THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE STATE IN MYCENAEAN GREECE

Abstract

Abstract Understanding of Mycenaean palatial administration has moved from a monolithic view of the palace as having total control over the economy of a given state, to a binary model that imagines a non-palatial sector of the state economy alongside the palatial. Further research suggests, however, that we should rather think of a continuum, with individuals and groups involved in various ways and to various degrees with the central palatial administration, from full-time interaction to no contact at all. The evidence shows the negotiating power of individuals, and also the role of the palace as a consumer rather than simply as a producer. This paper brings together some indications of such a continuum, drawn chiefly from the Linear B tablets. It closes with a brief look at relevant archaeological evidence: the use of seals to indicate status and authority, and the evidence of non-palatial settlements within palatial states.

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