The Delian League Radical Democracy in Athens Chios

The Delian League Radical Democracy in Athens

Chios, Lesbos, and Samos �Conference of Samos, want in on the Pan-Hellenic Alliance formed at Corinth in 481 �Sparta says, 'no. Too far. And if Persia comes again, you'll be toast anyway. ' �Athens says, 'heck, yeah! You're on our supply line to the Black Sea and we've got ships. Besides, you're Ionian. We love you guys. ' �Athens wins, Sparta goes home. Xanthippus of Athens stays and presses war against Persia in the region. �He's super cool and everyone likes him, so they like

Themistokles begins building the walls �Sparta wants him to come around and explain the walls. They have a symmachia, so what's all this about? He goes and says, 'tough. We're equals. '

477 Delian League �Not Athenian Imperialism (at first anyway. ) Athens asked to head coalition at constitutional convention �Protect themselves from Persia �Raid Persian possessions for vengeance and booty � 148 cities swear oaths and drop iron bars into the sea �Phoros to the league, usually ships and men. As time goes on it turns into money. �Very effective organization. Quick to act with plenty of resources. There's also a synod for consensus.

Rise of Cimon, son of Miltiades �Nobleman to the max. Friend of Sparta. Very popular with the masses. Elected polymarch for multiple years (479 -62). Leads the League against everyone. �Major reason why Sparta lets Athens get so big. �http: //www. larnaka. com/english/photo_gallery. shtm# �

Rise of the Athenian Empire �Cimon leads the league again Skyros, the pirate island, and makes the world safe from piracy. � 470, Naxos wants out of the League. Everyone says, no. So Naxos rebelled. They're put down, walls torn down, lots of money mandated for phoros. Fleet commandeered by Athens. � 469, Cimon defeats Persian force at sea, then pursues them on land at the Battle of Eurymedon. Totally pwn 3 d them. �Battle drives Persia completely out of the region.

Allies get restless with Persian threat removed � 465, *Thasos revolts* over argument about possession of gold and silver mines on opposite coast �Athens had also claimed Amphipolis �Many league members stop supplying ships, they just pay. Athens' navy gets really big �Two year siege, quite bad. Athens imposes usual penalty for revolt, but this time it wasn't about the League. Just money

Consequences of the Thassian Rebellion �Pericles, son of Xanthippus, and Ephialtes lead a political attack on Cimon: claim he's being bribed by Macedon (cf. the ‘birther movement’) �Cimon is exonerated, so they start attacking Areopagites. � 464, major earthquake in Peloponnesus; Major Helot Revolt. � Cimon wins the debate to send troops to Sparta's aid. �After a small setback, Sparta gets worried about having a big Athenian army associating with Spartans and sends them back home! Kinda like East Germans not wanting contact with the West. Insulted, the Athenians go home

461, Cimon is Ostracized

Periclean Democracy in Athens �Complete break with Sparta, renounce Persian War alliances and make a new one with Argos and Thessaly (Argos to make Sparta mad, Thessaly for cavalry) �Ephialtes assassinated. Mad Cimonian? Pericles? He was annoying, so it could've been anyone. � 450 s Pericles begins his political run with further reforms that give fuller political expression to citizens:

The New Ekklesia �Pnyx, 4 meetings a month �Treaties, declaring war, assigning generals. Open debate about major issues. Can you imagine national debate about what to do after 9/11?

Archons and magistrates �Polymarch becomes the most prestigious position (because you can always run for it again the next year) �Subject to euthuna – audit, and to a vote of confidence once a month �Votes also taken for positions requiring exceptional knowledge: naval architects, water works guys. Everyone else appointed by lot. �Remember equality was the guiding principle. No professional bureaucracy or politico types.

Judge and Jury �Well, there's no judge, just a jury. Radical democracies don't abide judges. Simple majority wins. �A slate of 6000 jurors enlist a year with this incredibly convoluted system of assigning cases. Eliminates jury tampering. �Cases argued by private citizens, no lawyers. �In case of conviction, each side offered a penalty and the jury voted on that. Jury votes are secret ballot. �Plaintiffs must win minimum majority of votes or pay penalty.

Flaws in Radical Democracy? �It requires a lot out of the citizens. �Backdrop for Socrates & Plato

Women's Roles in Athens �No political participation. �Frequently under the close protection of father or husband. Gynaikeion. Dangerous outside. �Marriages arranged. Typical ages 15 and 30. dowry. �Weaving �Priestess gigs are pretty good. Also being an epikleros. �More complex role than simply legal rights suggest: Greek drama. Antigone & Medea. �Dichotomy, even in the sources. �http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=YIm 1 d. YTv-m. Q

Athenian Slavery �War captives. One or two per oikos. �Farm workers mainly, not in big plantation things, but work along with their guy. �Mining, cottage industries �'Men and women who have been sold are no less free than their purchasers. ' – Plato