Papers by Elke Close
2 Other popular Greek terms for these federations are ethnos, sympoliteuma, or systema. For more ... more 2 Other popular Greek terms for these federations are ethnos, sympoliteuma, or systema. For more on this see the Methodology section below. 3 Beck and Funke (2015), 3.
Hippocrene - Mythologisch Genootschap, 2020
Deze paper vormt het begin van een twaalfdelige reeks voor Hipprcrene - Mythologisch genootschap ... more Deze paper vormt het begin van een twaalfdelige reeks voor Hipprcrene - Mythologisch genootschap over de rol van mythologie en mythologische verwantschap als diplomatiek tool in de Griekse politiek tijdens de klassieke en Hellenistische periode. Dit eerste korte artikel gaat in op de basisbegrippen en mogelijke redenen voor het gebruik van mythologie in de Griekse politiek.
This paper is the beginning of a twelve-part series on the role of mythology and mythological affiliation as diplomatic tools in Greek politics during the classical and Hellenistic periods. This first short article examines the basic concepts and possible reasons for the use of mythology in Greek politics. The English version can be consulted on my personal website: https://www.hellenistichistory.com/2021/01/19/1416/
This paper
Teiresias, 2018
The primary goal of my doctoral thesis was to bring the Arcadian polis of Megalopolis backinto th... more The primary goal of my doctoral thesis was to bring the Arcadian polis of Megalopolis backinto the academic limelight. I felt this was a necessity since, as a general rule, Megalopolis has mostly been looked at as part of broader studies into research topics. Scholars tend to see the polis solely as the historian Polybius’ hometown or as yet another member of the Arkadian and Achaian koina. Yet through a detailed analysis of the early history of the polis and particularly its membership of the aforementioned federal states, the thesis shows that Megalopolis certainly was a city with its own distinct local identity that merits a closer look than it has previously received.
The polis of Megalopolis was founded in 368 BC by several members of the Arcadian koinon in the h... more The polis of Megalopolis was founded in 368 BC by several members of the Arcadian koinon in the hopes of creating a strong opponent for Sparta. It became a prominent member of both Arcadia and the Arcadian koinon (during its short existence) before joining the Achaean Koinon in 235 BC. The Achaean federation itself was enjoying an unprecedented period of expansion under its leader Aratus of Sicyon and it had spread far beyond the traditional Achaean heartland in the north of the Peloponnese. This meant that Megalopolis had now become part of a federal state with a very complex mixture of identities. So how did Megalopolis see itself: as Arcadian, Achaean or something completely different? And how did it express that identity? In this paper I will do two things: analyse the sources (i.e. compare the literature with the material record) which seem to project a contradicting image and argue what exactly this Megalopolitan identity meant for the Achaean koinon and its federal politics.
From the moment the Romans set foot in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean around 229 BC, they ... more From the moment the Romans set foot in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean around 229 BC, they had steadily gained more and more influence within Hellenistic politics. This increased power created new alliances between Rome and several Greeks states, including the Achaean League in 198 BC. The relationship between these two states is a perfect example of Greco-Roman interactions in this period with Rome becaming increasingly more powerful in the Greek East. The Achaean League remained an important Roman ally until the Third Macedonian War (172-168 BC).
In this short paper I want to look at the League’s foreign policy during this particular war due to its role as a changing point in the relationship between the two parties. Within Achaean politics there had long been a divide concerning the position to be taken towards Rome: one section of Achaean politicians believed that the Achaean alliance with Rome had to dominate the Achaean political actions, while others believed that Achaean political independence should remain the most important political goal. During the Third Macedonian War, discussions are recorded by Polybius in which the Achaean politicians discuss their position in this conflict between Rome and the Macedonian King Perseus. I will examine these discussions tosee if Rome was really dominating Achaean politics, as has been suggested in the past, or if there is evidence of an Achaea acting politically independent from Rome?
Talks by Elke Close
Conference Presentations by Elke Close
Keynote speaker: Prof. Hans Beck (McGill University) Federalism, defined as a form of government ... more Keynote speaker: Prof. Hans Beck (McGill University) Federalism, defined as a form of government that strives to unite different socio-economic and cultural contexts into one political institutional framework, has a long history. Federalism requires a constant negotiation between local identity and federal integration as well as a new demarcation between the federal identity and the outsider. Since Antiquity, this political structure has undergone to a wide range of transformations that have both strengthened and threatened its existence. Recent political events, e.g. Scottish independence referendum in 2014, Brexit and the election of Donald Trump highlight once more the tensions, failures and potential of federal constitutions, both in cases where these exist or could provide a good alternative to present forms of government. The persistence of this precarious balance from the ancient to the modern states shows the potentiality and the risks of federalist structures.
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Papers by Elke Close
This paper is the beginning of a twelve-part series on the role of mythology and mythological affiliation as diplomatic tools in Greek politics during the classical and Hellenistic periods. This first short article examines the basic concepts and possible reasons for the use of mythology in Greek politics. The English version can be consulted on my personal website: https://www.hellenistichistory.com/2021/01/19/1416/
This paper
In this short paper I want to look at the League’s foreign policy during this particular war due to its role as a changing point in the relationship between the two parties. Within Achaean politics there had long been a divide concerning the position to be taken towards Rome: one section of Achaean politicians believed that the Achaean alliance with Rome had to dominate the Achaean political actions, while others believed that Achaean political independence should remain the most important political goal. During the Third Macedonian War, discussions are recorded by Polybius in which the Achaean politicians discuss their position in this conflict between Rome and the Macedonian King Perseus. I will examine these discussions tosee if Rome was really dominating Achaean politics, as has been suggested in the past, or if there is evidence of an Achaea acting politically independent from Rome?
Talks by Elke Close
Conference Presentations by Elke Close
This paper is the beginning of a twelve-part series on the role of mythology and mythological affiliation as diplomatic tools in Greek politics during the classical and Hellenistic periods. This first short article examines the basic concepts and possible reasons for the use of mythology in Greek politics. The English version can be consulted on my personal website: https://www.hellenistichistory.com/2021/01/19/1416/
This paper
In this short paper I want to look at the League’s foreign policy during this particular war due to its role as a changing point in the relationship between the two parties. Within Achaean politics there had long been a divide concerning the position to be taken towards Rome: one section of Achaean politicians believed that the Achaean alliance with Rome had to dominate the Achaean political actions, while others believed that Achaean political independence should remain the most important political goal. During the Third Macedonian War, discussions are recorded by Polybius in which the Achaean politicians discuss their position in this conflict between Rome and the Macedonian King Perseus. I will examine these discussions tosee if Rome was really dominating Achaean politics, as has been suggested in the past, or if there is evidence of an Achaea acting politically independent from Rome?