Nino Luraghi | Princeton University (original) (raw)

Papers by Nino Luraghi

The name "Helots" evokes one of the most famous peculiarities of ancient Sparta, the sy... more The name "Helots" evokes one of the most famous peculiarities of ancient Sparta, the system of dependent labour that guaranteed the livelihood of the free citizens. The Helots fulfilled all the functions that slaves carried out elsewhere in the Greek world, allowing their masters the leisure to be full-time warriors. Yet, despite their crucial role, Helots remain essentially invisible in our ancient sources and peripheral and enigmatic in modern scholarship. This book is devoted to a much-needed reassessment of Helotry and of its place in the history and sociology of unfree labour. The essays deal with the origins and historical development of Helotry, with its sociological, economic and demographic aspects, with its ideological construction and negotiation.

The Early Greek Alphabets, 2021

This chapter develops further an earlier argument that the differences between the local scripts ... more This chapter develops further an earlier argument that the differences between the local scripts of Greece cannot be accidental. It connects them with the emergence of ethnic boundaries within the Greeks. It considers the adaptation of the Phoenician alphabet to the Greek language, and then the process of creating the local scripts, largely by assigning different sound values to the same letters. It then correlates the different local 'written languages' (i.e. local combinations of scripts and dialects) with differences in material and symbolic culture. Written language turns out to have been understood as a component of regional ethnic identities.

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Jan 31, 2023

Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 26, 2021

This chapter develops further an earlier argument that the differences between the local scripts ... more This chapter develops further an earlier argument that the differences between the local scripts of Greece cannot be accidental. It connects them with the emergence of ethnic boundaries within the Greeks. It considers the adaptation of the Phoenician alphabet to the Greek language, and then the process of creating the local scripts, largely by assigning different sound values to the same letters. It then correlates the different local 'written languages' (i.e. local combinations of scripts and dialects) with differences in material and symbolic culture. Written language turns out to have been understood as a component of regional ethnic identities.

Franz Steiner Verlag eBooks, Oct 7, 2013

Monarchy, that is, a political order characterized by a single ruler, is an understudied aspect o... more Monarchy, that is, a political order characterized by a single ruler, is an understudied aspect of Greek politics and culture. The contributors to this e-book provide a unified scholarly framework in which to interpret the sociological as well as the ideological side of monarchic regimes from archaic Greek tyranny to Hellenistic monarchy in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. Taking their cue from Hans-Joachim Gehrke's essay on the victorious king, published here in an updated English translation, the contributors bring to the surface common trends and features that make it possible to sketch an integrated history of monarchic rule in ancient Greece from the Archaic to the Hellenistic age. Topics of contributions include the image of the archaic tyrant as legitimate and illegitimate ruler, the rhetoric of Hellenistic monarchy outlined in philosophical treatises on monarchy, the impact of the rise of Hellenistic monarchy on pre-existing political orders such as tyranny in Sicily and dual monarchy in Sparta, and the influence of this ideological model on political traditions in Anatolia and Palestine in the Late Hellenistic period.

