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OverviewThe ancient Greek statesman is a familiar figure in the Western political tradition. Less well known is the administrator who ran the state but who was himself a slave. Challenging the modern belief that democracy and bondage are incompatible, Paulin Ismard directs our attention to the cradle of Western democracy, ancient Athens, where the functioning of civic government depended crucially on highly skilled experts who were literally public servants-slaves owned by the city-state rather than by private citizens. Known as dYYYYmosioi, these public slaves filled a variety of important roles in Athenian society. They were court clerks, archivists, administrators, accountants, and policemen. Many possessed knowledge and skills beyond the attainments of average citizens, and they enjoyed privileges, such as the right to own property, that were denied to private slaves. In effect, dYYYYmosioi were Western civilization's first civil servants-though they carried out their duties in a condition of bound servitude. Ismard detects a radical split between politics and administrative government at the heart of Athenian democracy. The city-state's managerial caste freed citizens from the day-to-day responsibilities of running the state. By the same token, these public servants were unable to participate in the democratic process because they lacked the rights of full citizenship. By rendering the state's administrators politically invisible, Athens warded off the specter of a government capable of turning against the citizens' will. In a real sense, Ismard shows, Athenian citizens put the success of their democratic experiment in the hands of slaves. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Paulin Ismard , Jane Marie ToddPublisher: Harvard University Press Imprint: Harvard University Press Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.50cm Weight: 0.448kg ISBN: 9780674660076ISBN 10: 0674660072 Pages: 208 Publication Date: 09 January 2017 Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Professional & Vocational , Tertiary & Higher Education Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Out of stock  The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available. Language: English Table of ContentsReviewsThis is not a conventional work of ancient history, and so much the better. Ismard challenges dependence on influential comparisons of ancient and modern democracies, ancient and modern slave societies. Democracy s Slaves is forceful, engaging, erudite, and sophisticated.--Page duBois, University of California, San Diego This is not a conventional work of ancient history, and so much the better. Ismard challenges our dependence on influential comparisons of ancient and modern democracies, ancient and modern slave societies. <i>Democracy s Slaves</i> is forceful, engaging, erudite, and sophisticated.--Page duBois, University of California, San Diego Author InformationPaulin Ismard is Associate Professor in Greek History at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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