The role of the 'strategoi' in Athens in the 4th century B.C.

[摘要] The role of the Athenian generals in the Fourth Century B.C. hasremained one viewed in simplistic dismissal as mercenaries and lawlesscondottieri. Such ideas, based upon the political rhetoric of the Athenianecclesia, led historians to remove the generals to the periphery of Athenianhistory in the Fourth Century. Though misguided, there has been neither abasic reinterpretation nor an in-depth re-examination of this idea.This thesis examines the role of the Athenian strategoi from severaldifferent angles but with one central argument, that the specialist Atheniangenerals demonstrated throughout the C4th. a remarkably strong sense ofloyalty and patriotism towards their polis. Through such an argument thegenerals may be brought back from the cloudy edges of legality and actionthey have been seen as occupying, and given a central role in the affairs ofAthens in the Fourth Century.This role will be reinforced on the military front by an examinationof the Athenian command network and the evolution of warfare. I hope toshow that the developments in the art of war that were occurring in thisperiod merely exacerbated the sociopolitical tensions that were present inAthens and offered the generals further opportunity for the development oftheir office. By concentrating upon the relatively few specialist strategoithat emerged in the Fourth Century I hope to demonstrate that thisdevelopment of the strategia was one of gradual evolution, continuingfrom Conon at the dawn of the century till the emergence of Leosthenes asvirtually a popular dictator by the time of the Lamian War.Loyalty to "state" did not bring direct political power to thespecialist strategoi. Through the influence of public support, reliant upon acontinued distancing from the squabblings of the rhetors, the strategoimight not have dominated Athenian political life but by 323 they werecertainly in a position to threaten the complete sovereignty of the ecclesiaitself.

[发布机构] University:The University of St Andrews;Department:Classics (School of)