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12.athenian democracy
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- 2. In your notes… • How should we define 'citizenship'? Rank the 5 activities that every citizen must do.
- 3. The Development ofthe Polis, c. 750 BCE
- 5. Athenian Aristocracy, c.600 BCE • Economic basis = land • Government = ~6 archons elected by assembly of nobles each year • Oligarchy and aristocracy • Families were competitive • Indebted families become tenants or even go into debt slavery • Fleeing tenants and threats of civil war
- 6. What would YOUdo? • You are all archons • How would you solve this problem? • Reminder: hoplites pay for their own military equipment
- 7. Solon elected primary archon, 594 BCE • Noble birth; honest reputation • Revolutionary concept of citizenship • Cancelled all debt and banned debt slavery
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- 9. Solon as Poet To the people I have given such honor as is sufficient, neither taking away nor granting them more. For those who had power and were great in riches, I greatly cared that they should suffer nothing wrong. Thus I stood, holding my strong shield over both, and I did not allow either side to prevail against justice.
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- 11. The Tyrant Peisistratos,c. 560 BCE • Smooth-talking, wealthy aristocrat • Solon’s disapproval of assembly: “Every one of you had an empty mind!”
- 12. Harmodius & Aristogeiton • Murder Peisistratos’ son: the “Tyrannicides” artpiece in the agora
- 13. Cleisthenes: Father ofDemocracy? • Background • Sparta’s aid overthrow Hippias • Empowering the deme
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- 20. Brainstorm: Pros andCons?
Editor's Notes
- #3 Use as a basis for considering what it meant to be an Athenian citizen
- #4 Terrain of Greece The smallest were only a few square kilometres in size. Most of the city-states had populations of less than 10,000 people. Athens probably had a population of around 35,000 in 600 BC, and over 250,000 two hundred years later in 400 BC. The Agora was the heart of every polis: open space for political assembly and marketplace. Imagine the piazza today: Mediterranean city design.
- #5 Originally most poleis were monarchies…compare with Iliad Between 750-600, however, aristocracies begin to rule. ARISTOCRACY: power to the best. Power is still handed down to the children Sometimes a strong individual seized power and ruled alone. This was called a tyranny, from the Greek word turannos, meaning ‘absolute ruler’ with often negative connotations: come to power despite existing rules of government: often use of arms and charm is required of these men to retain power.
- #6 Kouros as representative of this aristocracy – funeral marker Athens was a small city-state. It had no great fleets of ships, extensive foreign trade, or network of colonies. Instead, its economy depended on its surrounding farms, especially the large estates owned by rich noble families, the aristocracy. The aristocracy ruled Athens. Nearly all government decisions and operations were in the hands of a half-dozen leaders called archons and lesser officials called magistrates. An assembly of nobles, most from wealthy landowning families, elected these leaders each year. The aristocrats ruled Athens to benefit themselves. They often formed violent factions to gain advantage over one another. Typically, a poor farmer had to borrow seeds and livestock from a rich landowner to plant his crops. The farmer was supposed to pay back this debt with a percentage of his harvest, but the main crops were olive and grape, plants that are difficult to grow. Overworked soil and drought often further limited the farmer’s harvest to barely enough to feed his family. If the indebted farmer failed to deliver the required portion of his crop to the rich landowner, the landowner could seize the farmer’s land as tenants or even debt slavery. In this way, the aristocrats grew richer as they extracted every bit of grain and land they could from the poor farmers. As more poor farmers fell into debt and slavery, their hatred of the aristocracy grew. The poor and landless demanded that the large estates be broken up and redistributed to them. Civil war and the rise of another tyrant threatened the peace of Athens.
- #8 The Athenians granted Solon, then about age 35, nearly unlimited powers to write new laws to end the conditions that had caused all the hatred and fear. He believed that all citizens, rich and poor, were responsible for achieving the common good of the city (not noble birth). Solon’s idea about the meaning of citizenship was new. Laws got rid of debt and debt slavery, BUT land was not redistributed among poor, which is what some had been clamoring for
- #9 Registered in 4 classes according to wealth (Previously it was birth) The four classes then made up the boule (by lot) and assembly (everyone) and assembly elected archons Boule proposed laws Nine archons elected only from two wealthiest classes and exercised law; functioned as judges Assembly passed laws proposed by boule Assembly as appeals court vs. archon court
- #10 "Laws I wrote, alike for noblemen and commoners, awarding straight justice to everybody," Laws were put up in public for all to reference
- #11 This was not a smooth transition: pleasing everyone Solon meant all groups were somewhat dissatisfied. But Solon argued it was up to all the citizens to make it work, so he left Athens and traveled outside Greece for 10 years. This is the same Solon who had gone to Asia Minor to speak with the wealthy king Croesus in Herodotus whereupon the story of Cleobis and Biton is found.
