BMCR 2009.08.27: Kuehr on Schulz, Kleine Geschichte des antiken Griechenland

Raimund Schulz, Kleine Geschichte des antiken Griechenland.  Ditzingen:
Philipp Reclam, 2008.  Pp. 480.  ISBN 9783150106792.  EUR 19.90.

Reviewed by Angela Kuehr, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt
am Main ([email protected])
Word count:  2403 words
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[Table of contents is listed at the end of the review.]

How to write a Greek history today? Schulz's solution is courageous:
Firstly, he presents a narrative differing from the flourishing
companion literature with its focus on single epochs or themes, each
volume subdivided into various chapters treated separately by
specialists. Secondly, he writes a book in German. Is he backwards in a
double sense?

A book like this one not only has to be judged in respect of its
position within the choir of already existing publications, but also
according to its own principles: In the introduction (pp. 11-15),
Schulz stresses the necessity of structuring the material by focusing
on key themes in order to locate Greek within world history. This
ambitious programme is to be realized by concentrating on three main
aspects: identity (though Schulz does not use this currently
omnipresent term), mobility and war. Far from interpreting the
emergence of political structures (the polis and democracy) and the
achievements in art, literature and philosophy as the 'Greek miracle'
(cf. p. 55), Schulz reads them as survival strategies: Living at the
periphery of world history in Archaic times and having to cope with
geographical conditions not at all comparable to the territories of the
Near Eastern monarchies, the Greeks found answers to who they were by
developing the polis as a new form of settlement, which was closely
linked to the military invention of the phalanx, and by developing new
concepts of the world as reflected in philosophy and art. To survive,
the Greeks displayed an outstanding mobility only comparable to that of
the Phoenicians. With its merchants, pirates, mercenaries and settlers,
Greece has always been on the move, from Mycenaean to Hellenistic
times. Consequently, this phenomenon should not be restricted to the
so-called colonization era, and Greek history should not exclusively
focus on the Aegean world with its contacts to the East but should take
into account the Western parts of the Mediterranean as well. Mobility
has always been interconnected with the third key theme: war. And
military power was closely linked to the political conditions because
war concerned everyone who wanted to be taken seriously in these small
settlements called poleis, settlements demanding the engagement of
every citizen to a degree unknown anywhere else.

Accordingly, Schulz attaches importance to long-term developments
instead of dividing history into periods which are defined by political
events. Of course, a handbook like this one cannot provide a proper
history of philosophy or art, as the author states himself (p. 14), and
a handbook should not leave established periodical divisions aside.
Within the frame of chronologically arranged parts (see the table of
contents at the end of the review), Schulz manages to combine passages
presenting the outline of political events with chapters reflecting on
cultural aspects, which aim at the heart of Greek society. For
instance, he describes the Archaic kouroi as expressions of body
ideals, themselves representing the virtues of an antagonistic society
(Chapter II. 3). No, Schulz has not invented the claim to write history
as cultural history, but his capacity of taking into account the
various dimensions of human life and its conditions, of integrating
into his narration politics, economics, religion and art -- to name but
a few -- is remarkable.

Instead of analysing each of the ten main chapters (see the table of
contents below), the reviewer prefers structuring the content by
highlighting the author's key themes: identity, military power and
mobility.

