1
Heritage for the Future, Science for Heritage,
A European Adventure for Research and Innovation
15
th
and 16
th
March 2022
European citizenship: an ancient heritage to fight for
Emeline Priol
ATER (graduate assistant), Ancient History, Université François Rabelais de Tours, France
Keywords : citizenship, Federalism, Ancient Greece, agency, heritage
Abstract : The integrations of cities in ancient Greece called sympolities (literally
"citizenship with") gave rise to the pooling of citizenship throughout the territory
concerned. Like European citizenship, sympolity can be seen as superimposed citizenship
or, more exactly, as an extended citizenship. This agency ability led the citizens to act at
regional level, so as European citizens. In this, extended citizenship is an active heritage
which give a specific meaning to the concerned group. Both sympolitic and European
citizenship are a driving force in the democracy diffusion.