Δάφνη Καλογεροπούλου

             Περίληψη

A qualitative cross-disciplinary analysis was conducted to explore Freud’s theory of group psychology in relation to a particular crowd that existed in antiquity - the Athenian Assembly as perceived by the ancient Greek historian, Thucydides. An established approach in the discipline of Classics was followed, which is a close textual analysis of a single source, through the lens of a set of questions derived from the psychoanalytic approach.  Based on Freud’s theory, the following questions were utilized as a frame of reference: Could we find evidence (I) that a group is in a "hypnotic" state and under high suggestibility? (II) that group members tend to lose their sense of individuality as a consequence of their membership? (III) that a group is impulsive lacking emotional restraint? (IV) that a group is held together by libidinal bonds? (V) that group members identify with one another and with their leader? (VI) that the leader is idealized substituting group members’ “ego-ideal”? It is hypothesized that the Athenian Assembly will sometimes be shown to reflect Freud’s theory of group psychology and other times it will diverge from it. If the findings indicate the latter, this might reveal a need to conceptualize group psychology in relation to a wide range of context-specific parameters, that could determine variability in group behaviour.