Peasant-Citizen and Slave

This took me quite awhile to read, but I am very glad I did. Not sure I can do it justice with a short review, it is dense, well argued, nuanced, and highly detailed. The world of Ancient Athens is painted in close detail, as an examination of the material conditions brings into relief the real values and power centers of the city.

There is a full-throated defense of democratic ideals, and of their genuine importance to Athens success. Woods gives a strong argument that the Democracy of Athens was not dependent primarily on slaves for its basic agricultural production and labor, and instead was mostly dependent on the farmer and the peasant farm-worker, and indeed this is why they ended up with such an elevated status, for that time, as Peasant-Citizens and given a democratic voice.