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 6-10 of 54
Page 11
... less ambitious desire to end a particular abuse; C. Meier in Chapter 14 asks in a general way how and why politics and democracy developed in archaic and classical Greece, and particularly in Athens, and gives an answer involving a more ...
... less ambitious desire to end a particular abuse; C. Meier in Chapter 14 asks in a general way how and why politics and democracy developed in archaic and classical Greece, and particularly in Athens, and gives an answer involving a more ...
Page 23
... less constant and prevented the emergence of a caste of super-rich, marrying and inheriting exclusively among themselves. Moreover, even if we may to tempted to regard financial interest as a major vector, it would be fatuous to deny ...
... less constant and prevented the emergence of a caste of super-rich, marrying and inheriting exclusively among themselves. Moreover, even if we may to tempted to regard financial interest as a major vector, it would be fatuous to deny ...
Page 28
... less a person than the Archon Basileus, one Theogenes, to whom Stephanos was currently serving as assessor. Now, Apollodoros brought the case because of his political inimicitia ['enmity'] with Stephanos, and brought it against Neaira ...
... less a person than the Archon Basileus, one Theogenes, to whom Stephanos was currently serving as assessor. Now, Apollodoros brought the case because of his political inimicitia ['enmity'] with Stephanos, and brought it against Neaira ...
Page 47
... less than three cheirotoniai all involving an exact count of ca. 5000 votes. On the other hand, if we assume that the majority was estimated by the presiding board, the elaborate procedure in cases of doubt is only natural, and we have ...
... less than three cheirotoniai all involving an exact count of ca. 5000 votes. On the other hand, if we assume that the majority was estimated by the presiding board, the elaborate procedure in cases of doubt is only natural, and we have ...
Page 56
... less than six Weibel agree, the show of hands is repeated. If the second show of hands is equally ineffective, the Landammann orders a division: all citizens must leave the Landsgemeindeplatz through two entrances, one for the ayes and ...
... less than six Weibel agree, the show of hands is repeated. If the second show of hands is equally ineffective, the Landammann orders a division: all citizens must leave the Landsgemeindeplatz through two entrances, one for the ayes and ...
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