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 21
... seems to show that it came to denote some sort of favoured metic status.10 So too with the members of other refugee communities such as Olynthians or Thebans, named as such in their capacities as slave-owners at Athens in manumission ...
... seems to show that it came to denote some sort of favoured metic status.10 So too with the members of other refugee communities such as Olynthians or Thebans, named as such in their capacities as slave-owners at Athens in manumission ...
Page 30
... seems to think in terms of a highly permeable, perhaps non-existent, boundary between class [A] on the one hand and citizenship by criteria (1) and (2) on the other. Classical Athens still cares mainly about defining class [B], but does ...
... seems to think in terms of a highly permeable, perhaps non-existent, boundary between class [A] on the one hand and citizenship by criteria (1) and (2) on the other. Classical Athens still cares mainly about defining class [B], but does ...
Page 31
... seems to be a hapax [unique occurrence of the word] but I see no means of telling whether that fact tells for or against genuineness. Cf. most recently D.A. Jackson, East Greek Influence on Attic Vase-Painters (Hellenic Society ...
... seems to be a hapax [unique occurrence of the word] but I see no means of telling whether that fact tells for or against genuineness. Cf. most recently D.A. Jackson, East Greek Influence on Attic Vase-Painters (Hellenic Society ...
Page 32
... seems to reflect the same tradition in saying that at Athens after the expulsion of the tyrants Kleisthenes 'put into tribes many foreigners and slave metics'.66 The tradition has long been a battleground,67. 63 Thuc. 2.31.2: Davies, JHS ...
... seems to reflect the same tradition in saying that at Athens after the expulsion of the tyrants Kleisthenes 'put into tribes many foreigners and slave metics'.66 The tradition has long been a battleground,67. 63 Thuc. 2.31.2: Davies, JHS ...
Page 35
... seems to have re-enacted the graduated privileges, of citizenship or isoteleia, to the partisans of Phyle in much the same terms as the decree of Thrasyboulos (no. (3) above) which Archinos himself had had rescinded.78 (9) In 396/5 a ...
... seems to have re-enacted the graduated privileges, of citizenship or isoteleia, to the partisans of Phyle in much the same terms as the decree of Thrasyboulos (no. (3) above) which Archinos himself had had rescinded.78 (9) In 396/5 a ...
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