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2020 | Buch

Introduction: The Methodology of Analysing the Institutions of the Achaean Federal State (Sympolity) Kapitel lesen Erstes Kapitel lesen

The Achaean Federation in Ancient Greece

History, Political and Economic Organisation, Warfare and Strategy

verfasst von: Dr. Emmanouil M. L. Economou

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Buchreihe : Frontiers in Economic History

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

This book analyses ancient Greek federalism by focusing on one of the most organised and advanced Greek federal states, the Achaean Federation Sympoliteia. Unlike earlier studies that mainly focused on its political history, this book adopts an interdisciplinary approach, analysing aspects of the economic organization and institutions, and the political economy of the Achaean Federation, and combining these findings with political history. It also discusses the strategic choices made by significant historical figures such as generals Aratos and Philopoemen. The analysis of the Achaean Federation verifies the intertemporal federal axiom, which states that the success and viability of federal experiment is achieved when the benefits of participation for the member-states exceed the costs of conferring national sovereignty on supranational federal authorities.
The book further argues that the Achaeans developed a system of sophisticated direct democratic procedures in decision-making on federal matters, as well as significant and highly sophisticated (for the era) economic institutions and federal practices, in order to achieve bonds of trust and legitimacy regarding their innovative federal structure. These practices included, among others, the creation of free market type economic institutions, a monetary union, federal budget, provision of public goods and a common defense and security policy for all the Achaean city-state members. Lastly, the book relates these findings to ideas on how the Achaean Federation would have dealt with a series of current global issues, such as European Union integration and problems such as Euroscepticism, Brexit and immigration.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Introduction: The Methodology of Analysing the Institutions of the Achaean Federal State (Sympolity)
Abstract
This chapter analyses the key questions raised regarding the study of ancient Greek federalism and mainly, the Achaean federal state on which the book focuses. It analyses the variety of terms that developed in Ancient Greece to describe what we understand federal organisation to be and the differences between these terms. The chapter explains the difference between Sympolity or Koinon and other words such as amphictyoniai and symmachiai (alliances) all related to federalism in ancient Greece. At the same time, it also explains why there is a debate in modern times regarding the correct typological description of ancient Greek federalism (federation, confederacy, league, commonwealth) among historians, political scientists, economists, sociologists etc. The chapter explains why the terms Sympolity or Koinon provide the best interpretation (in typological terms) of the federal phenomenon in ancient Greece. Finally, the chapter offers evidence as to why federalism was developed in Ancient Greece (mainly in the Hellenistic period 323–146 BCE) and mentions a number of cases other than the Achaean federal state.
Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Chapter 2. The Achaean Sympolity (389–146): The Political History
Abstract
This chapter provides evidence and explanations regarding the gradual formation and development of a pan-Achaean political identity of the people of Peloponnesus. It examines the reasons that lay behind the decision of the Achaean people to move on to the next step after the city-state model, that culminated during the Classical Period (508–323 BCE) with the development of the first version of the Achaean federal state. This was not only an Achaean-Peloponnesian phenomenon but a common trend throughout the known Greek world. The chapter further shows that this primitive type of an Achaean federal state come into existence either by the end of the fifth century BCE or at the beginning of the fourth century and functioned until sometime before 280 BCE. In 280 BCE, it was re-established and developed into a remarkable example of federal organisation. Finally, the chapter provides a concise historical analysis regarding the Achaean federal state (Sympolity) up until the second century BCE. It explains the mistakes and the inconsistencies of the Achaean policymakers that finally led to the dissolution of the Achaean federal state and its conversion into a Roman province.
Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Chapter 3. Interpreting the Defeat of the Achaean Sympolity by Rome Through a Defence Economics Perspective
Abstract
This chapter explains, through a Defence Economics perspective, why the Achaean federal state finally failed to offer adequate resistance to Rome and forestall the latter’s eventual triumph. To achieve this, we compare the Achaean federal state to Rome by measuring their strength through state power equations such as those developed by R. Cline, and J. R. Rummel (consisting of intertemporal measurement variables). These equations are comprised by a series of variables that measure the economic and military strength, technological level, geographical location, demographics, the quality of human capital, the level of natural resources and wealth-producing assets, the sociopolitical characteristics prevailing in the two countries, the state of morale, the beliefs, will and commitment to goals, the quality of leadership and administrative structures, the alliances, other internal factors as well as the external environment. The chapter further provides a game-theoretical analysis attempting to evaluate the pros and cons of a decision faced by Achaean policymakers whether or not to resist Rome.
Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Chapter 4. Aratus of Sicyon: The Great Leader of the Achaean Sympolity During the Period 245 and 213
Abstract
