Classical Greece (480–325 BCE) is the first of my historical cases in which to demonstrate the power of the spirit and the central role it played in politics, foreign policy and international relations. It is an “easy” case because Greeks and modern-day scholars alike consider it a society in which honor was an important, if not the most important, value for the elite. The quote from Aristotle above expresses a belief that would have met little dissent from fifth- and fourth-century aristocrats, and a nod of agreement from citizens of other Greek city states. Although it is an “easy” case, it is a theoretically productive one because of the many differences between it and the Homeric ideal-type honor society. These differences, and the complexities to which they give rise, provide additional insights into the nature of honor societies, their tensions and the interaction between the spirit and other motives.

The polis emerged in the archaic age (750–480 BCE), by which time Greeks already had a sense of common identity.