Literacy and Democracy in Fifth-Century Athens

Anna Missiou is Associate Professor of Ancient Greek History at the University of Crete. Her previous publications include The Subversive Oratory of Andokides: Politics, Ideology and Decision-Making in Democratic Athens (1992).

• Introduction: background, concepts and issues; 1. The geography of literacy; 2. Literacy and political ethos: the institution of ostracism; 3. Literacy through intermediaries: I. the ostraka; 4. Literacy through intermediaries: II. stone inscriptions; 5. Athenian literacy in its sociopolitical context; Conclusions: literacy and Athenian democracy; Appendix I: studying the ostraka: technical difficulties and personal assumptions; Appendix II: for an early date for the institution of the prytaneis; Appendix III: literacy beyond the urban centre: councillors-prytaneis from remote demes.

'Missiou argues for the existence of extensive literacy among Athenian citizens due to their involvement in democratic administration … she succeeds in bringing new considerations to a lengthy debate about Athenian literacy and showing how intimately it was connected with Athenian public life … the book is very much worthy of reading.' Pavel Nylt, Eirene: Studia Graeca et Latina