Democracy and the Athenians Flashcards
When was Solon Archon?
594/3BC
Reason for Solon’s reforms?
discontent between eupatridai and the poor masses. Solon was a eupatrid but apparently from a more modest family so he was chosen to be eponymous archon to mediate the dispute
What does Seisachtheia mean?
the ‘shaking off of burdens’
What did the reform of Seisachtheia do? (4)
- cancelled all debts of Athenians
- ended debt enslavement
- banned money-borrowing on the security of a human
- abolished the custom of paying 1/6th of income for land - thus abolishing ‘hektamoroi’
Who chose the archons before allotment was introduced?
the council of the Areopagus chose and supervised archons
What was the 500 bushel class called?
Pentakosiomedimnoi
What was the 300 bushel class called?
Hippeis
What was the 200 bushel class called?
Zeugitae
What was the <200 bushel class called?
Thetes
What property classes under Solon could be archons, generals or treasurers?
The Pentakosiomedimnoi and Hippeis
Why did Solon ban the export of all foods except olive oil from Attica? (source Plutarch)
If Plutarch is correct, it can be inferred that the aristocrats had previously been exporting grain for a better price than what they could get in Attica which would surely cause food shortages or famine for the poorer families
What roles could the Zeugitae fulfil?
junior magistrates such as managing the state prison or tax collection
What political rights did the Thetes have?
they could vote in the assembly or serve as jurors
Who may have introduced a Boule of 400?
Solon
Who instituted the selection of most officials by lot (excluding strategoi)?
Solon
Who standardised Athenian currency?
Solon
Who introduced written laws?
Draco
Who updated and built on Draco’s lawcode?
Solon
(with the exception of those regarding homicide)
What were Kyrbeis?
rotating panels displayed in the Agora on which Solon inscribed his legislation to allow for maximum publicity
Who instituted the right of any Athenian citizen to appeal to the Heliaia?
Solon
- lawsuits were still decided by archons and the Areopagus but Solon gave citizens the right to appeal to a jury of citizens
Who ensured the Assembly would meet regularly and that any male citizen could attend?
Solon
Aristotle on the importance of Solon’s introduction of the Heliaia?
‘when the people have the right to vote in courts they control the constitution’
Plutarch on Solon’s answer to what city he considered best governed of all?
A city where ‘those who have not been wronged show themselves just as ready to punish the offender as those who have’
Plutarch on some of the laws Solon introduced?
- laws on adultery, public speaking ill of the dead, and grieving too demonstrably in public
- laws on making of wills and the rights of heiresses
Basileus
King-archon
Polemarch
commander of the army
Archon (eponymous archon)
Senior Civic Magistrate
Thesmothetai
oversee disputes and the law courts
Who made up the Areopagus?
ex-archons
How many members did the Areopagus have?
150 ish
What did Solon do after his year as eponymous archon?
Herodotus says he made the Athenians swear an oath not to change his reforms, he then left for 10 years to travel abroad
In what years after Solon’s reforms was no archon appointed due to civil tension, according to Aristotle?
586BC
582-80BC
What 3 factions formed due to discontent at Solon’s reforms?
The Hill Party - Pisistratus
The Coast Party - Megacles
The Plain Party - Lycurgus
When did Peisistratus finally take control of Athens?
546BC
In what year had Peisistratus taken power in Athens, after which he had been thrown out twice before 546?
561/0BC
When did Peisistratus die?
527BC
How do the sources present Peisistratus what was his main policy?
Presented as a good ruler who significantly advanced Athens. He sought to consolidate rather than reverse Solon’s reforms and the only reform we see of his own is the introduction of local judges to solve disputes in the villages of Attica
Who took over after Peisistratus?
his son Hippias, with support from his younger brother Hipparchus.
Hippias in power?
after his brother Hipparchus was assassinated in 514BC Hippias’ rule apparently became cruel and as such he was driven out in 510BC
When was the Peisistratid tyranny forced out of Athens? By who?
510BC
- a group of Athenian aristocrats aided by King Cleomenes of Sparta
Who was Cleisthenes’ father?
Megacles leader of the Hill Party
(Herodotus says se was an Alcmaeonid too)
Who did Cleisthenes fight for power with until 508/7BC?
Isagoras, leader of the rival aristocratic faction
Around what percentage of the adult population of Attica had citizenship?
10-20%
How did Cleisthenes change the organisation of Athens in 508/7BC?
He split it into ten tribes and introduced the deme.
Change to the administration of demes under Cleisthenes?
each Athenian had to register in his local deme, and as such even if he moved to another area remained a member of his original deme.
- deme officials were required to keep a record of all men in the deme registered as citizens and at 18 young men had to register in their father’s deme and pass a citizenship test
How many tritties were in a tribe?
3
Change to naming system under Cleisthenes and its effect? (source: Aristotle)
he encouraged Athenians to identify themselves by the name of their deme, not their father, making a relatively classless naming system as compared to the previous system
How many men from each tribe joined the Council of 500?
50 from each tribe
eponymous heroes?
10 Athenian heroes whose names were given to the tribes. A statue of each was placed in the agora
Change to phratries under Cleisthenes?
this old tribal system where citizens registered with their phratry, that was led by and aristocratic family had no more political function but was kept for religious functions
How long did council members serve for?
One year. They could serve twice in a lifetime.
Age condition for a councillor?
over 30
Aristotle on the importance of sortition to Athenian democracy?
‘it is regarded as democratic when the offices are assigned by lot, and as oligarchic when they are elected’
What is meant by sortition?
the political system in which citizens were chosen by lot to work as a government force
How long was an ostracised citizen exiled for?
10 years
Who probably introduced Ostracism?
Cleisthenes (Aristotle credits him though it was twenty years after his reforms that the first ostracism was held)
Did an Ostracism happen every year?
only if it was voted for in advance
How many votes were required to ostracise an individual?
6000
When did the first Ostracism take place in Athens?
487BC
When would it be decided to hold an Ostracism each year?
December
When was an ostracism held?
Feb or March
Archaeological evidence of rigged ostracisms?
190 ostraka found on the acropolis with the name ‘Themistocles’ all written by a few hands. Themistocles was ostracised around 470BC
When was the office of strategos established?
Aristotle says 501/0BC and that it was based on the reforms of Cleisthenes.
Who tried 3 times to attack Athens in order to remove Cleisthenes?
Spartan King Cleomenes
When was Cleisthenes and 700 Athenian families driven out of Athens? What happened after?
- Cleomenes drove them out in 507BC
- the Athenian people rose up against Cleomenes’ actions, who was trying to establish Isagoras’ faction in power, and welcomed Cleisthenes and the families back again
What official did each tribe elect annually?
The general (strategos)
Herodotus on the strength democracy gave to the Athenians, in reference to their defeating of Cleomenes’ second attempted attack in 506BC when they had defeated both Boeotians and Chalcidians in one day?
He says that ‘while they were oppressed by tyrants, they had no better success in war than any of their neighbours, yet, once the yoke was flung off, they proved the finest fighters in the world’
isegoria
‘equal right to speech’
isonomia
‘equality in law’
What body of Athenian democracy had much more power after Cleisthenes’ reforms?
The Ekklesia