What made the Greeks Greek, and what made them different in world
history? To make a difference could be characterized as the ultimate
goal of every Greek aristocrat in Archaic and Classical times. That may
be rooted in the Greek conception of religion as a sphere not
imprisoning human beings but enforcing their autonomy: Already the
epics were centred on human deeds, and the gods had a human face
differing from their counterparts of the Near East (p. 37). The growth
of the poleis as a world of public spaces and dense communication
offered new possibilities for identity formation (pp. 54-65), which was
enforced by settling abroad (p. 69-72). Did this lead to Panhellenic
identities? Schulze is sceptical and distinguishes between common
cultural traits perceptible from outside and self-conceptions of the
people concerned. While the Panhellenic sanctuaries and competitions
mainly mattered for the aristocratic value system (pp. 94-97), the
Persian Wars united the Greeks by a common interpretation of the world:
On the one hand, liberty became the prevailing slogan of the post-war
era every polis could subscribe to. On the other hand, Aischylos and
Herodotos explained the world as being divided between West (the
Greeks) and East (the Persians), an interpretation which would have a
deep impact on European history (pp. 128. 134. 137-138). Yet, how
strong these bonds were is to be doubted. Even a foreign enemy could
not make the Greeks forget the particularistic motives prevailing
everywhere. The battle at Thermopylai, one of the most heroic moments
in later commemoration, already illustrated this very phenomenon: "Dass
die Griechen so vergleichsweise geringe Kraefte fuer diese wichtige
Aufgabe mobilisierten, bestaetigt den Verdacht, dass es mit dem spaeter
so viel beschworenen Willen zur gemeinsamen Verteidigung nicht weit her
war. (...) Was spaeter als Triumph spartanischer Todesbereitschaft und
Pflichterfuellung gefeiert wurde, offenbarte griechischen
Partikularismus in drastischer Weise" (p. 128; cf. p. 139).

The influence of military power on Greek history is more than obvious.
Instead of citing passages referring to this omnipresent fact, the
importance of war may be related to the question when ancient Greek
history came to an end. Of course, Cleopatra poisoning herself was not
able to finish an epoch of world history, but this incident has always
been regarded as being symptomatic for transformations concerning the
whole Mediterranean and the adjacent regions. They had become parts of
the Roman Empire, but Greek culture continued to flourish within the
oikumene now dominated by the Romans. Schulz finishes his book by
discussing this impact, and the reader is tempted to ask if Roman
identity was not -- at least partly -- Greek at last. Though you may
doubt the Romans combined their Romulus foundation myth with the Aeneas
story as early as in the 6th century BC (p. 143), at some time they
definitely did -- to get integrated into the Greek cosmos until the
Romans themselves integrated the last Hellenistic kingdom by defeating
Antonius and his Ptolemaic adherents at Actium: This battle "wies der
Mittelmeerwelt den Weg in das naechste halbe Jahrtausend, bis sich
erneut ein griechischer Osten (mit der Hauptstadt Byzanz) vom
lateinischen Westen abspaltete. 500 Jahre lang herrschte jedoch die von
Octavian begruendete Reihe roemischer Kaiser ueber die Oikumene, die
keinen hellenistischen Rivalen mehr duldete" (p. 397). Maybe Roman
history was only an interim phase of an oikumene which was in essence a
Greek one? Polemics aside, Schulze makes a strong point to stop
conceptualizing ancient history as a history of empires, one of them
following another.

>From this perspective, the key theme 'mobility' is more than a mere
aspect of emphasizing Greek peculiarities: it is another way of
approaching the history of the broader Mediterranean in ancient times.
Whether you discuss common cultural traits and common living strategies
in Archaic times with reference to identity formation, whether you
discuss mobility and the foundation of poleis abroad as one, but the
most spectacular aspect (p. 70-71), whether you discuss Ionian
philosophy as a product of Greek mobility and colonization experiences
(p. 100-101), whether you discuss Athenian hegemonic ambitions
stretching equally to the East and to the West (p. 192), whether you
compare transmediterranean tendencies of hegemonic aspirations (p.
194), whether you discuss Alexander's ambitions to reach the end of the
world (pp. 256-258) and the consequences of a Hellenistic "Weltkultur"
(pp. 295-338), Greek history is definitely more than Athens and
Alexander. Again, Schulz is not the first to stress that, but he
succeeds in presenting Greek history as the history of interconnected
spaces all around the Mediterranean. Sailing the sea, exploring spaces
formerly unknown, commuting between places far away from each other and
communicating about needs arising within these spaces, that is
Schulze's genuine approach to Greek history. To take the Nestor's cup
as a symbol for his understanding: "Pithekussai zeigt uns, dass die
griechische Geschichte weder gleichfoermig und linear, weder stationaer
noch zielgerichtet verlief" (p. 47).

