During the Archaic Age in Athens from 800 to 600 BC, Athens experienced significant changes including influences from other civilizations, migration due to population growth, and the rise of city-states. Power began to shift from noble families to commoners as the importance of hoplites grew and Solon and later Cleisthenes implemented reforms granting more rights to commoners and establishing democracy. However, citizenship excluded women, slaves, and foreigners, and Athens relied on slavery for its economy and workforce. The democracy gave all citizens a direct role in political decisions through the Assembly. The Peloponnesian Wars from 431 to 404 BC marked the end of Athens' golden age as it was defeated by Sparta.

1. GREEK POLITICS:
ATHENS

2. CHANGES DURING THE ARCHAIC AGE (800
TO 600 B.C.)
 Outside influences:
 Egyptians: Architecture
 Babylonians: Math
 Phoenicians: Alphabet
 Migration
 Driven by population growth
 Western Mediterranean, the Black Sea
 City life
 City-states (poleis) gained prosperity

3. POWER TO COMMONERS
 In the Archaic Age, noble families
governed Athens
 An oligarchy or aristocracy
 Due to military changes, commoners
slowly gained power and rights
 Importance of hoplites (foot soldiers)
 Reduced the power of aristocrats, who
were horse warriors
 Solon: an aristocrat who reformed the
laws of Athens and extended rights to
commoners

4. TYRANNY TO DEMOCRACY
 In ancient Greece, the word “tyrant”
did not necessarily mean a bad ruler
 Tyrants did gain power by force—often
appealed to the common people and
weakened aristocrats
 The Athenian tyrant Peisistratus
appealed to the poor
 Peisistratus’ sons were harsh, but not
effective—lost power by 510 B.C.

5. DEMOKRATIA
 “Rule by the common people”
 After end of tyranny, nobles
contended for power
 An aristocrat named Cleisthenes
gained the power of the people by
promising radical reforms
 Instead of taking power for himself,
gave power to the Assembly (all
citizens)
 Poor commoners suddenly had the
same rights as nobles

6. CITIZENS AND NON-CITIZENS
 Citizens: All free men whose parents
had been born in Athens
 Excluded: Women, slaves, foreigners
(metics)
 Slaves made up one-third of the
population of Athens
 The democracy depended on slavery—
work in mines
 10-15% of city’s inhabitants
participated in politics

7. LAWMAKING
 All citizens could vote on political
decisions directly in the Assembly
 The Assembly’s power was total (no
separation of powers)
 Leaders like the strategos (general)
elected for a limited term
 Most offices were filled by citizens who
were chosen randomly—the Council of
500
 Voting took place on the Pnyx hill—
used pieces of stone (ostraka)
 Power of persuasion (Pericles,
Demosthenes)

8. PELOPONNESIAN WARS
 First Peloponnesian War (431-404
BCE): Athenian Empire goes to war
against Sparta.
 Sparta repeatedly invades Attica
 Athens raids the coast of Peloponnese
 Treaty: Peace of Nicias (421)
 Athens attacks Syracuse
 Sparta responds by enlisting Persia to
help; foment rebellion in Athenian
subject states.
 Forces Athens to surrender.
 By the end of the Wars, Golden Age of
Greece is over.

9. ANALYSIS OF THE WARS
 Athens, at one time representative of
Greek democracy, art, and progress,
reduced to subjugation by Sparta.
 Sparta represents oligarchy, or rule by
few over many.
 The Wars mark the beginning of all-out
conflict between city-states.
 The beginning of modern warfare?
 Used as a model of international
conflict – states build up alliances,
lack communication, and ultimately
go to war over perceived
transgressions.

10. PERICLES’ FUNERAL ORATION
 Following the Peloponnesian Wars,
Pericles, a famous Athenian politician,
gives a speech as part of the annual
public funeral for the war dead.
 Modern parallel? The Gettysburg
Address, from Abraham Lincoln,
draws heavily on the devices used by
Pericles.

11. HERODOTUS