Athenian Democracy

• How would you define democracy?

• Consider the definition below provided by the Greek Historian Herodotus in the fifth century BCE.

Herodotus, Histories 3.80

Aristotle’s Politics

• Forms of Government• Monarchy (The rule of

one.)• Aristocracy (The rule

of the elite.)• Democracy (The rule

of the people.)

• Corrupted Forms• Tyranny• Oligarchy• Demagoguery or

Anarchy

deme=peoplecratis=power

• Thesis: Athenian democracy was paradoxical in that it was both radically hierarchical and radically egalitarian.

• Hierarchical: It excluded a large segment of the population: women, slaves, foreigners, children (Only adult male citizens, perhaps 10-20% of the population could participate politically.)

• Egalitarian: It was not representative democracy, but direct democracy. All citizens made laws and decisions for the polis, not special legislators. All citizens held political office during their lifetimes.

Athenian Democracy

• I. Political Changes and Reforms to the end of the Sixth Century

• II. The Athenian Constitution (Politeia) in the Fifth Century BCE

• III. Athenian Government in Practice

I. Political Changes and Reforms in Athens to the end of the Sixth Century

• 1. By 700 BCE a ruling aristocracy replaced kings• 2. Solons Reforms (c. 594 BCE)

– All citizens could vote, but not all could hold magisterial offices; ended slavery for debt

• 3. Period of Populist Tyrants (546-510 BCE)• 4. Cleisthenes Reforms (c. 508 BCE)

– All citizens could hold office

II. Athenian Constitution (Politeia)

• 1 Citizenship (18; if both parents citizens)• 2 Citizen Assembly (Ekklesia)

– Met at least once a week; all citizens could attend, speak in, and vote on laws and decisions

• 3 Political and Administrative Offices– Chosen by lottery; term limits of one year, never two

years in a row; same office only twice in one’s life

• 4 Courts – no legal professionals only private citizens

• 5 The Theoretical Purpose: A fragmentation of power (of influential families/clans/individuals)

– The government structure made it difficult for individuals or groups (powerful families) to accumulate power.

– We think of equality in terms of rights. Ancient Athenians also considered citizens functionally equal in the sense of being interchangeable (like hoplites in the phalanx)

III. Athenian Government in Practice

• 1. Compared to Modern Democracies– Why don’t people vote in US elections? Very

low participation in modern US democracy.• 2. Widespread and active participation in ancient

Athens• 3. A Relationship between Equality and Hierarchy?

– Patriarchy– Slavery– Empire

• Did direct democracy exist because of the many forms of hierarchy that supported it (participation possible because of social and political order)?

Patriarchy

• Disparity in marriage age

• Wives had limited public presence

• Prostitutes and Courtesans (hetairai); typically foreign women and slaves– Aspasia (Pericles lover and companion)

• Pederasty among the elites (love of youths/adolescents)

Slavery

• A Slave Society: – Fifth-century Athens perhaps 250,000 with a slave

population of 80,000

• Prisoners of War– Not a racial slavery; those who were reduced to slavery

through war and piracy

• Served in Diverse Occupations– Private slaves: artisans, managers, domestic servants,

secretaries, miners– Public slaves: police, executioners, clerks

Athenian Imperialism

• Athens as the Head of the Delian League– Appropriated the League Treasury– Forced Membership (“allies could not

withdraw)

• Growing Dominance over Other Greek poleis