Anthropology and the Classics: War, Violence, and the Stateless ‘Polis’
Author(s)
Berent, Moshe
Abstract
Ernest Gellner’s anthropological account of the role of war in stateless communities is considered in relation to the Greek polis. Topics discussed include polis in relation to tribe and state, slavery and exploitation in the polis and the agrarian state, war and economy, war and social cohesion, hoplite fighting in relation to social cohesion, and the polis as a community of warriors.
