The Polis in Transition. Honor decrees for native citizens in the context of Hellenistic polis society

ISBN-13: 9783946317197

short text

The core of the monograph is a detailed consideration of the overall phenomenon of the Hellenistic decrees of honor for one's own citizens . The study takes a look at the individual resolutions – broken down partly according to cities and regions and partly also according to thematic criteria – as independent texts and at the same time tries to gain new insights into the self-image and value system of the Hellenistic cities through the detailed analysis of content and intention to make statements to win. The broad geographical approach and the long time frame of the investigation allow the gradual development of the early Hellenistic polis democracies to be traced in detail to regimes of dignitaries of the imperial era, and at the same time prove that the permanent publication of the resolutions was a temporary crisis phenomenon for the self-assurance and public image of the cities.

The study also breaks new ground with the detailed analysis of the literary quality of the inscriptions as an important part of Hellenistic rhetoric. The original conception of the resolutions was initially aimed at an oral presentation in the people's assembly. The precise analysis of the language and style of the inscriptions , which work with rhetorical means such as ring composition and leitmotifs, allows the author to gain deeper insights into the content and intention of the resolutions from a different perspective.

Tags: polis history, poleis, honorary decrees, citizens, society, population, Hellenism, inscriptions, epigraphy.

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