Demagogues and Popular Culture in Ancient Greece

FAIN: FT-254202-17

Matthew Simonton
Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ 85281-3670)

Preparation of a book-length study on the popular political leaders of ancient Greece known as demagogues.

My book project, “Watchdogs of the People: Demagogues and Popular Culture in Ancient Greece,” represents the first comprehensive history of the demagogue ("leader of the people") in antiquity. Along with tracing the development and practice of demagoguery, it will utilize a popular culture-based approach to illuminate the concerns of everyday people as reflected in the rhetorical appeals of the demagogues. The book will ask timely questions concerned with the common good, such as when and why polarizing political figures arise, by what cultural appeals they attract a significant following, and how democratic societies can produce responsible leadership while remaining in touch with the concerns of average citizens.