To sum up, Schulz's solution is inspiring, there is no comparable Greek
history. Though he could have cited more sources and the main text
sometimes seems too plain where controversies lurk behind the facts,
for example considering Alexander's aspirations towards world
domination (p. 260), this does not devaluate the book, just the
contrary: Keeping in mind the handbook format, the volume is
astonishingly rich with respect to scholarly debates and references.
Schulz realizes his programme and reaches an admirable equilibrium
between conventional narrative and the integration of new discourses.
Beginners and professionals alike will be fascinated by this well
written, up to date book, which equally gives an introduction to, and
provides new perspectives on the main issues of Greek history.


Table of contents
Einleitung (pp. 11-15)


I. Das Erbe der mykenischen Kultur und die Ausbreitung der Griechen
ueber den Mittelmeerraum (pp. 17-53)
1. Troja und der Beginn der griechischen Geschichte
2. Die mykenische Kultur
3. Die griechische Welt zwischen Siedlungskontinuitaet und Neubeginn
4. Homer und die adlige Welt des Odysseus
5. Die Griechen im Osten
6. Abenteuer im fernen Westen
7. Hesiod und die Doerfer der Bauern


II. Verfassungsbildung, Machtpolitik und kulturelle Entwicklungen in
der Poliswelt des 7. und 6. Jahrhunderts (pp. 54-110)
1. Die Entstehung der Buergerpolis
2. Die Anfaenge der Hoplitenphalanx
3. Repraesentation und Selbstverstaendnis einer militarisierten
Gesellschaft -- Das Ideal des maennlichen und weiblichen Koerpers
4. Die Wesensmerkmale der Polis im 7. und 6. Jahrhundert v.Chr.:
Ausdifferenzierung der Institutionen und innere Konflikte
5. Die Anlage von Apoikien
6. Die Einbindung der Polis in regionale und ueberregionale
Handelsraeume
7. Soeldner, Tyrannen und Gesetzgeber
8. Auspraegung staedtischer Lebensformen: Korinth, Aegina und Phokaia
9. Sparta
10. Athen
11. Mythos, Religion, Sprache -- Elemente eines "hellenischen
Gemeinschaftsgefuehls"?
12. Die Suche nach lokaler Identitaet und grenzueberschreitender
Weltdeutung: Gruendungsmythen und Naturphilosophie
13. Geographie und politische Ordnungsvorstellungen
14. Alternativen zum "buergerlichen" Leben und zur Polis-Religion: Die
Rolle der Charismatiker


III. Der Einbruch der Perser und Karthager in die griechische Welt (pp.
111-143)
1. Der Aufstieg des Perserreiches
2. Der Aufstieg der Karthager im Westen
3. Das griechische Kleinasien unter persischer Herrschaft
4. Die Abwehr der persischen Invasion in Griechenland
5. Der Aufbau der Athener Seemacht
6. Syrakus und die Abwehr der Karthager
7. Die Verarbeitung und Deutung des Krieges
8. Das Bild der Perser und das neue Interesse an den Voelkern am Rande
der Oikumene


IV. Der Aufstieg Athens zur Seemacht und die Entwicklung zur Demokratie
(pp. 144-191)
1. Der Seebund der Athener in der kimonischen Aera
2. Die Entmachtung Kimons und die Reformen des Ephialtes
3. Athens vergeblicher Griff nach Mittelgriechenland und Aegypten
4. Das athenische Seereich in der Zeit des Perikles
5. Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft Athens im 5. Jahrhundert
6. Institutionen, Praxis und Ideale der Demokratie
7. Elite und Masse innerhalb der Demokratie
8. Die Sophisten und Historiker in Athen
9. Das Selbstverstaendnis der Demokratie in Kunst und Festkultur


