On Cabbage and Kings: Some Remarks on Ennio Biondi’s Book “La Politica Imperialistica Ateniese a Meta del V Secolo a. C. Il Contesto Egizio-cipriota”

This article is dedicated to the analysis of the example of modern Italian historiography of one of the most popular issues in ancient studies: the history of Athenian imperialism in the 5th century BC. It is emphasized that there are some positive aspects in the work, such as the reliance of the research text on sources, the author’s attention to the works of his predecessors, the desire for the most detailed presentation of problematic issues. Nevertheless, we can also talk about the presence of some disadvantages, typical of the works of young modern researchers. Such shortcomings can be considered, for example, the actual absence of original ideas, the controversial structure of the work, the excessive attention to detail, while not forming a single picture, the focus on the role of specific political leaders and at the same time – ignoring other aspects that determine the policy of the state, etc. The author comes to the conclusion that the attempt of a comprehensive analysis of the eastern direction of Athenian politics in the first half of the 5th century BC was only partially successful for the Italian researcher. At the same time, this work can be used to expand the understanding of Athenian foreign policy at the early stage of the existence of the Delian League.