Lecture 11

15th February 2017

Athenian Government
The Development of Athenian Democracy {cont.}
Cylon (tyranny, c.640 B.C.)
Draco (codification, 620 B.C.)
Solon (sole archon, 594 B.C.)
o Economic Reforms:
Annulled all debts of the farmers, who how were in heavy debts to the
aristocrats.
Prohibited export of wheat; encourage the cultivation of olives for
consumption/ use at home and abroad.
o Political Reforms
System of Four classes based on property wealth;
Top two classes eligible to be elected annually to the board of the
Nine Archons
All three upper classes eligible to hold public office and serve on a
new council (below)
Only the lowest class was excluded from public office, but they
became members of a more powerful Ekklesia. (Page 50, bottom
paragraph)
Boule (new Council) of 400 (100 representatives from each other the 4
original kinship tribes
The Ekklesia is now no longer subject to the Areopagus
(aristocracy), as the Boule acts at it steering wheel
o Judicial Reforms:
Heliaia {court of the people}
Gave the people power to run the state, instead of it being
organized along aristocrats line.
Members are taken from the Ekklesia

The Constitution of Athens

The board of the Nine Archons
Areopagus = Council of Ex-Archons
o {After 487 B.C. Archons came to be selected by lots & in 462/461 the authority
became limited to matters involving religion, homicides and arson}
Boule = Council of 400 {later 500} of male citizens 30 years or older from the 4 kinship
tribes
Ekklesia = Assembly of all male citizens over the age of 18
2nd Half of 6th Century: Tyranny in Athens Renewed
Peisistratus (561 B.C. - 546 -527)
o Succeed by his two sons:
Hipparchus (d. 514)
Hippias (ousted 510)
Later joined the Persians
Cleisthenes (reformed the system c. ***)

Reforms of Cleisthenes
Ekklesia
Boule / Council of 400 became the council of 500
o Created 10 new tribes that were made up of a mixed of people rather than just
one section, to avoid problems that could lead to tyranny.
They had an equal number of representatives that were chosen from
geographical area
The Hills (ie shepards/ herders)
The coast (ie fishermen)
The Plain (is farmers)
o A given tribe for 30 days would act as the whole for the council and during that
time, it was said that they were holding the prytanis [pl. pryaneis] (president);
prythaneia = presidency.
Areopagus
o Used a lot ager 487 B.C.; jurisdiction limited to religion, homicide, and arson
Board of Ten Stragergoi (sg. Strategos)
o Cf. the Board of Nine Archons, whose members were elected by lot after 487 B.C
o It became the dominate party of the state, as they are elected annual rather
than being picked by lots
Use of lots
o Means that everyone has the same chance of being selected
o Reduces civil unrest that could have been caused by people thinking that the
appointment was not fair
Ostracism
o [cf. ostracon (pl. ostraca) => potsherd]
o It was a way of exiling a person for 10 years at a time, the voting took place in
the market and given that enough votes were cast it was valid.
o Property of the person was not seized, and the person could return after the
time and collect it.
o It severed to prevent any one person from gaining too much power.