Abstract
Abstract Political philosophers have asked why political power legitimises both the protection and exclusion of individuals. In this historical analysis of the transformation of ancient Athens from tribe to Empire, we examine immigration as an agency of great significance. Our claim is that immigration was essential in the creation of the economic wealth necessary for the realisation of the political. If so, how did asylum function in pre-political Athens? How does archaic suppliancy and asylum rituals compare with the juridico-legal concepts of the classical polis? Does the appearance of the political rely on an ambivalent relationship between citizen and non-citizen? Is there a moral question to be asked regarding the de-politicization and exploitation of the stranger?