BRILL eBooks, Apr 3, 2023

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Jan 31, 2023

Over the past decade, L. has published extensively on ancient Messenian ethnicity, establishing h... more Over the past decade, L. has published extensively on ancient Messenian ethnicity, establishing himself as a leading expert in the field. With The Ancient Messenians L. seems to present a final analysis: the book supersedes earlier work, which is incorporated "usually in a completely revised form" (p. x). Combining ancient written testimony, archaeological evidence and anthropological theory, L. provides a compelling reconstruction of the various ways in which the ancient inhabitants of Messenia attempted to create an identity of their own, from the annexation of the region by the Spartans in the early Archaic period to Roman times. L. does this from the explicit standpoint that Messenia, when it became independent in 369 BC, "emerged with a mythic and historical heritage of its own, spanning the whole archaic period, when it had actually not existed" (p. 3). This is a bold and thought-provoking statement, which sets the stage for the intricate and ingenious analysis to come. L. at first appears to side with 'discontuinists', who deny the claims of 'continuists' (Pausanias the first of these) that a historical memory of a free Messenia had been preserved during Spartan dominion. However, L. then bypasses the debate by noting that both parties erroneously assume the pre-existence of a somehow unified 'Messenia'. Instead, political and cultural cohesion probably was a by-product of Spartan rule, with Messenian ethnic awareness not arising until long after the conquest. This means that the ancient sources should be read primarily as reflecting a precarious balancing act: the Messenians of Classical times both had to come to terms with inherent Spartan traits and obtain a spot in a largely established framework of myths and histories associated with older and often more powerful poleis. In the Introduction, L. shows his indebtedness to earlier works on ancient ethnicity by J. Hall, S. Jones and others, 1) but also broadens the horizon by drawing on research by medieval historians and sociologists such as Tullio-Altan. 2) Ethnicity-"based on putative blood ties" (p. 7)-in ancient Greece often involved myths of a common ancestor, implying roots in the (distant) past. L. therefore also uses recent studies on social memory, which focus on the perception, creation and transmission of notions of a shared past. Overall, L. provides a coherent theoretical framework, to which he returns throughout the book. While acknowledging

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2022

Chiron eBooks, 2012

2008 veröffentlichte P. Themelis ein Dekret der Stadt Messene, in dem ein Gebietsstreit zwischen... more 2008 veröffentlichte P. Themelis ein Dekret der Stadt Messene, in dem ein Gebietsstreit zwischen Messene und Megalopolis aus den Jahren unmittelbar nach dem Krieg zwischen Messene und dem Achaierbund und dem Tod Philopoimens beschrieben wird. Das strittige Land schloss vier Gebiete ein, die meistens paarweise erwähnt werden, wovon eines das Territorium von Andania war. Der vorliegende Beitrag bietet einen revidierten Text mit Übersetzung und erläutert den historischen Hinter- grund des Dekrets sowie den Verlauf des Streits, in dem mehrere Schiedssprüche ergingen. Der Text wirft neues Licht auf die Rolle der Organe des Bundes, insbesondere der damiorgoi, bei Konflikten unter den Mitgliedstaaten, sowie auf die gemeinsamen Gesetze des Bundes.P. Themelis published in 2008 a decree of the polis of Messene that narrates a territorial controversy between Messene and Megalopolis from the years immediately after the war between Messene and the Achaian League and the death of Philopoimen. The land under dispute included four areas that tend to be mentioned in pairs, one of which was the territory of Andania. The present contribution offers a revised text with translation of the decree and discusses its historical background and the course of the dispute, which involved multiple arbitrations. The text sheds new light on the role of the organs of the League, especially the damiorgoi, in the resolution of disputes among member states, and on the common laws of the Achaian League.P. Themelis publia en 2008 un décret de la cité de Messène, qui fait état d’une contestation territoriale entre Messène et Mégalopolis dans les années suivant immédiatement la guerre entre Messène et la Ligue achéenne et la mort de Philopoimène. Le territoire disputé incluait quatre secteurs qui sont sou- vent mentionnés par paires, dont l’un était le territoire d’Andania. La présente étude offre une révision du texte avec traduction et expose le contexte historique du décret ainsi que le déroulement de la dis- pute qui fit l’objet de multiples arbitrages. Le texte éclaire d’une part le rôle des différents organes de la Ligue achéenne, notamment des damiorgoi, lors des conflits entre états membres et d’autre part les lois fédérales de la Ligue

Le Péloponnèse d’Épaminondas à Hadrien, 2008

During the Antonine age, only very few men in the province of Achaia could match the prestige and... more During the Antonine age, only very few men in the province of Achaia could match the prestige and wealth of the Messenian Tiberius Claudius Saethida Caelianus. As we know from various inscriptions in his honor, he was Helladarch of the Achaean koinon and Grand Priest of the Imperial cult for the province, both honors he held for life, besides of course being a lavish benefactor of his hometown. His son, Tiberius Claudius Frontinus, reached the consulate, as suffectus to be sure, and his two g..

