Polis Made Manifest. The Physiognomy of the Public in the Hellenistic City – with a Case Study of the Agora in Priene, in Ch. Kuhn (ed.), Politische Kommunikation und öffentliche Meinung in der antiken Welt (Stuttgart 2012) 78-122 (original) (raw)

This paper discusses the evolving perspective on the political institutions of Hellenistic poleis, emphasizing a shift from elite-centric analysis to a focus on the citizenry as a dynamic entity within the political sphere. It critiques modern concepts of public opinion and engages with ancient practices of political debate within the agora, highlighting the role of the public in shaping political discourse. The case study of Priene serves to illustrate how public monuments and inscriptions embody the collective political identity and values of the polis, suggesting a reinterpretation of the relationship between public space and civic engagement in the Hellenistic context.