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Greek Interstate Associations and the League of Nations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2017

A. E. R. Boak
A. E. R. Boak*
Affiliation:
University of Michigan
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Extract

The political achievements of the Greek people are so manifold and so important that any student of modern politics naturally is tempted to turn to ancient Greece to find the origin of, or parallels to, recent developments in his own field. And so there are not wanting those who would see in certain unions or associations of Greek states anticipations of the ideas which are incorporated in the newly constituted League of Nations. However, the view that any close parallel to the League of Nations existed in the ancient Greek world is due, I believe, to a misinterpretation or idealization of the character and aims of these ancient associations. Accordingly, in the present article I shall try to give a survey of the chief types of interstate associations that arose in ancient Greece, besides suggesting certain changes in their current English nomenclature, which is apt to mislead the casual reader as to their true character.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Journal of International Law , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , July 1921 , pp. 375 - 383
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of International Law 1921

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References

1 For a more detailed account of this transformation of the earlier ethnic groups,see Francotte, , La Polis grecque ,pp. 96-105 Google Scholar; Keil, B., Griechische Staatsaltertümer, in Gercke and Norden's Einleitung, iii, pp. 299-311 Google Scholar; Swoboda, H., in Hermann's Lehrbuch der griechischen Staatsaltert mer, iii, pp. 3-15.Google Scholar

2 On the Amphictyonies, see Cauer, , in Pauly-Wissowa's Realencyclopddie, i, 1905 Google Scholar ff. A listof the pre-Roman religious koina among the Greeks is given in Giraud, P., Les Assemblées provinciates dans Vempire ronvain, pp. 40 ff.Google Scholar

3 For the symmachiai, see Francotte, , op. cit., pp. 162 Google Scholar ff.; Keil, , op. cit., pp. 370 ff.Google Scholar

4 For example by Bury, , History of Greece, p. 328 Google Scholar, etc. Phillipson, Coleman, International Law and Custom of Ancient Greece and Rome, ii, pp. 13 ff. and 19 Google Scholar ff., with more exactness speaks of the First and Second Athenian Leagues. See the protest of Fougeres in Daremberg and Saglio, iii, 1, 832, against the loose use of the epithet federal, and allied terms. British writers apparently use the word confederacy with reference to an association of states to whichthey do not apply the title confederation. See Encyclopedia Britannica, art. Confederation. However, there is no justification for its application to a Greek symmachia.

5 Inscriptiones Grcecce, i. 9.

6 Francotte, , 162 Google Scholar ff.; Keil, , 371 Google Scholar ff.; Thucydides, , i, 96 Google Scholar ff.

7 C. I. A., ii, 17—Michel, No. 86.

8 Keil, 373-4.

9 Kessler, J., Isokratesund die panhellenische Idee.Google Scholar

10 Beloch, , Oriechische Gesehichte, ii, pp. 572 ff.Google Scholar

11 Polybius, iv, 9 and 15; Niccolini, , La Confederazione Achcea, pp. 55 ff.Google Scholar

12 Upon the whole question of the Greek federal states I have followed Swoboda, op. cit., pp. 208 ff.

13 The constitution of this confederation has come to light through the recent discovery of the Oxyrhynchus Hellenica, q. v.

14 See the prelude to the Covenant of the League of Nations, and article 1, ibid.

15 See Tod, M. N., International Arbitration amongst the Oreeks. Oxford, 1913.Google Scholar