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
Page 1
... citizens and a large subject population. If the Greek poleis had at first been ruled by kings, those kings had not differed much from the other members of the families which emerged most successful from the uncertainties of the dark age ...
... citizens and a large subject population. If the Greek poleis had at first been ruled by kings, those kings had not differed much from the other members of the families which emerged most successful from the uncertainties of the dark age ...
Page 3
... citizens of liberated slaves.) Making decisions was entrusted to the citizens directly, in an ekklesia, assembly, open to all citizens (some kinds of business required a quorum of 6,000, perhaps 10 per cent of the citizens before the ...
... citizens of liberated slaves.) Making decisions was entrusted to the citizens directly, in an ekklesia, assembly, open to all citizens (some kinds of business required a quorum of 6,000, perhaps 10 per cent of the citizens before the ...
Page 4
... citizens as were willing to participate. The council oversaw the administrative process and saved it from excessive fragmentation; the generals and other military officials were elected and could be re-elected. Justice again was ...
... citizens as were willing to participate. The council oversaw the administrative process and saved it from excessive fragmentation; the generals and other military officials were elected and could be re-elected. Justice again was ...
Page 5
... citizen body, and to stress equality under the law and equality of political opportunity. RESPONSES TO ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY ... citizens often wanted to limit their powers they did not normally seek to abolish them. In the late eighteenth ...
... citizen body, and to stress equality under the law and equality of political opportunity. RESPONSES TO ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY ... citizens often wanted to limit their powers they did not normally seek to abolish them. In the late eighteenth ...
Page 8
... citizens to control the elite.19 Ober is one of those scholars, to be found particularly though not only in the USA ... citizen body of Athens favourably with the passive citizen bodies of modern representative democracies.20 THE SCOPE ...
... citizens to control the elite.19 Ober is one of those scholars, to be found particularly though not only in the USA ... citizen body of Athens favourably with the passive citizen bodies of modern representative democracies.20 THE SCOPE ...
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