Mass and Elite in Athenian Democracy

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Questions and Answers

According to Josiah Ober, due to what did the Athenian elite actually rule?

The Athenian elite did not actually rule. Instead, reciprocity achieved through discourse was the method used by the elites to maintain their power and influence.

When did Ober begin work on the book that was first published in 1989 by Princeton University Press, as Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens?

Ober began work on the book in the early 1980s.

What was Ober's dissertation topic?

Ober's dissertation was on the topic of Athenian defense policy after the Peloponnesian war.

According to Ober, on what topic did the original idea for a book concerning depictions of elite and non-elite attributes in Athenian rhetoric of the late fifth and fourth centuries BCE arise?

The idea arose when Ober was doing background reading for his dissertation. Signup and view all the answers

The core of the argument Ober provides in Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens is based on a model of civic ideology and practices of citizenship that he asserts gave Athenians reasons to cooperate across lines that were often considered to be divides.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

Ober argues that the elite in Athens were demonstrably less powerful than the elite in other comparable ancient societies.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

Ober's book Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens was first published in what year?

Ober's book Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens was first published in 1989. Signup and view all the answers

Ober attributes his success to what in the context of his scholarly work?

Ober attributes his success to several key developments in the study of ancient societies, such as advances in collective agency, social epistemology, law and informal rule enforcement, institutional economics, and explorations of the complex associations. Signup and view all the answers

Briefly summarize Ober's theoretical framework for analyzing the relationship between mass and elite in classical Athens.

Ober's theoretical framework suggests that the Athenian elite, while powerful due to wealth, education, and status, did not rule Athens. Instead, they were part of a complex system of reciprocal exchange through a sophisticated civic discourse that was grounded in shared values and norms and which was ultimately responsible for maintaining social stability and promoting democracy. Signup and view all the answers

How does Ober define the term ‘elite’ in the context of Athenian society?

Ober defines ‘elite’ in Athens as a group of individuals who held positions of wealth, education, and status and were part of a system of reciprocal exchange with the mass of ordinary citizens, but who did not rule. The elite in Athens constituted a smaller group of individuals who had power and influence, and were distinguished from the mass of ordinary citizens by their wealth, education, family background and access to political influence. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Mass and Elite in the Greek and Roman Worlds

The study of the interaction between the mass population and the elite in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens

A work by Josiah Ober that explores the relationship between the mass population and the elite in Ancient Athens.

Democracy Ancient and Modern

A book by Josiah Ober that examines the relationship between democracy in the ancient world and in modern times.