- #12 a smooth-talking Athenian named Pisistratus made moves to become tyrant around 560 BCE. One day Pisistratus entered the assembly wounded. He claimed his enemies had attacked him. He had actually wounded himself to gain the sympathy of the Athenians. The assembly appointed 50 armed men to protect him. Pisistratus used this force to seize power and make himself tyrant with the support of the poor people. Solon blamed the Athenians for the "wretched servitude" they brought upon themselves by permitting the tyranny of Pisistratus. "Every one of you has an empty mind!" he exclaimed. Soon after, Solon died. Pisistratus and his sons ruled Athens on and off for the next 50 years. Rival factions overthrew him two times, but he managed to regain power. One time he returned having dressed a tall woman as the goddess Athena who publicly proclaimed Pisistratus as the true leader of the city. The people of Athens fell for the trick. To his credit, Pisistratus benefited Athens in some ways. Athens began to grow as a center of commerce and the arts. He spent money on decorating the agora and instituting public festivals to honor the gods. Although Solon’s government reforms withered, his law code remained in force. After Pisistratus died, however, the tyranny became more abusive under his sons.
- #13 These two lovers were remembered as ‘tyrannicides’ even though it was for a personal problem that was the source of their anger. First statue of humans to be placed in Athenian agora (non-gods)
- #14 Cleisthenes came from one of the most prominent aristocratic families Had connections to other poleis (where his own family had been tyrants) to gain power in Athens. With help of king of Sparta he overthrew Hippias, son of Peistratos, in 507 BCE. Reminder that these political reforms over 100 years reflects struggle between aristocratic families for power: irony that it gives the people more power! Deme originally referred to any of the town, villages, or rural areas outside of Athens in Attica (cf. Beitou to Taipei). Male citizens came to be registered according to DEME (not wealth!). Tied to location – consider that the primary identity was your father but now also your deme. Imagine how this is meant to change your identity: not JUST your family…
- #15 The Demes provided make-up of city/land/coast. Where you were located and divided by tribes (not 4 wealth classes) These tribes provided the army, divided by tribes of the demes Everyone was in the assembly, which elected potential members for archonship, who were then chosen BY LOT selected archons for a one-year term Former archons then functioned in areopagus (only dealt with murders now) while everyone was chosen BY LOT to serve in jury ( Assembly made laws and met every 10 days (6000-8000 people) Boule was made up by all tribes who gave members BY LOT- assumed every male would serve on the council at least ONCE in his life. Two years for each citizen. Leadership of boule was rotated among tribes (every month or so) and they led assemblies and council meetings Keep in mind that all activities were accompanied by religious sacrifices and festivals – politics and religion (do ut des) closely linked Reminder: 490 was invasion of Athens. 480 was Xerxes invasion. So all of these decisions were made via democratic institutions
- #16 How the lottery system worked Why lottery? Avoid bribery; makes it clearly equal
- #17 Agora; Pnyx hill (which is to far top right)
- #18 Assembly met on the Pnyx hill. Sessions began in the morning and ended at dark. Each meeting began with a sacrifice. The agenda was set by the council and had to be posted 5 days in advance. Each item was read, followed by debate. Amendments were also possible from the floor. As each person rose to speak, he would go to the tribune, put a myrtle wreath on his head, and address the assembled people. The debate about the fate of Mytilene occurred at such a meeting and shows how it worked. The Assembly received foreign delegations, decided on war and peace, size of military expeditions, dispatched colonies and cleruchies, decided on building new temples etc., and supervised state finances and the food supply. - Assembly voted to help Ionian cities because Hippias had taken refuge there, of what the Athenians could take, and shared Greek heritage. One's speaking ability was the key.
- #19 Trials lasted one day. Men had to speak for themselves in trials. A class of professional speechwriters arose who wrote speeches for others. Waterclock was used to keep track of time and make things fair – about 6 minutes for these two jugs which survived for excavation
- #20 Probably dated to Cleisthenes; not certain until 480 BCE. Every year citizens could vote one citizen out of the polis who was deemed dangerous to the city. First decision to hold ostracism had to happen, then 2 months later they did so. Majority man had to exile himself for 10 years. Themistocles pops up in shards presumably for his idea of building a fleet in 480. He was eventually ostracised in 470s
- #21 Athenian reforms were considered radical and unusual for its time: many other poleis had to deal with tension between aristocracy and landless, but most remained oligarchical or tyrannical. Impediments were practical: combination of time, distance, and money might hinder the participation of a citizen