V. Die griechische Welt im Zeichen des Peloponnesischen Krieges (pp.
192-233)
1. Athen und der Westen
2. Der Weg in den grossen Krieg
3. Die Etappen des Krieges und die Belastung der Demokratie
4. Buergerkrieg und Reorganisation der Demokratie in Athen
5. Spartas Machtpolitik und Krieg mit Persien
6. Der Wiederaufstieg Persiens bis zum Koenigsfrieden
7. Buergerkriege und militaerische Revolution -- Die Veraenderung der
griechischen Welt nach dem Koenigsfrieden
8. Spartas Unfaehigkeit zum strukturellen Wandel
9. Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft Athens
10. Der Zweite Attische Seebund und sein Scheitern
11. Der dritte Weg: das Beispiel Korinth und Megara
12. Die Ausbildung von Bundesstaaten in den noerdlichen Randgebieten
13. Die Macht des Geldes und der militaerischen Innovation: Syrakus


VI. Die Expansion Makedoniens unter Philipp und Alexander (pp. 234-260)
1. Die Reaktion der Intellektuellen auf die Probleme der Zeit
2. Der Aufstieg Makedoniens unter Philipp II.
3. Chaironeia und Philipps Hegemonie ueber Griechenland
4. Der Korinthische Bund und der Tod Philipps
5. Alexanders Griff nach der Weltherrschaft und die Suche nach dem Ende
der Welt


VII. Die Herrschaft der hellenistischen Koenige (pp. 261-294)
1. Die politische Ordnung und das Erbe des Alexanderreiches
2. Die religioese Einbindung der hellenistischen Monarchien in
einheimische Traditionen
3. Die neuen Residenzen als Symbol und Zentrum der Herrschaft
4. Die Hofgesellschaft und die Beziehungen zu den Poleis
5. Die Neugruendung von Staedten und die Anlage von Kolonien
6. Die Kooperation mit einheimischen Eliten: Die Seleukiden
7. Die Ptolemaeer und die Juden


VIII. Die griechische Kultur und ihre Begegnung mit fremden Voelkern in
der Zeit nach Alexander  (pp. 295-342)
1. Zeichen einer neuen Epoche
2. Die neue Mobilitaet
3. Gymnasium und Theater als Inbegriff buergerlicher Kultur
4. Wandel der Stellung der Frauen?
5. Das Leben auf dem Land und seine Deutung
6. Tendenzen der bildenden Kunst
7. Die Eroberung des Raums in Kunst und Malerei
8. Religion und religioese Kulte
9. Die Suche der Philosophen nach dem Glueck
10. Die geographische und ethnographische Erfassung des indischen Raums
11. Koenig Menander und die Begegnung mit dem Buddhismus
12. Massilia und die Welt des Nordens
13. Das Bild der Kelten zwischen Topik und Autopsie


IX. Die griechischen Maechte und das Eingreifen Roms in den oestlichen
Mittelmeerraum (pp. 343-379)
1. Pyrrhos von Epirus und die "Magna Graecia"
2. Der Aufstieg der griechischen Bundesstaaten im 3. Jahrhundert
3. Die Konfrontation der Makedonen und Seleukiden mit Rom
4. Gruende und Folgen der Schwaeche der griechischen Welt
5. Die Provinzialisieurng Makedoniens
6. Der Niedergang der oestlichen Koenigreiche und das Ende Pergamons


X. Griechische Politik und Kultur unter der Herrschaft Roms (pp.
380-418)
1. Die politischen und rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen griechischen
Lebens unter roemischer Herrschaft
2. Die Griechen und der Angriff des Mithridates auf die Herrschaft Roms
3. Das Ende des Seleukidenreiches und die neue Rolle des Pompeius als
Patron des griechischen Ostens
4. Das Ptolemaeerreich zwischen Desintegration und Ueberlebenskampf
5. Die staedtischen Eliten unter roemischer Herrschaft
6. Die Kontakte der Griechen zu den grossen Persoenlichkeiten der
spaeten Republik
7. Die geistige Auseinandersetzung der Griechen mit Rom zwischen
Widerstand, Beeinflussung und Anpassung


Verzeichnis der Karten (pp. 419-426)
Literaturhinweise (pp. 427-445)
Namen- und Ortsregister (pp. 447-458)
Zum Autor (p. 459)