Athenian DemocracyPeter John Rhodes Oxford University Press, 2004 - 358 pages Athens' democracy developed during the sixth and fifth centuries and continued into the fourth; Athens' defeat by Macedon in 322 began a series of alternations between democracy and oligarchy. The democracy was inseparably bound up with the ideals of liberty and equality, the rule of law, and the direct government of the people by the people. Liberty means above all freedom of speech, the right to be heard in the public assembly and the right to speak one's mind in private. Equality meant the equal right of male citizens (perhaps 60,000 in the fifth century, 30,000 in the fourth) to participate in the government of the state and the administration of the law. Disapproved of as a mob rule until the nineteenth century, the institutions of Athenian democracy have become an inspiration for modern democratic politics and political philosophy. P. J. Rhodes's reader focuses on the political institutions, political activity, history, and nature of Athenian democracy and introduces some of the best British, American, German, and French scholarship on its origins, theory, and practice. Part I is devoted to political institutions: citizenship, the assembly, the law-courts, and capital punishment. Part II explores aspects of political activity: the demagogues and their relationship with the assembly, the maneuverings of the politicians, competitive festivals, and the separation of public from private life. Part III looks at three crucial points in the development of the democracy: the reforms of Solon, Cleisthenes, and Ephialtes. Part IV considers what it was in Greek life that led to the development of democracy. Some of the authors adopt broad-brush approaches to major questions; others analyze a particular body of evidence in detail. Use is made of archeology, comparison with other societies, the location of festivals in their civic context, and the need to penetrate behind what the classical Athenians made of their past. |
From inside the book
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Page 1
... citizens and a large subject population . If the Greek poleis had at first been ruled by kings , those kings had not differed much from the other members of the families which emerged most successful from the uncertainties of the dark ...
... citizens and a large subject population . If the Greek poleis had at first been ruled by kings , those kings had not differed much from the other members of the families which emerged most successful from the uncertainties of the dark ...
Page 2
... citizens no less than the others were subject to the tyrants . After the overthrow of the tyranny Cleisthenes , attempting to gain more popularity than a rival , in 508/7 introduced a new articulation of the citizen body based on 139 ...
... citizens no less than the others were subject to the tyrants . After the overthrow of the tyranny Cleisthenes , attempting to gain more popularity than a rival , in 508/7 introduced a new articulation of the citizen body based on 139 ...
Page 3
... citizens of libera- ted slaves . ) Making decisions was entrusted to the citizens directly , in an ekklesia , assembly , open to all citizens ( some kinds of business required a quorum of 6,000 , perhaps 10 per cent of the citizens ...
... citizens of libera- ted slaves . ) Making decisions was entrusted to the citizens directly , in an ekklesia , assembly , open to all citizens ( some kinds of business required a quorum of 6,000 , perhaps 10 per cent of the citizens ...
Page 4
... citizens as were willing to participate . The council oversaw the administrative process and saved it from excessive fragmentation ; the generals and other mili- tary officials were elected and could be re - elected . Justice again was ...
... citizens as were willing to participate . The council oversaw the administrative process and saved it from excessive fragmentation ; the generals and other mili- tary officials were elected and could be re - elected . Justice again was ...
Page 5
... citizen body , and to stress equality under the law and equality of political opportunity . RESPONSES TO ATHENIAN ... citizens often wanted to limit their powers they did not normally seek to abolish them . In the late eighteenth ...
... citizen body , and to stress equality under the law and equality of political opportunity . RESPONSES TO ATHENIAN ... citizens often wanted to limit their powers they did not normally seek to abolish them . In the late eighteenth ...
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Common terms and phrases
Acropolis Aeschin allotment rooms ancient apagōge apotumpanismos archon Areopagus argues Arist Aristophanes Aristotle Aristotle's assembly Athenian democracy Athenian Ecclesia Athenian politics Attica boule Brauron century B.C. cheirotonia choinikes citizens citizenship Classical Athens Cleisthenes Cleomenes competition Constitution of Athens Council courts decree deme democratic demos Demosthenes dikasterion dikasts drachmas eisangelia Ephialtes evidence festival fifth century fourth century Greece Greek Hansen Heliaia Herodotus Hesperia hoplite Hypereides IG iiČ Isagoras jurors jury kanonides Keramopoullos kleroteria leaders Lysias medimnos obols offences officials oligarchic orators Oxford P. J. Rhodes Panathenaia Peisistratid Pericles phratry Plato Plut Plutarch polis Politeia politicians poor procedure proedroi Prytaneis psephoi punishment reforms Revolution says seems show of hands slaves slots Solon Solonian Spartans speech Thuc Thucydides ticket-inserters tickets tribe trittyes trittys tyrants University Press vote wheat word δὲ καὶ τὰ τὴν τῶν