Class at the centre of the historical reconstruction of ancient Greek democracy
This project contends that class dynamics — grounded in the economic and occupational structures of the Greek cities, and manifesting themselves in the social, political, and cultural oppositions that characterised them — are fundamental for understanding the emergence, nature, and development of Greek democracies.
Class, for instance, plays a central role in Aristotle’s analysis of contemporary politics. In his view, the citizenry of any polis could be divided into two parts, the rich and the poor, with further, complex subdivisions based on occupation.
For this keen observer of the politics of his day, thinking about Greek politics in terms of class was indispensable.
Yet class has been all but abandoned as an explanatory concept by most modern scholars. It is this project’s aim to put class back where Aristotle placed it: at the heart of the analysis of ancient Greek politics and society.
Four Interconnected Areas of Investigation
Class & the Economy
A granular analysis of the occupational structure of Greek cities, providing crucial insights into the material interests of different population segments and the economic underpinnings of class relations.
Learn more →Class & Politics
Examining how class oppositions structured episodes of civil strife (stasis), different constitutional arrangements, and redistributive mechanisms in Greek democracy.
Learn more →Class Identity & Culture
Investigating dynamics of deference and distinction — from embodied class markers like demeanour and clothing to cultural tastes including music, athletics, and communal eating — and how popular morality restrained the powerful.
Learn more →Class at the Intersection
An intersectional approach examining how class dynamics intersected with gender, the treatment of foreigners, and the central place of slavery in Greek democratic societies.
Learn more →Core Project Team
Mirko Canevaro
Principal Investigator
Professor of Greek History
University of Edinburgh
David Lewis
Co-Investigator
Senior Lecturer in Greek History and Culture
University of Edinburgh
Douglas Cairns
Co-Investigator
Professor of Classics
University of Edinburgh
Latest Updates
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Class and the Economy: Workshop on Labour Relations and Economic Structures in the Ancient Greek Polis
Following the roundtable on 12 November, the ClassDem Project hosts an intensive all-day workshop exploring class formation in the context of labou...
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Class, Feudal and Tributary Modes of Production, and the Ancient Greek Economy
The UKRI/ERC Project Class Struggle in Ancient Greek Democracy presents a roundtable discussion on Class, Feudal and Tributary Modes of Production,...
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