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 xv
... court at the 6 Dipylon Gate 7 Eleusinium 8 Eponymi , statues of 9 Erechtheum 10 Gaol Il Lawcourts 12 Leocoreum 13 New Bouleuterium 14 Odeum of Pericles 15 Old Bouleuterium = Metroum 16 Opisthodomos 17 Palladium , court at the 18 ...
... court at the 6 Dipylon Gate 7 Eleusinium 8 Eponymi , statues of 9 Erechtheum 10 Gaol Il Lawcourts 12 Leocoreum 13 New Bouleuterium 14 Odeum of Pericles 15 Old Bouleuterium = Metroum 16 Opisthodomos 17 Palladium , court at the 18 ...
Page 6
... courts and the assembly (cf. below). But in the twentieth century some scholars moved away from constitutional formalities. A. F. Bentley in 1908 suggested at a general level that a study of politicians and political groups could ...
... courts and the assembly (cf. below). But in the twentieth century some scholars moved away from constitutional formalities. A. F. Bentley in 1908 suggested at a general level that a study of politicians and political groups could ...
Page 8
... courts (Chapter 3), payment for service in assemblies and juries and its effect on participation in those bodies (Chapter 4), and the different forms of capital punishment and the rationale for their use (Chapter 5). Institutions are an ...
... courts (Chapter 3), payment for service in assemblies and juries and its effect on participation in those bodies (Chapter 4), and the different forms of capital punishment and the rationale for their use (Chapter 5). Institutions are an ...
Page 9
... courts to kleroteria,22 which for a long time were commonly thought to denote rooms in which allotments took place. The correct meaning was discovered by S. Dow, when he identified blocks of stone with slits in one face as allotment ...
... courts to kleroteria,22 which for a long time were commonly thought to denote rooms in which allotments took place. The correct meaning was discovered by S. Dow, when he identified blocks of stone with slits in one face as allotment ...
Page 15
... courts, payment for attending the assembly and serving on juries, the execution of men condemned to death – and which approach those institutions in a variety of ways. It is often stressed that the Greeks believed in citizen rights, not ...
... courts, payment for attending the assembly and serving on juries, the execution of men condemned to death – and which approach those institutions in a variety of ways. It is often stressed that the Greeks believed in citizen rights, not ...
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