Imperi, colonie, federazioni tra teoria e prassi nella riflessione del baron de Sainte-Croix

Abstract

This article examines the political and historical reflections of Guillaume-Emmanuel-Joseph Guilhem de Clermont-Lodève, baron de Sainte-Croix (1746–1809), focusing on the relationship between theory and practice in his inter­pretation of ancient history. Through an analysis of Sainte-Croix’s writings on ancient republics, colonial foundations, and imperial expansion, the study highlights how the scholar employed Greek and Roman historical models to address contemporary political issues of the late eighteenth century. Particular attention is devoted to his work De l’état et du sort des colonies des anciens peuples (1779), in which he argued that Greek colonies were not politically de­pendent on their mother cities but maintained only limited symbolic and reli­gious ties. This interpretation allowed Sainte-Croix to criticize modern colonial systems and to support the legitimacy of colonial autonomy, especially in re­lation to the American Revolution. The article also explores the practical di­mension of his political thought by examining his involvement in the revolu­tionary events of the Comtat Venaissin and his proposals for institutional reform. Finally, it considers his reflections on federal political structures, in­spired by ancient Greek amphictyonies and by the emerging political order of the United States. By situating Sainte-Croix within the broader intellectual context of Enlightenment historiography and political thought, the article demonstrates how the study of antiquity could serve as a framework for re­thinking imperial power, colonial relations, and forms of political organization in the modern world.