Cultural Encounters in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, 2019

The name "Helots" evokes one of the most famous peculiarities of ancient Sparta, the sy... more The name "Helots" evokes one of the most famous peculiarities of ancient Sparta, the system of dependent labour that guaranteed the livelihood of the free citizens. The Helots fulfilled all the functions that slaves carried out elsewhere in the Greek world, allowing their masters the leisure to be full-time warriors. Yet, despite their crucial role, Helots remain essentially invisible in our ancient sources and peripheral and enigmatic in modern scholarship. This book is devoted to a much-needed reassessment of Helotry and of its place in the history and sociology of unfree labour. The essays deal with the origins and historical development of Helotry, with its sociological, economic and demographic aspects, with its ideological construction and negotiation.

The Early Greek Alphabets, 2021

This chapter develops further an earlier argument that the differences between the local scripts ... more This chapter develops further an earlier argument that the differences between the local scripts of Greece cannot be accidental. It connects them with the emergence of ethnic boundaries within the Greeks. It considers the adaptation of the Phoenician alphabet to the Greek language, and then the process of creating the local scripts, largely by assigning different sound values to the same letters. It then correlates the different local 'written languages' (i.e. local combinations of scripts and dialects) with differences in material and symbolic culture. Written language turns out to have been understood as a component of regional ethnic identities.

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Jan 31, 2023

Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 26, 2021

This chapter develops further an earlier argument that the differences between the local scripts ... more This chapter develops further an earlier argument that the differences between the local scripts of Greece cannot be accidental. It connects them with the emergence of ethnic boundaries within the Greeks. It considers the adaptation of the Phoenician alphabet to the Greek language, and then the process of creating the local scripts, largely by assigning different sound values to the same letters. It then correlates the different local 'written languages' (i.e. local combinations of scripts and dialects) with differences in material and symbolic culture. Written language turns out to have been understood as a component of regional ethnic identities.

Franz Steiner Verlag eBooks, Oct 7, 2013

Monarchy, that is, a political order characterized by a single ruler, is an understudied aspect o... more Monarchy, that is, a political order characterized by a single ruler, is an understudied aspect of Greek politics and culture. The contributors to this e-book provide a unified scholarly framework in which to interpret the sociological as well as the ideological side of monarchic regimes from archaic Greek tyranny to Hellenistic monarchy in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. Taking their cue from Hans-Joachim Gehrke's essay on the victorious king, published here in an updated English translation, the contributors bring to the surface common trends and features that make it possible to sketch an integrated history of monarchic rule in ancient Greece from the Archaic to the Hellenistic age. Topics of contributions include the image of the archaic tyrant as legitimate and illegitimate ruler, the rhetoric of Hellenistic monarchy outlined in philosophical treatises on monarchy, the impact of the rise of Hellenistic monarchy on pre-existing political orders such as tyranny in Sicily and dual monarchy in Sparta, and the influence of this ideological model on political traditions in Anatolia and Palestine in the Late Hellenistic period.