This chapter provides an analysis of Aratus, one of the most influential and important figures of the Achaean federal state. It describes his life and actions that lead to the rise of the Achaean federal state as a leading and robust state in southern Greece and the Peloponnesus. It provides evidence of a series of strategic choices by Aratus regarding geopolitics, the revival of the federal trend throughout Peloponnese, his efforts to confront a formidable and dangerous enemy, Sparta under King Cleomenes III, and his key contribution towards shaping an alliance with the Kingdom of Macedon as a way of repelling the formidable Sparta. It describes how the socio-economic reforms of Sparta under Cleomenes created strong secessionist tendencies among the member city-states of the Achaean federal state, putting the viability of the Achaean federal project at considerable risk. It also describes what measures Aratus took to neutralise these secessionist tendencies. The chapter further provides evidence regarding the lost opportunity for the unification of the whole of the Peloponnesus through the incorporation of Sparta into the Achaean federal state. That never fully materialised not only because of the rivalry between Aratus and Cleomenes but also because of a series of other issues that the chapter describes in detail.
Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Chapter 5. Philopoemen of Megalopolis: ‘The Last Great Greek’
Abstract
This chapter analyses the character and the actions of Philopoemen who, together with Aratus, are considered the most influential and important figures of the Achaean federal state. Philopoemen’s actions in the political and military sphere essentially determined Achaean federal politics throughout the 245–213 BCE period. During that time, under Philopoemen, the principal strategic goal of Achaea’s visionary policymakers was finally achieved—the unification of the entire Peloponnesus under the Achaean federal state. It was not an easy task, though. The chapter analyses all the implications, opportunities, difficulties and problems that the proponents of the Achaean federal experiment had to face to finally achieve their target. The chapter argues that the final unification of the Peloponnesus can be firmly attributed to the emblematic figure of Philopoemen, and the singular characteristics of his character—his innate bravery, virtue, honesty and morality in the exercise of his administrative duties, and of course, his crucial talent: his ability to reorganise the Achaean federal armed forces effectively and then, as their commander, to make them victorious on the battlefield.
Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Chapter 6. The Political Institutions of the Achaean Sympolity
Abstract
This chapter analyses the political institutions of the Achaean federal state. It first analyses the organisation of the political institutions. Primarily, they were based on the pan-Achaean Ecclesia, or federal Assembly of citizens, where each citizen from every member city-state could participate under direct democracy procedures in decision-making, and the federal Boule, or Council, which functioned as a preparatory body of the issues to be discussed at the federal level. The federal government consisted of the institutions of strategos (the general) and the federal government board known as the damiourgoi. The strategos was the head of the ten damiourgoi, and simultaneously, the head of state and head of the federal armed forces. Moreover, the chapter analyses the crucial institutions of isopoliteia (the possession of civil rights by every citizen of a member city-state at the federal level) the concession and the sale of political rights, asylia (immunity) and proxeny the granting of beneficial status to a citizen of another state in exchange for honorary titles with the purpose of promoting interstate trade). It further examines the procedures that the Achaean policymakers followed regarding conflict resolution between city-states on civil and territorial matters. Also, the chapter analyses the administrative organisation at the state and regional levels, the military organisation of the Achaean armed forces and the ‘Common Foreign and Security Policy’ of the Achaean federal state.
Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Chapter 7. The Economic Institutions of the Achaean Federal State
Abstract
This chapter analyses the economic institutions of the Achaean federal state. The Achaean federal state was based on principles of economic freedom, market-type institutions and monetary union among the member city-states, with a genuine currency. Property rights were protected by law through local and federal courts. This was highly beneficial for the development of commercial activity among the member city-states. This chapter further analyses a series of state economic policy issues such as how public revenues and expenses were settled as well as issues of the state budget, taxation and public debt management. Furthermore, it analyses the provision of federal public goods. These include the provision of defence and the operational cost of the Achaean federal armed forces, other public goods such as the federal courts, a road network, as well as those public goods under the discretionary supervision of the Achaean federal authorities and, generally, the issue of public goods and their positive externalities on the economy. The analysis also focuses on the other social groups: women, orphans, metics (foreigners) and slaves, finishing with the issue of the value-added of the political and economic institutions of the Achaean federal state as a critical reason for the success of the Achaean federal experiment.
Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Chapter 8. Further Key Issues Regarding the Achaean Sympolity
Abstract
This chapter deals with some further aspects regarding the functioning of the institutions of the Achaean federal state. It first provides a spatial decision model analysis between General Aratus and King Antigonus III Doson in order to show that Aratus’ and Antigonus’ decision to radically reform their foreign policy by forming an alliance between their two states was the result of a prudent evaluation of the trade-off policy, based on a cost–benefit logic. Then, having in mind our previous analysis, we try to provide an answer as to whether the Achaean state was a federation or a confederacy. Further, we analyse the influence of the Achaean federal state on the American Founding Fathers when formulating the US Constitution of 1787. Finally, we provide a comparison between the Achaean federal state and the European Union under a specific set of institutional intertemporal criteria. We argue that the Achaean federal paradigm, the institutions and the policies that were practised by the ancient Achaeans on a variety of issues (economic and social policy, foreign affairs, peace and warfare etc.), could serve as a source of inspiration for the further political and economic integration of the European Union today.
Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Backmatter
Metadaten
Titel
The Achaean Federation in Ancient Greece
verfasst von
Dr. Emmanouil M. L. Economou
Copyright-Jahr
2020
Electronic ISBN
978-3-030-52697-9
Print ISBN
978-3-030-52696-2
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52697-9

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