Freedom of Speech in Ancient Athens

FAIN: FT-264816-19

Alex Gottesman
Temple University (Philadelphia, PA 19122-6003)

Preparation of a book on the concept of freedom of speech in ancient Greek Athens.

Scholars tend to assume that the Athenians held values very similar to the ones that are enshrined in our own constitution and legal tradition. But what did the concept of free speech consist of in Athens? What were the Athenians’ ideas and intuitions about free speech? Where did they draw the line between permitted and unpermitted speech, and under what circumstances? There is to date no book-length study of this topic. I am requesting an NEH Summer Stipend to support my research into this very old, but also very timely, topic.