BRILL eBooks, Apr 3, 2023

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Jan 31, 2023

Over the past decade, L. has published extensively on ancient Messenian ethnicity, establishing h... more Over the past decade, L. has published extensively on ancient Messenian ethnicity, establishing himself as a leading expert in the field. With The Ancient Messenians L. seems to present a final analysis: the book supersedes earlier work, which is incorporated "usually in a completely revised form" (p. x). Combining ancient written testimony, archaeological evidence and anthropological theory, L. provides a compelling reconstruction of the various ways in which the ancient inhabitants of Messenia attempted to create an identity of their own, from the annexation of the region by the Spartans in the early Archaic period to Roman times. L. does this from the explicit standpoint that Messenia, when it became independent in 369 BC, "emerged with a mythic and historical heritage of its own, spanning the whole archaic period, when it had actually not existed" (p. 3). This is a bold and thought-provoking statement, which sets the stage for the intricate and ingenious analysis to come. L. at first appears to side with 'discontuinists', who deny the claims of 'continuists' (Pausanias the first of these) that a historical memory of a free Messenia had been preserved during Spartan dominion. However, L. then bypasses the debate by noting that both parties erroneously assume the pre-existence of a somehow unified 'Messenia'. Instead, political and cultural cohesion probably was a by-product of Spartan rule, with Messenian ethnic awareness not arising until long after the conquest. This means that the ancient sources should be read primarily as reflecting a precarious balancing act: the Messenians of Classical times both had to come to terms with inherent Spartan traits and obtain a spot in a largely established framework of myths and histories associated with older and often more powerful poleis. In the Introduction, L. shows his indebtedness to earlier works on ancient ethnicity by J. Hall, S. Jones and others, 1) but also broadens the horizon by drawing on research by medieval historians and sociologists such as Tullio-Altan. 2) Ethnicity-"based on putative blood ties" (p. 7)-in ancient Greece often involved myths of a common ancestor, implying roots in the (distant) past. L. therefore also uses recent studies on social memory, which focus on the perception, creation and transmission of notions of a shared past. Overall, L. provides a coherent theoretical framework, to which he returns throughout the book. While acknowledging

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2022

Chiron eBooks, 2012

2008 veröffentlichte P. Themelis ein Dekret der Stadt Messene, in dem ein Gebietsstreit zwischen... more 2008 veröffentlichte P. Themelis ein Dekret der Stadt Messene, in dem ein Gebietsstreit zwischen Messene und Megalopolis aus den Jahren unmittelbar nach dem Krieg zwischen Messene und dem Achaierbund und dem Tod Philopoimens beschrieben wird. Das strittige Land schloss vier Gebiete ein, die meistens paarweise erwähnt werden, wovon eines das Territorium von Andania war. Der vorliegende Beitrag bietet einen revidierten Text mit Übersetzung und erläutert den historischen Hinter- grund des Dekrets sowie den Verlauf des Streits, in dem mehrere Schiedssprüche ergingen. Der Text wirft neues Licht auf die Rolle der Organe des Bundes, insbesondere der damiorgoi, bei Konflikten unter den Mitgliedstaaten, sowie auf die gemeinsamen Gesetze des Bundes.P. Themelis published in 2008 a decree of the polis of Messene that narrates a territorial controversy between Messene and Megalopolis from the years immediately after the war between Messene and the Achaian League and the death of Philopoimen. The land under dispute included four areas that tend to be mentioned in pairs, one of which was the territory of Andania. The present contribution offers a revised text with translation of the decree and discusses its historical background and the course of the dispute, which involved multiple arbitrations. The text sheds new light on the role of the organs of the League, especially the damiorgoi, in the resolution of disputes among member states, and on the common laws of the Achaian League.P. Themelis publia en 2008 un décret de la cité de Messène, qui fait état d’une contestation territoriale entre Messène et Mégalopolis dans les années suivant immédiatement la guerre entre Messène et la Ligue achéenne et la mort de Philopoimène. Le territoire disputé incluait quatre secteurs qui sont sou- vent mentionnés par paires, dont l’un était le territoire d’Andania. La présente étude offre une révision du texte avec traduction et expose le contexte historique du décret ainsi que le déroulement de la dis- pute qui fit l’objet de multiples arbitrages. Le texte éclaire d’une part le rôle des différents organes de la Ligue achéenne, notamment des damiorgoi, lors des conflits entre états membres et d’autre part les lois fédérales de la Ligue

Le Péloponnèse d’Épaminondas à Hadrien, 2008

During the Antonine age, only very few men in the province of Achaia could match the prestige and... more During the Antonine age, only very few men in the province of Achaia could match the prestige and wealth of the Messenian Tiberius Claudius Saethida Caelianus. As we know from various inscriptions in his honor, he was Helladarch of the Achaean koinon and Grand Priest of the Imperial cult for the province, both honors he held for life, besides of course being a lavish benefactor of his hometown. His son, Tiberius Claudius Frontinus, reached the consulate, as suffectus to be sure, and his two g..

Cultural Encounters in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, 2019