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 8
... question which can be asked and the different kinds of approach which can help us to answer them. I have not limited myself to studies with whose conclusions I am in agreement: I indicate one or two disagreements, but I do not wish to ...
... question which can be asked and the different kinds of approach which can help us to answer them. I have not limited myself to studies with whose conclusions I am in agreement: I indicate one or two disagreements, but I do not wish to ...
Page 10
... questions about and to make sense of Athenian attitudes:24 she begins it by contrasting the 'substantial disengagement' of public and private affairs in classical Athens with the greater interlocking in Homeric society, the hellenistic ...
... questions about and to make sense of Athenian attitudes:24 she begins it by contrasting the 'substantial disengagement' of public and private affairs in classical Athens with the greater interlocking in Homeric society, the hellenistic ...
Page 15
... questions about how the assembly actually worked. Chapter 2, on voting in the assembly, is typical of these studies, and is one of the papers in which he has been able to use the Swiss Landsgemeinden to. 1 Many of the individual studies ...
... questions about how the assembly actually worked. Chapter 2, on voting in the assembly, is typical of these studies, and is one of the papers in which he has been able to use the Swiss Landsgemeinden to. 1 Many of the individual studies ...
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... question of how far phratry membership was in practice essential. See Harrison I 64 n. 1. 3 Exceptionally, isoteleis [non-citizens granted equality of obligations with the 18 1 Athenian Citizenship:The Descent Group and the Alternatives.
... question of how far phratry membership was in practice essential. See Harrison I 64 n. 1. 3 Exceptionally, isoteleis [non-citizens granted equality of obligations with the 18 1 Athenian Citizenship:The Descent Group and the Alternatives.
Page 19
... questions 'Who is to be, and who is not to be, in the Athenian community, and why?' were continually being posed by pressures from within and without: that the process of finding answers, and of justifying them, was a very important ...
... questions 'Who is to be, and who is not to be, in the Athenian community, and why?' were continually being posed by pressures from within and without: that the process of finding answers, and of justifying them, was a very important ...
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