Political Performativity in Performance Culture: Xenophon’s Hipparchikos and the Dithyrambic Chorus
In: Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek and Roman Political ThoughtSearch for other papers by Vladimir Gildin Zuckerman in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
This article examines Xenophon’s suggestion for conducting cavalry displays in Eq. mag. 3 and develops the argument that the text is a significant document of Xenophon’s thought about political performativity as well as of 4th century Athenian political culture. I argue that one of Xenophon’s strategies to reform the relationship between the Athenian demos and the ideologically fraught elite institution of the cavalry was to conduct public displays that draw on the aesthetics and formal features of New Dithyramb. On the basis of my analysis, I argue that understanding political performances requires closer attention to specific audience expectations, aesthetic norms, and cultural power, and suggest that Xenophon was a political thinker and actor who was highly attentive to such issues in the Athenian context.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 244 | 244 | 18 |
| Full Text Views | 97 | 97 | 5 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 267 | 268 | 8 |
Political Performativity in Performance Culture: Xenophon’s Hipparchikos and the Dithyrambic Chorus
In: Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek and Roman Political ThoughtSearch for other papers by Vladimir Gildin Zuckerman in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This article examines Xenophon’s suggestion for conducting cavalry displays in Eq. mag. 3 and develops the argument that the text is a significant document of Xenophon’s thought about political performativity as well as of 4th century Athenian political culture. I argue that one of Xenophon’s strategies to reform the relationship between the Athenian demos and the ideologically fraught elite institution of the cavalry was to conduct public displays that draw on the aesthetics and formal features of New Dithyramb. On the basis of my analysis, I argue that understanding political performances requires closer attention to specific audience expectations, aesthetic norms, and cultural power, and suggest that Xenophon was a political thinker and actor who was highly attentive to such issues in the Athenian context.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 244 | 244 | 18 |
| Full Text Views | 97 | 97 | 5 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 267 | 268 | 8 |