Transcript Politics Forms of Government

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=people
cratis=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
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