The first lecture of the ClassDem project was delivered by Professor Matt Simonton (Arizona State University) on the topic of demagogues and their role in ancient Greek class politics.

Abstract

The lecture explored the rich and often hostile vocabulary used by ancient Greek elites to describe popular political leaders: dogs, ticks, monsters, madmen. Professor Simonton argued that this language reveals deep anxieties about class politics and the challenge that democratic leadership posed to traditional aristocratic authority.

Rather than dismissing this hostile rhetoric, the lecture examined what it tells us about the actual functions of demagogues in mediating class conflict, mobilising popular constituencies, and challenging elite dominance in the Greek city-states.

About the Speaker

Matt Simonton is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and the author of Classical Greek Oligarchy: A Political History (Princeton University Press, 2017). His research focuses on ancient Greek political history, with particular attention to non-democratic regimes and class politics.

Recording

A recording of the lecture will be made available on this website. Check back soon.