Conclusion

Abstract

Abstract In the conclusion, discussion of a cluster of inscriptions attesting to Athenian interaction with the island of Keos in the fourth century provides a means of summarizing the arguments of the monograph and of emphasizing their limitations. The argumentative themes of the monograph come together in this illuminating comparative case from the fourth century: polis-level negotiations, conducted by the Athenians on a bilateral basis with individual communities, a network of influential individuals, the use of honorific diplomacy, the complex role of democratic ideology and practice, the assertion of power through monumental inscription, and localized and targeted Athenian exploitation where opportunity presented. But the case of Keos also provides an important caveat: negotiation did not always work, the Athenians’ relationships with allied individuals had limitations, and, most of all, the Athenians did not necessarily feel the need to negotiate at all. The Athenians used negotiation and hands-off approaches to extraction when such strategies served them well, but they always existed alongside direct rapacity and violence.