This is the first general and comprehensive treatment of the political thought of ancient Greece and Rome ever to be published in English. It begins with Homer and ends in late antiquity with Christian and pagan reflections on divine and human order. In between come studies of Plato, Aristotle and a host of other major and minor thinkers - poets, historians, philosophers - whose individuality is brought out by extensive quotation. The international team of distinguished scholars assembled by the editors includes historians of law, politics, culture and religion, and also philosophers. Some chapters focus mostly on the ancient context of the ideas they are examining, while others explore these ideas as systems of thought which resonate with modern or perennial concerns. This clearly written volume will long remain an accessible and authoritative guide to Greek and Roman thinking about government and community.

 The first comprehensive treatment of ancient Greek and Roman political thought to be published in English  Approaches the material from both historical and philosophical vantage points  Team of truly international and distinguished scholars

Contents
Introduction Christopher Rowe; Part I. Archaic and Classical Greece: 1. Greek political thought: the historical context Paul Cartledge; 2. Poets, lawgivers, and the beginnings of political reflection in archaic Greece Kurt A. Raaflaub; 3. Greek drama and political theory Simon Goldhill; 4. Herodotus, Thucydides and the Sophists Richard Winton; 5. Democritus C. C. W. Taylor; 6. The orators Josiah Ober; 7. Xenophon and Isocrates V. J. Gray; 8. Socrates and Plato: an introduction Melissa Lane; 9. Socrates T. M. Penner; 10. Approaching the Republic Malcolm Schofield; 11. The Politicus and other dialogues Christopher Rowe; 12. The laws André Laks; 13. Plato and practical politics Malcolm Schofield; 14. Cleitophon and Minos Christopher Rowe; 15. Aristotle: an introduction Malcolm Schofield; 16. Naturalism Fred D. Miller Jr; 17. Justice and the polis Jean Roberts; 18. Aristotelian constitutions Christopher Rowe; 19. The Peripatos after Aristotle Christopher Rowe; Part II. The Hellenistic and Roman Worlds: 20. Introduction: the Hellenistic and Roman periods Peter Garnsey; 21. The Cynics John Moles; 22. Epicurean and Stoic political thought Malcolm Schofield; 23. Kings and constitutions: Hellenistic theories David E. Hahm; 24. Cicero E. M. Atkins; 25. Reflections of Roman political thought in Latin historical writing Thomas Wiedemann; 26. Seneca and Pliny Miriam Griffin; 27. Platonism and Pythagoreanism in the early Empire Bruno Centrone; 28. Josephus Tessa Rajak; 29. Stoic writers of the imperial era Christopher Gill; 30. The jurists David Johnston; 31. Christianity Frances Young; Epilogue Malcolm Schofield.