Internal or External Borders? The Case of Elis and Ledrinoi

The question of drawing borders is always a question of belonging as well. This will be the focus of the lecture. It is a case study concerning the political association of Elis, which had a special significance due to its responsibility for hosting the Olympic Games. We know its internal order mainly through several inscriptions. A recently published text from the first half of the 5th century BCE, which contains regulations for the polis Ledrinoi (K. Hallof, Chiron 51, 2021, 99-122), offers further insight into the complexity of this order. The comparative analysis of the inscription in its context shows that there were different variants of belonging there and that it is not so easy to distinguish between internal and external boundaries as the concept of the modern state we are used to suggests.

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Scientific responsibility and organization: Elena Franchi