Rethinking the Political in Ancient Greece *

Just over thirty years ago, François Hartog pondered what it might mean to devote an entire issue of the Annales to ancient history. Such an editorial endeavor, he suggested, was a bold gamble based on the conviction that the study of antiquity should not be confined to the domain of pure erudition, exclusively reserved for specialists. Like other historians, specialists in ancient history could heed Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre’s invitation in the journal’s first issue, calling for historians to “demolish walls so high that they frequently block the view” as they “strive to pay attention to their neighbor’s work.”