Michael Scott - From Democrats to Kings: The Brutal Dawn of a New World from the Downfall of Athens to the Rise of Alexander the Great

MICHAEL SCOTT is currently a Moses and Mary Finley Fellow in Ancient History at Darwin College, Cambridge, where he studies the ancient Greek and Roman worlds as well as teaching undergraduates and working with schools around the country.

Since 2007, he has been a regular guest lecturer aboard cruise tours of ancient Greece, has run the route of the ancient Marathon in Athens, and has been an on-screen historical consultant for several documentaries about the ancient world for the History Channel.

www.michaelcscott.com

The genesis of this book was in a series of lectures given to undergraduates at Cambridge University. My thanks go to the class of students who attended those lectures with good humour and grace, who gave me an opportunity to road test my ideas and who gave much helpful feedback. To the many friends and colleagues with whom I have enjoyed countless discussions about the subject of this book and about the ancient world in general, I offer my sincerest gratitude. I would especially like to thank Prof. Robin Osborne, Prof. Paul Cartledge, Prof. Pat Easterling, Dr Alastair Blanshard, James Watson, Ben Keim, Peter Agocs, Clare Killikelly and Kelly Agathos for their thoughts, wit and guidance. To the small team of veteran travellers who willingly came with me to explore the dancing floor of Ares, its mysteries and delights (not least of which was the underrated modern town of Thebes), I say Suga! To Davina Barron, who carefully and helpfully read earlier drafts, I offer my indebted thanks. To Darwin College, Cambridge and to the British School at Athens, two admirable research institutions, which have made me feel very much at home in Cambridge and Athens not just during the research and writing of this book but over the past several years, I offer my heartfelt gratitude and praise. To the people who make these two institutions what they are, and who are themselves so much more besides, I give my admiration and affection. To Moses and Mary Finley, towering greats in the scholarship of the ancient world, whose legacy funds my current position as Finley Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, I offer my continued awe and thanks. For good advice on entering the world of history writing, my deepest appreciation goes to my agents Diane Banks and Sue Rider, my editor at Icon Simon Flynn, Duncan Heath and the rest of the team at Icon, and at Cambridge Prof. Mary Beard, Prof. Simon Goldhill and Dr Chris Kelly. Finally, to my family, who encouraged my desire to pursue this crazy classics thing many years ago: thank you. It has been a pleasure and an honour to write this book and to help bring the ancient world once more to life.

All ancient texts cited can be read in English in either Penguin or Loeb editions, unless otherwise stated.

Introduction: One Mans Dream

For the character of Isocrates, try: T. Papillon (2007), Isocrates, in I. Worthington ed., A companion to Greek rhetoric; Y. Too (1995), The rhetoric of identity in Isocrates: text, power, pedagogy; T. Poulakos (1997), Speaking for the polis: Isocrates rhetorical education; P. Cloch (1963), Isocrate et son temps. For the two speeches made at the end of his life, see Isocrates Panathenaicus and The second letter to Philip. For some studies of Athenian democracy and its link to the modern world, try: L.J. Samons III (2004), Whats wrong with Democracy: from Athenian practice to American worship; M. Meckler (2006),