Hierarchy and Conflict
Hierarchy and Conflict
Chapter 8 focuses on the philoi, the Greek ‘friend of the king’, and the conflicts among them. Philoi served the royal family first of all as military commanders, since there neither was a formal disconnection of the royal court and the armed forces; the standing armies of the empires were attached to the dynasty, not to some impersonal ‘state’. The philoi furthermore functioned as intermediaries between court and cities. Because they retained bonds with their families and cities of origin, and disposed of patronage networks of their own, the king was able to exert influence in cities through his friends; conversely, elite families and cities could exert influence at court through the philoi.
Keywords: Courtiers, Conflicts, Favourites
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