Violence, emotions, and justice in the Hellenistic Period

Book chapter


Champion, Michael. (2023). Violence, emotions, and justice in the Hellenistic Period. In In Kiernan, Ben, Lemos, T. M. and Taylor, Tristan S. (Ed.). The Cambridge world of history : Volume 1 : Genocide in the ancient, medieval and premodern worlds pp. 257-277 Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108655989.012
AuthorsChampion, Michael
EditorsKiernan, Ben, Lemos, T. M. and Taylor, Tristan S.
Abstract

This chapter explores key episodes of extreme violence in the context of wars between Greek-speaking groups in the Hellenistic period. Case studies explore the phenomenon of destruction of Hellenistic cities and interrogate whether such destruction in warfare should be counted as genocide. The chapter identifies and compares conditions for extreme violence in the Hellenistic period, which was marked by continual warfare. It argues that competing discourses about justice, together with different emotional regimes related to justice, including anger, pity, and shame, serve both to moderate and intensify violence throughout this period. Where violence is taken to be just, views of justice as legitimate punishment and vengeance can ground acts of extreme violence, while view of justice as reasonable, equitable and gentle may moderate violence but could also be activated to justify extreme violence, if it is taken to be responding to extraordinary provocations or ethical and religious violations. These traditions of justice and emotional norms in the context of warfare in turn sit within a range of other cultural and political commitments which may both moderate and provoke extreme violence, including the development and maintenance of civic identity, legal and religious norms, and considerations of economic and political power.

KeywordsHellenistic violence; Hellenistic warfare; emotion; justice; ethics of war; genocide; rules of war; Cleomenic War; Social War; Polybius
Page range257-277
Year2023
Book titleThe Cambridge world of history : Volume 1 : Genocide in the ancient, medieval and premodern worlds
PublisherCambridge University Press
Place of publicationCambridge, United Kingdom
New York, New York
Port Melbourne, Victoria
New Delhi, India
Singapore, Singapore
SeriesThe Cambridge world history of genocide
ISBN9781108493536
9781108655989
9781108759731
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108655989.012
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online23 Jun 2023
Publication process dates
Deposited18 Jul 2023
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8z514/violence-emotions-and-justice-in-the-hellenistic-period

