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 32
... probably from ca. 440.63 In his later plays Aischylos was using words such as metoikos, metoikein freely,64 but we have no evidence here that metic status was regularized by then. So too, for obvious reasons, we can place no weight on ...
... probably from ca. 440.63 In his later plays Aischylos was using words such as metoikos, metoikein freely,64 but we have no evidence here that metic status was regularized by then. So too, for obvious reasons, we can place no weight on ...
Page 35
... Probably in 401/0 a further decree of Archinos 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 ...
... Probably in 401/0 a further decree of Archinos 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 ...
Page 41
... probably not assessed, since all sources dealing with diacheirotonia mention only two successive stages. So far we are on safe ground. The difficulties accumulate when we (Hesperia Suppl. 6, 1947). H. Ryffel, Die schweizerischen ...
... probably not assessed, since all sources dealing with diacheirotonia mention only two successive stages. So far we are on safe ground. The difficulties accumulate when we (Hesperia Suppl. 6, 1947). H. Ryffel, Die schweizerischen ...
Page 47
... probably a more or less modified copy of the Athenian procedure. 3. One more indication that the votes were not counted can be 18 Krinein is the verb used by Aristotle to describe the assessment of the majority, not only in this passage ...
... probably a more or less modified copy of the Athenian procedure. 3. One more indication that the votes were not counted can be 18 Krinein is the verb used by Aristotle to describe the assessment of the majority, not only in this passage ...
Page 50
... probably rounded. By way of contrast it is worth noting that the Athenian decrees discussed above seem to record exact numbers. Moreover, Aristotle's description of the table for counting pebbles (the αβαξ τρυπη ́ματα εχων [“board which ...
... probably rounded. By way of contrast it is worth noting that the Athenian decrees discussed above seem to record exact numbers. Moreover, Aristotle's description of the table for counting pebbles (the αβαξ τρυπη ́ματα εχων [“board which ...
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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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