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 19
... It is a statement of the obvious to say that throughout the classical period Athenian citizens were not merely a descent group but also an interest group, disposing of privileges which were worth defending. Athenian Citizenship 19.
... It is a statement of the obvious to say that throughout the classical period Athenian citizens were not merely a descent group but also an interest group, disposing of privileges which were worth defending. Athenian Citizenship 19.
Page 20
... Citizens monopolized the economic privileges of owning landed property and house-property in Attika, of inheriting property from Athenians, of purchasing the leases of the silvermines,3 of being the recipients of regular or windfall ...
... Citizens monopolized the economic privileges of owning landed property and house-property in Attika, of inheriting property from Athenians, of purchasing the leases of the silvermines,3 of being the recipients of regular or windfall ...
Page 21
... citizen status but nonetheless remained politically outside, as cives sine suffragio ['citizens without the vote'].12 Even in the case of the only other group enfranchisement we know of, the offer to the Samians in 405, the terms of the ...
... citizen status but nonetheless remained politically outside, as cives sine suffragio ['citizens without the vote'].12 Even in the case of the only other group enfranchisement we know of, the offer to the Samians in 405, the terms of the ...
Page 23
... citizen court) more in common with the values of rentier citizens than with those of the poorer metics whose life-style they shared: and that the (sometimes complicated) interactions between the inheritance law and the adoption law did ...
... citizen court) more in common with the values of rentier citizens than with those of the poorer metics whose life-style they shared: and that the (sometimes complicated) interactions between the inheritance law and the adoption law did ...
Page 25
... citizen body. Citizenship was a valuable privilege, both economically and politically, and became more so as Athens ... citizen and non-citizen which are recorded on gravestones40 before. F West. CQ 38 (1944) 70 and 72–3 = his ...
... citizen body. Citizenship was a valuable privilege, both economically and politically, and became more so as Athens ... citizen and non-citizen which are recorded on gravestones40 before. F West. CQ 38 (1944) 70 and 72–3 = his ...
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