Download Athens research information

ATHENS GOVERNMENT
The Ekklesia
Athenian democracy was made up of three important institutions. The first was the ekklesia, or Assembly, the sovereign governing body of Athens. Any member of the
demos–any one of those 40,000 adult male citizens–was welcome to attend the meetings of the ekklesia, which were held 40 times per year in a hillside auditorium west of the Acropolis called
the Pnyx. (Only about 5,000 men attended each session of the Assembly; the rest were serving in the army or navy or working to support their families.) At the meetings, the ekklesia made
decisions about war and foreign policy, wrote and revised laws and approved or condemned the conduct of public officials. (Ostracism, in which a citizen could be expelled from the Athenian
city-state for 10 years, was among the powers of the ekklesia.) The group made decisions by simple majority vote.
The Boule
The second important institution was the boule, or Council of Five Hundred. The boule was a group of 500 men, 50 from each of ten Athenian tribes, who
served on the Council for one year. Unlike the ekklesia, the boule met every day and did most of the hands-on work of governance. It supervised government workers and was
in charge of things like navy ships (triremes) and army horses. It dealt with ambassadors and representatives from other city-states. Its main function was to decide what
matters would come before the ekklesia. In this way, the 500 members of the boule dictated how the entire democracy would work. Positions on the boule were chosen by lot
and not by election. This was because, in theory, a random lottery was more democratic than an election: pure chance, after all, could not be influenced by things like money or
popularity. The lottery system also prevented the establishment of a permanent class of civil servants who might be tempted to use the government to advance or enrich
themselves. However, historians argue that selection to the boule was not always just a matter of chance. They note that wealthy and influential people–and their relatives–
served on the Council much more frequently than would be likely in a truly random lottery.
The Dikasteria
The third important institution was the popular courts, or dikasteria. Every day, more than 500 jurors were chosen by lot from a pool of male citizens
older than 30. Of all the democratic institutions, Aristotle argued that the dikasteria “contributed most to the strength of democracy” because the jury had almost unlimited power.
There were no police in Athens, so it was the demos themselves who brought court cases, argued for the prosecution and the defense, and delivered verdicts and sentences by
majority rule. (There were also no rules about what kinds of cases could be prosecuted or what could and could not be said at trial, and so Athenian citizens frequently used the
dikasteria to punish or embarrass their enemies.) Jurors were paid a wage for their work, so that the job could be accessible to everyone and not just the wealthy (but, since the
wage was less than what the average worker earned in a day, the typical juror was an elderly retiree). Since Athenians did not pay taxes, the money for these payments came
from customs duties, contributions from allies and taxes levied on the metoikoi. The one exception to this rule was the leitourgia, or liturgy, which was a kind of tax that wealthy
people volunteered to pay to sponsor major civic undertakings such as the maintenance of a navy ship (this liturgy was called the trierarchia) or the production of a play or
choral performance at the city’s annual festival.
EDUCATION IN ATHENS
What were the objectives of education in Ancient Athens, and how did education prepare students
for their roles in society? Athens was the main educational, intellectual and cultural center of Ancient Greece. The main purpose of
education in Ancient Athens was to make citizens trained in the arts, and to prepare them for both peace and war. It was aimed at the cultivation of the
students' physical, mental, and moral qualities. From Athens we get the motto: A sound mind in a sound body. All schools were very small private
schools, and education was very valued.
Boys
Until age six, boys were taught at home by their mother or a male slave. Age six to 14 was primary school. The teacher in school was always a male.
Once the youths were 16, their 'basic education' was complete. The boys who didn't have to work could now study the sciences and philosophy. From
the ages of 18 to 20, able bodied young men had to take military trainging for the army or the navy. Athenians wanted their sons to have a well
rounded education so that they would know a variety of things and appreciate lots of things.
Girls
Girls were taught at home by their mothers or a private tutor. The objective was to prepare girls for being a stay-at-home mum, to look after and
educate their children just as they had been educated.
What subjects did students take in Ancient Athens and why?
Boys' education in Ancient Athens consisted of three main courses: Grammata , Music, and Physical Education. Grammata included reading, writing,
and arithmetic. The literal translation of 'grammata' is 'letters.' After the students had learnt their letters, they went onto learning the words of famous
poets such as Homer. The second course, music , consisted of singing, playing the lyre and the flute, reciting, and musical performance of poetry.
Through this students learnt history, geography, and ethics. The third course, physical education, was when the children practiced wrestling, jumping,
running and throwing of discus and javelin. They also played team games such as early forms of field hockey and soccer. This was to make their body
'strong and courageous.' The aim was not to produce athletes, or soldiers like in Sparta, but young men who were graceful, fit, and attractive, and it
was hoped they would develop habits of fitness that they took with them their whole lives.
Teachers also added whatever else they knew to the school course.
Girls were mostly taught by their mothers in the comfort of their own homes. They learnt things like motherhood and housekeeping. Girls were also
allowed to take part in sports such as wrestling. This was because parents were afraid girls would be spoiled if they learnt how to read. In later life, their
husband would be the one doing all the work, so he would need the subjects he did at school, and a girl would stay at home and raise the children,
doing housework. This was how the separate schooling systems for boys and girls worked and fitted in with what they needed to know for later life.
