States of Memory

The Polis, Panhellenism, and the Persian War

David C. Yates

Inclusive examination of the commemoration of the entire conflict with Persia (not just one or two battles)
Close attention to archaeological and epigraphical evidence
Coherent model to explain the evolution of the Persian-War tradition throughout the classical period and beyond
Focus on the most active period of commemoration, the classical
Deep engagement with memory theory

States of Memory

The Polis, Panhellenism, and the Persian War

David C. Yates

Description

The Persian War was one of the most significant events in ancient history. It halted Persia's westward expansion, inspired the Golden Age of Greece, and propelled Athens to the heights of power. From the end of the war almost to the end of antiquity, the Greeks and later the Romans recalled the battles and heroes of this war with unabated zeal. The resulting monuments and narratives have long been used to reconstruct the history of the war itself, but they have only recently begun to be used to explore how the conflict was remembered over time. States of Memory focuses on the initial recollection of the war in the classical period down to the Lamian War (480-322 BCE). Drawing together recent work on memory theory and a wide range of ancient evidence, Yates argues that the Greek memory of the war was deeply divided from the outset. Despite the panhellenic scope of the conflict, the Greeks very rarely recalled the war as Greeks. Instead they presented themselves as members of their respective city-states. What emerged was a tangled web of idiosyncratic stories about the Persian War that competed with each other fiercely throughout the classical period. It was not until Philip of Macedonia and Alexander the Great dealt a devastating blow to the very notion of the independent city-state at the battle of Chaeronea that anything like a unified memory of the Persian War came to dominate the tradition.

States of Memory

The Polis, Panhellenism, and the Persian War

David C. Yates

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Note on sources
Maps
Introduction: The Collective Memories of the Persian War
Chapter 1: The Serpent Column
Chapter 2: Panhellenism
Chapter 3: Contestation
Chapter 4: Time and Space
Chapter 5: Meaning
Chapter 6: A New Persian War
Chapter 7: After Alexander
Conclusion: The Persian War from Polis to Panhellenism
Bibliography
Index Locorum
General Index

States of Memory

The Polis, Panhellenism, and the Persian War

David C. Yates

Author Information

David C. Yates, Associate Professor of Classics, Millsaps College

David Yates is an Associate Professor of Classics at Millsaps College and specializes in the history and historiography of archaic and classical Greece.

States of Memory

The Polis, Panhellenism, and the Persian War

David C. Yates

Reviews and Awards

"Yates's argument that the classical commemoration of the Persian Wars was framed by polis competition is convincing." - Kostas Vlassopoulos, Greece & Rome

"The book is a very welcome contribution to the growing research area of memory in the Greco-Roman world and the historiography of the Persian War, as well as to the study of Greek history from local perspectives." - Classical Journal-Online

"... an innovative and persuasive contribution." - Matteo Zaccarini, The Classical Review

"This is a worthwhile piece of research. ...Recommended" - CHOICE

"A worthy and challenging additional perspective that enriches the discussion, for which I recommend it." - Brandon Braun, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Using literary sources and inscriptions as well as considerations of monuments and rituals, all underpinned by thorough footnotes and a comprehensive bibliography, Yates steers the reader deftly through the many ancient ways of seeing the Persian Wars. He reveals a kaleidoscope of viewpoints that shift according to political expediency, and reminds us that even historical events about which we think we know so much, far from being written in stone (or inscribed in bronze), have come down to us thanks to selective memories and deliberate distortions. For any serious student of the Persian War(s) this should be standard reading." - David Stuttard, Classics for All