Hypothekai (Apr 2025)
The Hellenic World and the Barbarian World in the Ideology of Panhellenism
Abstract
According to a widely accepted scholarly view, Panhellenism was the first pan-ideology (from the Ancient Greek word Πάν, meaning “all,” “everything,” “everyone”) aimed at forming a shared supranational identity. It was in the works of Greek think-ers and orators that the concept of unifying all Greek poleis took shape. The emergence of Panhellenistic ideas dates back to the period between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, when the Greek world was experiencing a deep crisis in inter-polis relations. The search for ways to overcome this crisis became a catalyst for the development of theories advocating the need for the ethno-cultural consolidation of the Greek world. For the ancient Greeks, their self-perception and their understanding of their “own world” were shaped largely through opposition to a signifi-cant “Other” – the barbarians. The primary “Other” that played a defining role in shaping Greek identity and worldview was the Persians. Despite the fact that Greece was not a unified state and that not all poleis or Greek alliances prioritized unity in their foreign policy, Panhellenism quickly gained popularity. This was largely facilitated by Greek literature and education. The ideas of Panhellenism can be traced in the works of ancient Greek au-thors such as Aristophanes (c. 444–386 BCE), Gorgias (c. 480–380 BCE), Lysias (c. 445–380 BCE), Xenophon (c. 430–356 BCE), and others. However, the true “father of Panhellenism” can be considered Isocrates (436–338 BCE), an Athenian rhetor-ician who continued the tradition of epideictic oratory and in whose speeches Panhellenic ideology found its conceptual com-pletion. Although scholars continue to debate whether Panhellen-ism was fully implemented in practice, it was widely embraced both by ordinary citizens (as reflected in Aristophanes’ come-dies) and the intellectual elite. This widespread appeal played a crucial role in shaping how the Greeks viewed themselves and the “Others” in their world. In many ways, Panhellenism encour-aged the Greeks to rethink their identity, history, and future. A central aspect of this discourse was the image of the "“Other” – the barbarian world – through which the Greeks defined their own cultural identity and unique educational practices.
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