(Im)Migrants and Democracies: Ancient and Modern

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The volume explores perceptions and aspects of (im)migration during the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods, with a special (but not exclusive) focus on the role democracies played in the lives of (im)migrants and how (im)migrants affected host communities. We welcome contributions that examine individuals or groups of people exiting and entering communities governed by any form of democratic or participatory constitution within the Greek world and its periphery. 

The displacement in question can be either voluntary, forced, individual, or group, such as the sophists, wealthy non-citizens, or ostracised politicians in Classical Athens, the settlers in newly created Messene, citizens of member states moving between communities belonging to federations (Koina), individuals exercising the right of isopoliteia or enktēsis, and so on.  

The volume aims at fomenting discussions exploring two main themes: a) how 'democratic' ancient democracies were and how they perceived different forms of (im)migration, and b) which similarities, differences, and/or references the ancient world can still suggest to the modern world.  Our chief aim is to explore how ancient perceptions of (im)migration by democracies can help us reflect on analogous contemporary phenomena, that is, democracies and (im)migrants. 

We expect this volume to be the first part of a bigger project. Our overarching goal is to co-examine ancient and modern (im)migration to highlight strategies and perceptions of individuals, groups, and political authorities on the topic. A second Call for Papers will gather contributions from scholars aiming to draw comparisons or articulate case studies of similar incidents in the ancient world and more recent eras to frame (im)migration within a long historical context. The two volumes will be published by Isegoria Publishing Open Access, digitally.

Photo credit | Basel Alshekh Ali, Travel, 2019, 50 x 40 cm., acrylics on canvas. Private collection. ©Basel Alshekh Ali; photo courtesy: LES ÉCARTÉS (https://www.les-ecartes.org.gr/)