This edited volume studies the role of popular assemblies in ancient Greek cities, beyond Athens, from Homer to Augustus. It explores the idea that these assemblies, as important participatory institutions, were an essential contributing factor to the surprising institutional success and longevity of the Greek city. Although its composition, functioning and powers could differ depending on the complexion of a city's regime (if it was democratic or oligarchic), the assembly constituted an abiding feature of Greek communities for hundreds of years.

Already in the Homeric world, the assembly is portrayed as an important political institution, and with the emergence of democracy in the late Archaic and early Classical period, its importance only increased. In the democracies of the Classical and early Hellenistic periods the assembly became the focal point in Greek politics. Yet, the assembly also continued to be a political actor of great significance in cities that are conventionally regarded as not, or no longer, fully democratic, such as the late-Hellenistic and Roman-era Greek cities. In these cases, the assemblies even provided non-elite citizens of non-democratic cities with the opportunity to participate in the government of their communities. The contributors, from across the world, show that the role of the assembly is an important key in explaining the remarkable resilience of the polis as a system of government.