Dynasteia, idea of, GreeceCINZIA BEARZOT

The term dynasteia indicates (with dynastes,

dynasteuo) forms of unlimited power that can

become arbitrary in nature. In Classical-age

sources, dynasteia can refer to absolute

personal power, to hegemony of a city, or to

political power on a dynastic or territorial

basis.

Dynasteia is sometimes connected with

legitimate monarchical or constitutional

power.More often, however, the term indicates

a limited OLIGARCHY characterized by hereditary

positions and absence of the power of laws,

or TYRANNY of an individual or narrow group,

in opposition to egalitarian governments.

Dynasteia can also express the notion of “hege-

mony,” and seldom has negative overtones; in

this case, a territorial dimension is always pre-

sent, as hegemony is exercised on a territory or

within a sphere of influence.

Dynasteia can refer to various forms of per-

sonal power, which are absolute yet not neces-

sarily tyrannical in nature, hereditary, and

capable of exercising stable control over a vast

and articulated territory. The term is charac-

teristically applied to the Sicilian tyranny

(Sartori 1993). It also appears in descriptions

of Macedonian monarchy, and recurs in con-

nection with dynastic/territorial Greek states

such as Pherai or Phokian generalship during

the Third Sacred War (see WARS, SACRED). In

some cases, for example, Dionysian tyranny

and Macedonian monarchy, dynasteia is char-

acterized by a circle of philoi, which provides

some connection with the sense of “limited

oligarchy.” In the Hellenistic age dynasteia is

applied to Sicily, toMacedonia in the age of the

Successors, and less often to the Hellenistic

monarchies, highlighting dynastic and territo-

rial aspects. In the Hellenistic age, however,

the terms dynasteia/dynastes compete with

basileia/basileus and tend to be applied to

local potentates. The term dynasteia is amply

attested in POLYBIUS, for whom it indicates a

form of hegemony capable of exercising stable

territorial control, and is also applied to the

RomanEmpire, together with arche, hegemonia,

and hyperoche.

SEE ALSO: Basileus, Greece; Dionysios I;

Macedonia.

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Bearzot, C. (2003) “Il concetto di ‘dynasteia’ e lo

stato ellenistico.” In C. Bearzot, F. Landucci, and

G. Zecchini, eds., Gli stati territoriali nel mondo

antico: 21–44. Milan.

Erskine, A. (forthcoming) “Expressions of power in

Polybius’ Histories.” In M. M. Mari and

J. Thornton, eds., Linguaggio politico e lessico

storiografico in eta ellenistica. Pisa.

Levy, E. (1996) “La tyrannie et son vocabulaire

chez Polybe.” Ktema 21: 43–54.

Martin, J. (1979) “Dynasteia. Eine begriffs-,

verfassungs- und sozialgeschichtliche Skizze.”

In Historische Semantik und Begriffsgeschichte :

228–41. Stuttgart.

Ostwald, M. (2000) Oligarchia: the development of

a constitutional form in ancient Greece: 70–1.

Stuttgart.

Sartori, F. (1993¼1966) “Sulla dunasteia di

Dionisio il Vecchio nell’opera diodorea.” In

F. Sartori, Dall’Italıa all’Italia, vol. 1: 169–233.

Padua (¼Critica storica 5: 3–61).

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,

and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 2240–2241.

© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah04093

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