Democracy, Empire, and the Arts in Fifth-Century Athens

Abstract

Athens in the 5th century BC offers a striking picture of the first democracy in history; the first empire created and ruled by a Greek; and a flourishing of learning, philosophical thought, and visual and performing arts. To what extent were these developments interrelated? This text answers this question. The authors bring to this analysis their individual areas of expertise - in the visual arts, poetry and drama, philosophy, archaeology, religion, and social, economic, and political history - and a variety of theoretical approaches.