Athenian DemocracyP. J. Rhodes Edinburgh University Press, 2019 M08 7 - 304 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 meant 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 the 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 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 manoeuvrings 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 analyse a particular body of evidence in detail. Use is made of archaeology, 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. |
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Page 4
... assembly, c.400). There were two principal respects in which democratic Athens differed from a non-democratic polis: there was no property qualification for the enjoyment of political rights (but even Athens had a qualification for ...
... assembly, c.400). There were two principal respects in which democratic Athens differed from a non-democratic polis: there was no property qualification for the enjoyment of political rights (but even Athens had a qualification for ...
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... assembly (cf. below). But in the twentieth century some scholars moved away from constitutional formalities. A. F. ... Assemblies of the Athenians, in Three Books. 12 G. Busolt, Griechische Staats-, Kriegs- und Privataltertümer; 3rd ...
... assembly (cf. below). But in the twentieth century some scholars moved away from constitutional formalities. A. F. ... Assemblies of the Athenians, in Three Books. 12 G. Busolt, Griechische Staats-, Kriegs- und Privataltertümer; 3rd ...
Page 8
... assembly (Chapter 2), the fourth-century mechanism for the allotment of jurors to law-courts (Chapter 3), payment for service in assemblies and juries and its effect on participation in those bodies (Chapter 4), and the different forms ...
... assembly (Chapter 2), the fourth-century mechanism for the allotment of jurors to law-courts (Chapter 3), payment for service in assemblies and juries and its effect on participation in those bodies (Chapter 4), and the different forms ...
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P. J. Rhodes. structural feature of the assembly-based democracy (Chapter 6), a study of the ways in which politicians manoeuvred within the framework of the democracy (Chapter 7), the function and the problems of competitive festivals ...
P. J. Rhodes. structural feature of the assembly-based democracy (Chapter 6), a study of the ways in which politicians manoeuvred within the framework of the democracy (Chapter 7), the function and the problems of competitive festivals ...
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... assembly has found a parallel in the Landsgemeinde of some Swiss cantons, and one of the purposes for which he uses this parallel is to support his argument, in Chapter 2, that when the assembly voted by show of hands the majority was ...
... assembly has found a parallel in the Landsgemeinde of some Swiss cantons, and one of the purposes for which he uses this parallel is to support his argument, in Chapter 2, that when the assembly voted by show of hands the majority was ...
Contents
1 | |
13 | |
PART II POLITICAL ACTIVITY | 159 |
PART III MOMENTS IN HISTORY | 237 |
PART IV A VIEW OF DEMOCRACY | 325 |
Intellectual Chronology | 349 |
Bibliography | 352 |
Index | 356 |
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Common terms and phrases
activity actual allotment ancient archon argues Aristotle assembly Athenian Athens attempt barley called citizens classical Cleisthenes competition Constitution Council count courts decision deme democracy democratic demos Demosthenes dikasts discussion doubt eisangelia evidence example fact festival fifth century five four fourth century give given Greek hands Hesperia Hundred IG ii2 important individual institutions interest jury kind kleroteria later leaders least less lines majority means officials originally Oxford particular perhaps period person Plut political poor possible practice present probably problem procedure proposal punishment question reason references reforms regard remained Rhodes rooms says seems Solon sources speech suggests taken tickets tribe University vote whole