. Contra Julianum Retract. Retractationes Caesar Civ. Julius Caesar de Bello Civili Cic. Acad. Cicero Academica ad Brut. Letters to Brutus Agr. de Lege Agraria Amic. de Amicitia Att. Letters to Atticus Balb. pro Balbo Brut. Brutus Clu. pro Cluentio de Orat. de Oratore Div. de Divinatione Fam. Letters to his friends Fin. de Finibus Inv. de Inventione Leg. de Legibus Lig. pro Ligario Man. pro Lege Manilia ND de Natura Deorum O◊. de O√ciis Orat. Orator Phil. Philippics Planc. pro Plancio Q.Fr. Letters to his brother Quintus Rab.Post. pro Rabirio Postumo

xviii Abbreviations

Rep. de Re Publica Sest. pro Sestio Tim. Timaeus Tusc. Tusculan Disputations Clem. Strom. Clement Stromateis (Miscellanies) D.Chr. Or. Dio Chrysostom Orationes D.L. Diogenes Laertius Dem. Demosthenes Demetr. de Eloc. Demetrius de Elocutione (On Style) Epict. Diss. Epictetus Dissertationes (Discourses) Ench. Encheiridion (Handbook) Epicurus KD Epicurus Kuriai Doxai (Key Doctrines) Sent.Vat. Vatican Sentences Epiphan. Adv.Haer. Epiphanius Against Heresies Eusebius Hist.Eccl. Eusebius Church History Fronto ad M.Caes. Fronto Letters to the Emperor Marcus Hdt. Herodotus [Heraclit.] Ep. Letters ascribed to Heraclitus Iambl. VPyth. Iamblichus On the Pythagorean Life Isid. Etym. Isidore Etymologiae Isoc. Isocrates Julian Ep. Them. Julian Letter to Themistius Ep. Theodor. Letter to Theodorus Frag. Ep. Fragments of his Correspondence Or. Orations Lact. Inst. Lactantius Divine Institutes Liv. Livy Macrobius Sat. Macrobius Saturnalia Somn. The Dream of Scipio Nepos Att. Nepos Life of Atticus Olymp. Prol. Olympiodorus Prolegomena to Platonic Philosophy Orig. Cels. Origen Against Celsus Ph. Abr. Philo On Abraham Cher. On the Cherubim Deter. Quod deterius potiori insidiari soleat Fug. de Fuga et Inventione Immut. Quod Deus est immutabilis Jos. On Joseph Leg. Legum allegoriae Legat. Legatio ad Gaium Migr. de Migratione Abrahamae Mos. On the Life of Moses Opif. de Opiﬁcio Mundi Poster. de Posteritate Caini Quaest.Ex. Questions and Solutions on Exodus Quaest.Gen. Questions and Solutions on Genesis

Abbreviations xix

Somn. de Somniis Spec. de Specialibus Legibus Virt. On the Virtues Phld. Ind.Acad. Philodemus Index of the Academy Piet. On Piety Stoic. On the Stoics Phot. Bibl. Photius Bibliotheca Pl. Ap. Plato Apology Chrm. Charmides Cr. Crito Crat. Cratylus Ep. Letters Euthd. Euthydemus Euthphr. Euthyphro Gorg. Gorgias Hi.Mi. Hippias Minor La. Laches Lys. Lysias Menex. Menexenus Phd. Phaedo Phdr. Phaedrus Plt. Politicus (Statesman) Prm. Parmenides Prot. Protagoras Rep. Republic Smp. Symposium Sph. Sophist Tht. Theaetetus Tim. Timaeus Plb. Polybius Pliny Nat. Pliny the elder Natural History Pliny Ep. Pliny the younger Letters Pan. Panegyricus Plu. ad Princ. Plutarch To an uneducated ruler Alex. Life of Alexander Alex.Fort. The luck or virtue of Alexander Amat. Amatorius (Ero¯tikos) An Recte An recte dictum sit latenter est vivendum An Seni Should the elderly engage in politics? Arist. Life of Aristides Cat.Mai. Life of Cato the elder Cic. Life of Cicero Col. Against Colotes Comm.Not. de Communibus Notitiis de Frat.Amor. de Fraterno Amore

xx Abbreviations

de Is. et Or. On Isis and Osiris de Sera de Sera Numinis Vindicta de Unius de Unius in Re Publica Dominatione de Virt.Mor. de Virtute Morali Demetr. Life of Demetrius Fragm. de Libid. Fragments on pleasure and illness et Aegr. Lyc. Life of Lycurgus Max. cum Princ. Why the philosopher should especially converse with rulers Num. Life of Numa Phoc. Life of Phocion Praec. Advice on Politics Quaest.Conv. Quaestiones Conviviales Rom. Life of Romulus Stoic.Rep. de Stoicis Repugnantiis Tranq.An. de Tranquillitate Animi Porph. Abst. Porphyry On Abstinence Marc. To Marcella Ps.Xen. Ath.Pol. Pseudo-Xenophon Constitution of Athens Quint. Inst. Quintilian Institutiones Sal. Cat. Sallust Catiline Jug. Bellum Jugurthinum Sen. Suas. Seneca the elder Suasoriae Sen. Apoc. Seneca the younger Apocolocyntosis Ben. de Beneﬁciis Brev.Vit. de Brevitate Vitae Clem. de Clementia Cons.Marc. Consolatio ad Marciam Const.Sap. de Constantia Sapientis Ep. Letters Tranq.An. de Tranquillitate Animi Sextus M Sextus Empiricus adversus Mathematicos PH Outlines of Pyrrhonism SHA Scriptores Historiae Augustae Stob. Stobaeus (John of Stobi) Tac. Ann. Tacitus Annales Hist. Historiae Theod. Cur. Theodoret Graecarum A◊ectionum Curatio Thuc. Thucydides V. Max. Valerius Maximus Vell. Velleius Paterculus