Ancient Greek History and Contemporary Social Science

This new collection of essays surveys the current state of the new field of ‘social science Greek history’ and demonstrates the potential of this interdisciplinary field. Substantial bodies of work that have contributed in fundamental ways to our understanding of classical Greece and its cultural legacy were produced in 20th century, by employing methods from anthropology, sociology, and psychology. More recently, the use of quantitative methods and formal theory, drawn from contemporary political science, economics, and sociology, has led to a new understanding of ancient Greek economic and political development. Meanwhile, normative considerations, drawn from contemporary political philosophy, have led to a richer understanding of Greek political thought and Greek institutional innovations – notably including democracy and the rule of law.