Ancient Greeks Athenian Democracy Solon archon 5943 B

Ancient Greeks Athenian Democracy

Solon • • archon 594/3 B. C. seisachtheia—“shaking-off of burdens” Liberated the hektēmoroi—“sixth-parters” Toppled the horoi—“boundary stones”—of Attika Granted citizenship to immigrant craftsmen Banned export of agricultural products other than olive oil Compiled a new code of laws that superseded Draco’s code of 621 B. C. Created a process for public appeals of magistrates’ verdicts in the ēliaia

Solon’s organization of Athenian citizenry Four census classes based on wealth: – pentakosiomedimnoi—“five-hundred-measuresmen” – hippeis—“horesmen” – zeugitai—“yokemen” thetes—“poor” Boulē—Council of 400 Areopagos Council

Athenian law Archaeological evidence from the Agora Museum in Athens – klepsydra—“water clock” bronze juror ballots – pinakia—“identification tablets” – kleoterion—“allotment machine”

The consequences of Solon’s reforms • Solon and Croesus (Herodotus 1. 30 -33) • Pisistratos—tyrant of Athens • Hippias and Hipparkhos • The Tyrannicides, Harmodios and Aristogeiton

Cleisthenes Takes power from political rival Isagoras in 508 B. C. Dēmokratia—“power of the people” • demes—villages or city neighborhoods • phylai—“tribes”: increased from four to ten • trittyes—“thirds”: coast, inland, and city Council of 500

Athenian Assembly Ekklēsia—Athenian Assembly where all citizens (excluding women, children, and slaves) were free to discuss the issues, vote, and put decisions into action. Pnyx (hill where legislature met Bema—“speaker’s platform”

Democracy Pericles’ Funeral Oration (epitaphios logos)— Thucydides 2. 34 -46 • Male citizens - 11% • Women & Children - 24% • Metics - 10% • Slaves - 54%

Comparison ANCIENT ATHENS MODERN USA PARTICIPATION REPRESENTATION LOTTERY ELECTION SOVEREIGN DEMOS SEPARATION OF POWERS LAW: PRAGMATIC LAW: TRANSCENDENTAL

Sources for Athenian History and Democracy Anderson, Greg. The Athenian Experiment: Building an Imagined Political Community in Ancient Attica, 508 -490 B. C. (Ann Arbor, 2003). Camp, John, and Elizabeth Fisher. The World of the Ancient Greeks (London, 2002). Forrest, W. G. The Emergence of Greek Democracy (London, 1966). Pomeroy, Sarah, Stanley Burstein, Walter Donlan, and Jennifer Roberts. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History (New York, 1998).