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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 44
Page 31
... five-hundred-bushel men'] represents a shift, in the definition of those entitled to hold office, away from a descent-group definition to a definition in terms of economic resources. More tricky, in a Solonian context, is to argue that ...
... five-hundred-bushel men'] represents a shift, in the definition of those entitled to hold office, away from a descent-group definition to a definition in terms of economic resources. More tricky, in a Solonian context, is to argue that ...
Page 42
... five councillors chosen by lot be entrusted with the cheirotoniai. Under the democratic constitution it may be assumed that the prytaneis [“presidents,” the fifty councillors from one tribe] were responsible for deciding the outcome of ...
... five councillors chosen by lot be entrusted with the cheirotoniai. Under the democratic constitution it may be assumed that the prytaneis [“presidents,” the fifty councillors from one tribe] were responsible for deciding the outcome of ...
Page 45
... five cheirotoniai is in my opinion a moderate estimate of the votes that had to be taken during a single session. In the electoral ecclesia, for example, the Athenians must have voted at least sixty times. If all or most of the ...
... five cheirotoniai is in my opinion a moderate estimate of the votes that had to be taken during a single session. In the electoral ecclesia, for example, the Athenians must have voted at least sixty times. If all or most of the ...
Page 49
... five; the hollow, voting against, nil.”] IG II2 1053 lines 11–13. Cf. IG II2 1051 and 1353; 'Εφημερ 'Αρχαιολογικη ́ 1884, 167–68 line 3, where the exact figures are preserved: 3461 voted for and 155 against the proposal. Cf. further IG ...
... five; the hollow, voting against, nil.”] IG II2 1053 lines 11–13. Cf. IG II2 1051 and 1353; 'Εφημερ 'Αρχαιολογικη ́ 1884, 167–68 line 3, where the exact figures are preserved: 3461 voted for and 155 against the proposal. Cf. further IG ...
Page 55
... five were still left: in Glarus, Appenzell-Auserrhoden, AppenzellInnerrhoden, Obwalden and Nidwalden. Three were discontinued in the 1990s and those in Glarus and Nidwalden are the only two still in operation. My comparative study of ...
... five were still left: in Glarus, Appenzell-Auserrhoden, AppenzellInnerrhoden, Obwalden and Nidwalden. Three were discontinued in the 1990s and those in Glarus and Nidwalden are the only two still in operation. My comparative study of ...
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 |
Other editions - View all
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