The emergence and the development of the Achaean federation: lessons and institutional proposals for modern societies

Abstract

In the present essay, we analyse the development of the proto-federations of the democratic city-states. We examine the political institutions and policies developed in the Achaean federation such as common defense and external policy, military organization, representative federal bodies like popular assemblies, parliament, generals as military and political commanders, federal finance ministers, etc., as well as its economic institutions and policies: common currency, federal budget and federal revenues. We offer arguments as to why the Achaean federation emerged and proved successful and finally, we offer some ideas as to how the Achaean federation would have faced a series of current global issues such as the European Union integration, global terrorism, etc.

The Achaeans and the Europeans: An Interdisciplinary Comparison of Federations

“…The citizens of the Greek federations and more specifically, in our case, the Achaean one, were willing to fight to preserve them because they perceived a community of interest and an increased personal welfare (mainly due to no barriers in commercial activity between city-states, which benefited all sides) from belonging to them (Mackil 2013;Economou, Kyriazis, & Metaxas, 2015;Economou & Kyriazis, 2016). Thus, our policy suggestions for the EU, if it is to progress towards becoming a true federation, is to introduce more democratization in the form of binding popular initiatives and referendums (direct democracy) and the direct election of its political leadership (such as the International Journal of Social Science Research ISSN 2327-5510 2016 President of the European Union and the European Union commissioners).…”

“…It has been estimated (Economou & Kyriazis, 2016) that the Achaean federal budget was at least 900 talents in 217 BCE, which is a very substantial sum, comparable to that of the strong Athenian economy's in the 330's, which had achieved an annual state budget of as high as 1200 talents (Amemiya, 2007;Ober, 2008) a very substantial amount of money for that era. This sum mainly had to do with high military expenditure, which was the main item of state's expenditure over time, up to the second half of the 19th century, from which point on, states started to implement new policies (requiring substantial expenditure) like education, health and social security.…”

The evolution of property rights in Hellenistic Greece and the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt

“…Cultural, racial and religious issues lay behind the causes of forming federal structures, however the most important reason was protection and the security policy of the small Greek city-states in an era when the Greek world was transforming towards federations and kingdoms. The next step was that this collaboration between the city-states expanded to economic/commercial issues, since it had proved successful and beneficial for the member city-states (Beck and Funke, 2015; Economou and Kyriazis, 2016; Economou et al , 2015; Mackil, 2013, 2015) and thus it became permanent.…”

“…Enktesis rights were granted to foreigners, enabling them to acquire land or a house (or both) by a popular resolution. Epigamia conferred the right of transfer of property in the form of women's dowries (Economou and Kyriazis, 2016: 99, 105; Mackil, 2013: 103; 2015: 491). These rights are specified in two inscriptions found in the Aetolian capital of Thermos: T57, recording a treaty and alliance between the Aetolians and the Acarnanians; and T58, known as the Proxenia Decree of the Aetolian Koinon for Kallippos and Kephalos of Pronnon, where they are granted the right to own property comprising land and houses within the federation (both inscriptions reproduced by Mackil, 2013: 495–500).…”

“…In the international bibliography there is a debate concerning the correct political/institutional typology of these political entities: Some authors, such as Grainger (1999), characterise them as leagues while others consider them as true federal states (Beck and Funke, 2015), and some authors adopt both terms. However, recent evidence shows that they could be better described as federal states (see, among others, Beck and Funke, 2015; Economou and Kyriazis, 2016; Economou et al , 2015; Mackil, 2013).…”