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 55
Page 4
... speech-writers whose services could be hired but not legal specialists); the juries which decided the major cases were picked at random from volunteers and were large (at least 200). To enable the poorer citizens to play an active part ...
... speech-writers whose services could be hired but not legal specialists); the juries which decided the major cases were picked at random from volunteers and were large (at least 200). To enable the poorer citizens to play an active part ...
Page 5
... speech and Athenagoras' speech at Syracuse.6 While oligarchs tended to condemn democracy as rule by the demos = lower class, democrats tended to defend it as rule by the demos = whole citizen body, and to stress equality under the law ...
... speech and Athenagoras' speech at Syracuse.6 While oligarchs tended to condemn democracy as rule by the demos = lower class, democrats tended to defend it as rule by the demos = whole citizen body, and to stress equality under the law ...
Page 18
... Speeches of Isaeus (Cambridge, 1904). 1 Or, in the case of an epikleros ['heiress'], from a woman who has been allocated to a husband by the archon following an epidikasia ['adjudication']. 2 I ignore here the question of how far ...
... Speeches of Isaeus (Cambridge, 1904). 1 Or, in the case of an epikleros ['heiress'], from a woman who has been allocated to a husband by the archon following an epidikasia ['adjudication']. 2 I ignore here the question of how far ...
Page 22
... speech after speech to have been important. To speak of 'solidarity' here would perhaps be inappropriate, since the speeches which emerge from inheritance disputes reveal the usual compound of intrafamilial jealously, chicanery, injured ...
... speech after speech to have been important. To speak of 'solidarity' here would perhaps be inappropriate, since the speeches which emerge from inheritance disputes reveal the usual compound of intrafamilial jealously, chicanery, injured ...
Page 27
... speeches arising out of disputed enfranchisements shed some light on current attitudes. The speaker of the longer speech, Demosthenes 57, was vulnerable partly because of existing quarrels and factions within the deme of Halimous, but ...
... speeches arising out of disputed enfranchisements shed some light on current attitudes. The speaker of the longer speech, Demosthenes 57, was vulnerable partly because of existing quarrels and factions within the deme of Halimous, but ...
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