Public Decision-Making in Herodotus

Abstract: This paper explores the language Herodotus uses and the information he gives on public decision-making in various states. He focuses normally on the body with the final right of decision, and his terminology does not always match that used by the state in question. The state about which he is most informative is Sparta, with various references to the ephors, gerousia (council of elders), the (not clearly distinguished) Spartiates (full citizens) and Lakedaimonioi, and to the Kings. From c. 506 Sparta consulted its allies before committing them to action; in the war against Xerxes there are early mentions of councils of the loyalist Greeks, and then ad hoc councils of war. Many Athenian decisions are mentioned: particularly worthy of discussion are the status of Miltiades’ family in the Chersonese and judicial decisions of the early fifth century. Of particular interest in Miletus are the nature of the tyranny, the status of Aristagoras during the Ionian Revolt, and Histiaeus and at.... https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/syllogos/article/view/91066

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Public Decision-Making in Herodotus ; volume:1 ; number:1 ; day:12 ; month:10 ; year:2022 ; Syllogos ; 1, Heft 1 (12.10.2022)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Rhodes, P. J.

Further information

• DOI: 10.48638/sylgs.2022.1.91066
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023063012375100936724
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:51 AM CEST