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 72
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 4
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Prolegomena to Philosophy and the Ascetic Ordering of Knowledge
Champion, Michael Wesley. (2023). Prolegomena to Philosophy and the Ascetic Ordering of Knowledge. In In Ayres, L., Champion, M. and Crawford, M. (Ed.). The Intellectual World of Late Antique Christianity : Reshaping Classical Traditions pp. 569 Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108883559.032
Modes of Knowing and Ordering Knowledge in Early Christianity
Crawford, Matthew Roy, Champion, Michael Wesley and Ayres, Lewis Odell. (2023). Modes of Knowing and Ordering Knowledge in Early Christianity. In In Ayres, Lewis, Champion, Michael W. and Crawford, Matthew R. (Ed.). The Intellectual World of Late Antique Christianity: Reshaping Classical Traditions pp. 1-20 Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108883559.003
Rhetoric, philosophy, and transformation in the thought of Michael Psellos
Champion, Michael. (2023). Rhetoric, philosophy, and transformation in the thought of Michael Psellos. In In Anagnostou-Laoutides, Eva and Parry, Ken (Ed.). Later Platonists and their heirs among Christians, Jews, and Muslims : Texts and studies in Eastern Christianity pp. 211-231 Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004527850_010
Dorotheus of Gaza and ascetic education
Champion, Michael W.. (2022). Dorotheus of Gaza and ascetic education Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198869269.001.0001
Philosophy as transformation in early Christian thought
Champion, Michael. (2020). Philosophy as transformation in early Christian thought. In In Parry, Ken (Ed.). Eastern Christianity and late antique philosophy pp. 133-149 Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004429567_007
Introduction : The language of affect from late antiquity to early modernity
Champion, Michael W., Essary, Kirk and Ruys, Juanita Feros. (2019). Introduction : The language of affect from late antiquity to early modernity. In In Ruys, Juanita Feros, Champion, Michael W. and Essary, Kirk (Ed.). Before emotion : The language of feeling, 400-1800 pp. 1-8 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429023279-1
Tradition and habituation in rhetorical and monastic education at Gaza
Champion, Michael W.. (2019). Tradition and habituation in rhetorical and monastic education at Gaza. In In J. R. Stenger (Ed.). Learning Cities in Late Antiquity: The Local Dimension of Education pp. 212 - 229 Routledge.
From affectus to affect theory and back again
Champion, Michael. (2019). From affectus to affect theory and back again. In In J. F. Ruys, M. W. Champion and K. Essary (Ed.). Before Emotion: The Language of Feeling, 400-1800 pp. 240 - 255 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429023279
‘A Possession for Eternity’ : Thomas De Quincey’s feeling for war
Champion, Michael Wesley and Stanyon, Miranda. (2018). ‘A Possession for Eternity’ : Thomas De Quincey’s feeling for war. In In Downes, Stephanie, Lynch, Andrew and O'Loughlin, Katrina (Ed.). Writing War in Britain and France, 1370-1854: A History of Emotions pp. 219 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429446245-13
After the end of philosophy of religion
Champion, Michael. (2018). After the end of philosophy of religion. In In J. Kanaris (Ed.). Reconfigurations of Philosophy of Religion: A Possible Future pp. 71 - 97 State University Press of New York.
Paideia as humility and becoming God-like in Dorotheos of Gaza
Champion, Michael. (2017). Paideia as humility and becoming God-like in Dorotheos of Gaza. Journal of Early Christian Studies. 25(3), pp. 441 - 469. https://doi.org/10.1353/earl.2017.0036
Reframing neoplatonism in Zacharias Scholasticus' Ammonius
Champion, Michael. (2017). Reframing neoplatonism in Zacharias Scholasticus' Ammonius. In E. Amato, A. Corcella and D. Lauritzen (Ed.). Colloque International de Paris, Collège de France, 23-25 Mai 2013. Leuven, Belgium: Peeters. pp. 99 - 115
'A pleasure to gaze on great conflicts': violence and Epicurean philosophy
Champion, Michael. (2017). 'A pleasure to gaze on great conflicts': violence and Epicurean philosophy. In In M. Champion and L. O'Sullivan (Ed.). Cultural Perceptions of Violence in the Hellenistic World pp. 157 - 173 Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315208329
'War is the father and king of all': discourses, experiences, and theories of Hellenistic violence
Champion, Michael. (2017). 'War is the father and king of all': discourses, experiences, and theories of Hellenistic violence. In In M. Champion and L. O'Sullivan (Ed.). Cultural Perceptions of Violence in the Hellenistic World pp. 1 - 20 Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315208329
Epilogue: Violence and its emotional representation in the Hellenistic World
Champion, Michael and O'Sullivan, Lara. (2017). Epilogue: Violence and its emotional representation in the Hellenistic World. In In M. Champion and L. O'Sullivan (Ed.). Cultural Perceptions of Violence in the Hellenistic World pp. 208 - 222 Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315208329
But were they talking about emotions? Affectus, affectio, and the history of emotions
Champion, Michael, Garrod, Raphaële, Haskell, Yasmin and Ruys, Juanita Feros. (2016). But were they talking about emotions? Affectus, affectio, and the history of emotions. Rivista Storica Italiana. 128(2), pp. 521-543.
Representing Emotions in Three Byzantine Orations of Michael Psellos
Champion, Michael. (2015). Representing Emotions in Three Byzantine Orations of Michael Psellos. In In M. Champion and A. Lynch (Ed.). Understanding Emotions in Early Europe pp. 27 - 49 Brepols. https://doi.org/10.1484/M.EER-EB.5.105221
Understanding Emotions: The Things They Left Behind
Champion, Michael and Lynch, Andrew. (2015). Understanding Emotions: The Things They Left Behind. In In M Champion and A Lynch (Ed.). Understanding Emotions in Early Europe pp. ix - xix Brepols.
Grief and desire, body and soul in Gregory of Nyssa's life of Saint Macrina
Champion, Michael. (2014). Grief and desire, body and soul in Gregory of Nyssa's life of Saint Macrina. In In D. Kambaskovic (Ed.). Conjunctions of mind, soul and body from plato to the enlightenment pp. 99 - 118 Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9072-7_6
The Siege of Rhodes and the Ethics of War
Champion, Michael. (2014). The Siege of Rhodes and the Ethics of War. Ancient History Bulletin. 28(3-4), pp. 99 - 111.
'The Academy and the Lyceum are among us': Plato and the Platonic tradition in the works of Aeneas, Zacharias and Procopius
Champion, Michael. (2014). 'The Academy and the Lyceum are among us': Plato and the Platonic tradition in the works of Aeneas, Zacharias and Procopius. In In R. Fowler (Ed.). Plato in the Third Sophistic pp. 259 - 278 Walter de Gruyter.
Explaining the Cosmos: Creation and Cultural Interaction in Late-Antique Gaza
Champion, Michael. In R. Mathisen (Ed.). (2014). Explaining the Cosmos: Creation and Cultural Interaction in Late-Antique Gaza Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199337484.001.0001
Book Review: Interpreting the Bible and Aristotle in Late Antiquity. The Alexandrian Commentary Tradition between Rome and Baghdad
Champion, Michael. (2014). Book Review: Interpreting the Bible and Aristotle in Late Antiquity. The Alexandrian Commentary Tradition between Rome and Baghdad. Classical Review. 64(2), pp. 431 - 433. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0009840X14000456
Performing and Transforming Cultures and Genres in Late-Antique Gaza
Champion, Michael. (2013). Performing and Transforming Cultures and Genres in Late-Antique Gaza. In In G Miles and M Borg (Ed.). Approches to Genre in the Ancient World pp. 142 - 158 Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Aeneas of Gaza on the Soul
Champion, Michael. (2011). Aeneas of Gaza on the Soul. In A. Mackay (Ed.). Australasian Society for Classical Studies. New Zealand: Australian Society for Classical Studies. pp. 1 - 11
Endurance, courage, and the life of faith in the monasteries near Gaza
Champion, Michael. (2011). Endurance, courage, and the life of faith in the monasteries near Gaza. Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association. 7, pp. 55 - 72.
Endurance, Courage and The Life of Faith in the Monastries Near Gaza
Champion, Michael. (2011). Endurance, Courage and The Life of Faith in the Monastries Near Gaza. Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association. 7, pp. 55 - 72.
Creation from Gaza
Champion, Michael. (2010). Creation from Gaza. Australasian Society for Classical Studies. Australia: Australian Society for Classical Studies. pp. 1 - 14