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 7
... person's construction has as much validity as any other's.18 Thus in a review article on M. H. Hansen's The Athenian Assembly in the Age of Demosthenes J. Ober complains that 'in the absence of an explicit ideological point of view, his ...
... person's construction has as much validity as any other's.18 Thus in a review article on M. H. Hansen's The Athenian Assembly in the Age of Demosthenes J. Ober complains that 'in the absence of an explicit ideological point of view, his ...
Page 22
... person's] bilateral kindred who are related to him as far as the degree of 'children of cousins' (μχρι ανεψιωˆν παδων). There are difficulties in determining precisely whom this definition included, but they need not concern us here.18 ...
... person's] bilateral kindred who are related to him as far as the degree of 'children of cousins' (μχρι ανεψιωˆν παδων). There are difficulties in determining precisely whom this definition included, but they need not concern us here.18 ...
Page 26
... persons were disfranchised as 'illegitimately enrolled' parengraphoi,45 we have some idea of the possible scale of vulnerability. It comes as no surprise to find, as a frequent theme in Euripides, the reception of strangers on Attic ...
... persons were disfranchised as 'illegitimately enrolled' parengraphoi,45 we have some idea of the possible scale of vulnerability. It comes as no surprise to find, as a frequent theme in Euripides, the reception of strangers on Attic ...
Page 28
... person than the Archon Basileus, one Theogenes, to whom Stephanos was currently serving as assessor. Now, Apollodoros brought the case because of his political inimicitia ['enmity'] with Stephanos, and brought it against Neaira on the ...
... person than the Archon Basileus, one Theogenes, to whom Stephanos was currently serving as assessor. Now, Apollodoros brought the case because of his political inimicitia ['enmity'] with Stephanos, and brought it against Neaira on the ...
Page 29
... person involved, while the children born of the rape are exposed. However, they then turn up, to cause embarrassments and suspicions till the heavy use of the gnorismata ['tokens of recognition'] motif makes everything straightforward ...
... person involved, while the children born of the rape are exposed. However, they then turn up, to cause embarrassments and suspicions till the heavy use of the gnorismata ['tokens of recognition'] motif makes everything straightforward ...
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