Download Aristotle`s Athenian Constitution

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Class
Date
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Ancient Greece
Aristotle’s Athenian
Constitution
ABOUT THE READING The famous Greek
thinker Aristotle wrote about many different
subjects, including poetry, history, and science.
Around 350 BC, he collected information
about the constitutions then in use by different
Greek city-states. Aristotle knew Athens well.
He moved to that city-state as a teenager and
was a teacher there for many years.
As you read think about why Aristotle might
have considered it important to record the details
about how a city-state governed itself.
VOCABULARY
jurisdiction rule; power;
authority
demesmen members of a
community, or deme
Piraeus an important port
near Athens
elapsed passed, in relation
to time
Part 41
Most of Aristotle’s writings have been lost over the
centuries. Although his description of the constitution
of Athens is very long, most of it survives.
The democracy has made itself master of everything and [runs] everything by its votes in the
Assembly and by the law-courts, in which it holds
the supreme power. Even the jurisdiction of the
Council has passed into the hands of the people at
large; and this appears to be a [wise] change, since
small bodies are more open to corruption, whether
by actual money or influence, than large ones. At
first they refused to allow payment for attendance
at the Assembly; but the result was that people did
not attend. [Then, after many ways to get citizens to
vote failed, it was agreed to pay a certain amount to
each citizen who voted.]
One of Aristotle’s fears is that
a small group of citizens might
easily be tempted by someone
outside the group to accept money
to vote a certain way.
Source: Excerpts from Parts 41 & 42 of “The Athenian Constitution”
by Aristotle; translated by Sir Frederic G. Kenyon, from:
http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/athenian_const.html
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Ancient Greece
Name
Class
Aristotle’s Athenian Constitution, continued
Date
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Part 42
Here Aristotle describes the training of male citizens.
All male and female citizens were required to obey the
laws and worship the gods of their city.
The present state of the constitution is as follows.
The franchise is open to all who are of citizen birth
by both parents. They are enrolled . . . at the age of
eighteen. On the occasion of their enrollment the
demesmen give their votes on oath, first whether
the candidates appear to be of the age prescribed by
law (if not, they are dismissed back into the ranks
of the boys), and secondly whether the candidate is
free born and of such parentage as the laws require
. . . After this the Council examines those who have
been enrolled, and if it comes to the conclusion
that any of them is less than eighteen years of age,
it fines the demesmen who enrolled him. When
the youths . . . have passed this examination, their
fathers meet . . . and appoint on oath three of their
fellow tribesmen, over forty years of age, who, in
their opinion, are the best and most suitable
persons to have charge of the youths; and of these
the Assembly elects one from each tribe as guardian,
together with a director, chosen from the general
body of Athenians . . . Under the charge of these
persons the youths first of all make the circuit of
the temples; then they proceed to Piraeus, and
some of them garrison [in] Munichia and some
[on] the south shore. The Assembly also elects two
trainers, with subordinate instructors, who teach
them to fight in heavy armour, to use the bow and
javelin, and to discharge a catapult. The guardians
receive from the state a drachma apiece for their
keep, and the youths four obols apiece. Each guardian receives the allowance for all the members of
his tribe and buys the necessary provisions for the
common stock (they mess [eat] together by tribes),
and generally superintends everything. In this way
they spend the first year.
Only if both your mother and your
father were citizens of Athens
could you become a citizen of that
city-state.
Each Greek city-state had its own
temples, which were important
religious sites. Here, the youths
visit the temples located around
Athens before they leave the city.
The youths receive training in the
methods of war because all male
citizens were also required to
perform military service.
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Ancient Greece
Name
Class
Aristotle’s Athenian Constitution, continued
Date
Primary Source
Here Aristotle describes what happens during the
second year of training
The next year, after giving a public display of their
military [training] . . . they receive a shield and
spear from the state; after which they patrol the
country and spend their time in the forts. For these
two years they are on garrison duty, and wear the
military cloak, and during this time they are exempt
from all taxes. They also can neither bring an action
at law, nor have one brought against them, in order
that they may have no excuse for requiring leave of
absence . . . When the two years have elapsed they
thereupon take their position among the other citizens. Such is the manner of enrollment of the citizens and the training of the youths.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
1. Aristotle believed that a larger group of citizens would not be as “open to
corruption” as a small group. Do you agree? Explain why or why not.
2. Why might the Athenians have decided that a male youth had to be eighteen years
old before he could begin his training as a citizen?
3. The government of Athens changed often in ancient times. Why might Aristotle
have decided to make a detailed record of the constitutions used by Athens and
other Greek city-states?
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Ancient Greece
Answer Key
Biography Aspasia
Primary Source Sappho’s
Poetry
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
1. Aspasia was beautiful, witty, and
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
intelligent. She proved that a woman
could be involved in matters, such as
politics, that usually only men
participated in. She met and influenced
many important people in Greece, such
as Plato and Plutarch. She became an
advisor to Pericles.
2. Today women are able to do everything
that men do. Women today work, hold
political and government office, make
business decisions, and participate in
sports and theatre. In Aspasia’s time,
women could do none of these things.
1. Answers will vary. Examples: They could
do something to hurt their neighbors.
They may not use their money wisely.
Their money may give them power,
which they could then abuse.
2. She probably wrote the poem to make
people laugh.
3. Answers will vary. Examples: She might be
sad and/or disappointed that much of her
work is lost, because the poem talks about
the importance of art being remembered.
On the other hand, she might be happy, to
know that her name and at least some of
her work is known and appreciated today.
ACTIVITY
Answers will vary.
MAKE A COMPARISON
1. Answers will vary. Examples: The first
Literature
poem and the third poem are shorter than
the second poem. The translations do not
rhyme. The second poem is funny, but the
other poems are more serious.
2. Accept any reasonable answer.
ANALYZING LITERATURE
1. It shows how human greed can bring
unhappiness.
2. It explains why gold was discovered on the
shores of the river Pactolus.
History and Geography
Primary Source Aristotle’s
Athenian Constitution
MAP ACTIVITY
1. Colors will vary.
2. Atlantic Ocean, Adriatic Sea,
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
1. Aristotle may have believed that it would
3. Colors will vary.
4. The legend colors should match those
be more difficult to pay a larger group of
people to do something wrong; he may
have believed that bad behavior would be
found out if more citizens were involved.
2. At that age a person is better able to
understand the laws and issues to be voted
on. At 18, a youth was physically able and
strong enough to have military training.
3. Aristotle’s records might help people
compare the ways that different city-states
ruled themselves. He may have written so
that future generations would know about
the constitutions.
the students used on the map.
ANALYZING MAPS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Massilia or Marseille
approximately 2,400 miles
approximately 825 miles
Greece’s large mountains made it difficult
to travel from place to place by land and to
grow food. Because Greece is surrounded
by water, it was easy for the Greeks to
travel by sea and fish for food.
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Ancient Greece