Routes in Ancient Greece

Towards a New Approach

Abstract

Recent archaeological discoveries on Greek soil have shed light on the previously underestimated road system built by the Greek poleis, showing an extensive road network across central and southern Greece. The aim of this paper is to explore the possibilities offered by the archeological investigations from an historical point of view, going beyond the traditional exclusively text-centered approach. In political terms, late Archaic Athens offers a relevant case study due to the interest of the Peisistratids towards the road network, which was later the cornerstone of Clisthenes’ democratic reform. Secondly, some marble quarries in Laconia are explored in relation to the inland web of roads of the region.