Politics of Association in Hellenistic Rhodes

Christian Thomsen is Assistant Professor of Ancient Greek History at The Saxo Institute, University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on social and political aspects of city-state life in the Classical and Hellenistic periods.

Thomsen’s book performs two admirable tasks. First, citing his exceptional knowledge of Hellenistic Rhodes’ rich but under-explored inscriptional inheritance, he lucidly expounds the complex web of institutions and public and private associations that it reveals. Secondly, by showing how a ‘magisterial elite’ manipulated that web in pursuit of office, power, and priesthoods, he contributes substantially to political sociology.

• ContentsList of Tables and FiguresAcknowledgementsAbbreviationsMaps1. IntroductionDemocracy, Classical and HellenisticDisaggregating the PolisThe Politics of Association in Hellenistic Rhodes2 Rhodian DemocracyPolitical InstitutionsCivic CareersOut of OfficeWealth and the Magistrate3 The OikosPreserving the Oikos4 Public AssociationsBeing LindianDemes against Demes5 Private AssociationsCommunity BuildingEquality and Inequality in Private Associations6 Private Associations and Human ResourcesThe Rich and the TalentedPolitical Associations7 The Civic Aspirations of Private AssociationsThe Public Relations of Private AssociationsPublic RecognitionCivic Virtues and Association VirtuesCorporate Endorsements and the Rhodian Monumental OrderAssociations as Civil Society8 The Corporate PolisBibliographyIndex