The Dance of the Islands: Insularity, Networks, the Athenian Empire, and the Aegean World

by Christy Constantakopoulou

Overview

Christy Constantakopoulou examines the history of the Aegean islands and changing concepts of insularity, with particular emphasis on the fifth century BC. Islands are a prominent feature of the Aegean landscape, and this inevitably created a variety of different (and sometimes contradictory) perceptions of insularity in classical Greek thought. Geographic analysis of insularity emphasizes the interplay between island isolation and island interaction, but the predominance of islands in the Aegean sea made island isolation almost impossible. Rather, island connectivity was an important feature of the history of the Aegean and was expressed on many levels. Constantakopoulou investigates island interaction in two prominent areas, religion and imperial politics, examining both the religious networks located on islands in the ancient Greek world and the impact of imperial politics on the Aegean islands during the fifth century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199215959
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/24/2007
Series:	Oxford Classical Monographs
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 5.70(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Christy Constantakopoulou is Lecturer in Ancient History at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. Religious networks in the archaic Aegean3. The Aegean islands as an imperial network: the fifth century and the Athenian Empire4. Islands and imperialism5. The island of Athens6. The smaller picture: mini island networks7. Beyond insularity: islands and their peraiaiConclusion

Editorial Reviews

"To those interested in any aspect of island history, or Mediterranean connectivity more broadly, the work is an essential read. Constantakopoulou's arguments bring new possibilities for study to light, and her selection of evidence, while not comprehensive, provides a fundamental starting point for tackling the issues that she raises." —Bryn Mawr Classical Review

From the Publisher