However, some families employed a private tutor, so some Athenian women were very well educated
ROLE OF WOMEN IN ATHENS
Women in ancient Athens had very little choices open to them. If they were lucky,
they could read a little, play an instrument, and owned slaves to do the daily household tasks. Women could not
vote nor own property. They could not choose whom to marry nor own/sell anything of great value.
Role of the Respectable Woman
A respectable woman’s main role in ancient Athens was to stay home, keep pretty,
and bear children. Her life centered on the house and the children. Most citizen wives had slaves to do the
cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Once she gave birth, her father could not take her back. It was
difficult, but not impossible, for a woman to divorce her husband, but easy for her husband to divorce her.
With divorce, her property which was turned over to her husband upon marriage was returned to her father or
male guardian. She would also lose all rights to her children. Her husband was within his rights to lock her up
in the house if she wasn’t behaving like he thought she should. Publically she would only be seen at religious
events, weddings, and funerals.
Other Classes of Women
There were other classes of women though, which were less respectable than a citizen
wife. These included hetaera, pornoi, poor women, and slaves. If there was a woman in the middle of an
intellectual debate in public park, she was a hetaera (courtesan). Courtesans had the ability to go where they
wanted, when they wanted. They were normally educated in dancing, singing, music ,and conversation. The one
exception to the classes of women were the priestesses. Priestesses were necessary to conduct and organize the
over 100 annual religious events that occurred yearly in Athens. These women had high status, relative freedom,
and remained unmarried. And as true today, most events would have fallen apart without their organization by
women.
Daily Life
The daily life of a house wife would involve supervising the household tasks and slaves for
the day, the care and raising of any children, making clothing and any other items the house needed for daily
running, and, of course, waiting for her husband to come home much later. While her life focused on the smooth
operation of her house, his life centered mostly outside the house. This was her only sphere of influence and
even that could be over-ruled by her husband if he wished.
Despite the lack of control, citizen wives were
respected and sheltered. Well-to-do women did not have to work and could pass the day in leisure while slaves
did the labor necessary to keep the house running. Wives were the only females that could give legitimacy to
off-spring and confer citizenship to children (as opposed to being resident aliens).
SOCIAL CLASS IN ATHENS
The social class system of Ancient Athens was very similar to structures in other cultures. There was a well-defined
upper, middle, and lower class as well as a separate slave class. What defines each class is a little different however. In ascending order:
Upper Class: To be considered upper class in Athens, you have a citizen, a man, and to either have a high rank in the military or no job. This
was considered a leisure class of sorts and to fully enjoy it, you had to be free from the economic burdens of society. Very few families were
considered upper class.
Middle Class: The middle class in Athens was mostly metics or noncitizens who could not vote or own land. These people were usually
merchants or traders who lived in Athens because of the economic stability and guarantee of work. Also, many middle class families were citizens and
could vote and own land.
Lower Class: The lower class was mostly free men who were once slaves or very poor families. These people were not citizens and had very
little, if any, rights or say in politics.
Slaves: Slaves were very common place in Athens; even poor families had one or two while wealthy families had 50 or more. Slaves were unransomed war prisoners, stolen as children from enemies, or traded in from other countries. Slaves were often treated fairly by their masters and could
be freed.
Women: To be a woman in Ancient Athens was to be considered outside the social class system. Women had no place outside of the home, you
were in whatever group your husband or father was. Women were not considered citizens and could not vote or own their own property.
ART/CULTURE/ENTERTAINMENT IN ATHENS The ancient Greeks (mainly the Athenians) were a unique people. They
believed that individuals should be free as long as they acted within the laws of Greece. This allowed them the opportunity to
excel in any direction they chose. Individuality, as the Greeks viewed it, was the basis of their society. The ability to strive for
excellence, no matter what the challenge, was what the Athenians so dearly believed in. This strive for excellence was the
method from which they achieved such phenomenal accomplishments. These accomplishments astound us to this day. They also
believed in the balance of mind and body. Although many of them strove to become soldiers and athletes, others ventured into
philosophy, drama, pottery and the arts. The two most important concepts which the ancient Greeks followed were found
inscribed on the great shrine of Delphi, which read "Nothing in excess" and "Know thyself". This philosophy greatly impacted
the Greek civilization The Acropolis, dedicated to Athena, was the religious shrine and high fortress for the Athenian people. Its walls were
built on a layer of limestone rock overlooking the city. Within these walls, the people of Athens built temples and buildings, the most famous, of
which, being the Parthenon. Athenian art is some of the most unique in the world. They were not only master builders and architects, they
were also great lovers of art. Their artistic talents can be viewed through many different forms which have survived for centuries, such as
architectural designs, sculptures, pottery, and fine jewelry. At the Theater of Dionysia, named after the god of wine, one of the greatest
events of the year was performed. It was a religious festival held in honor of the gods. For ten days, Athenians filled the theatre to watch plays
performed by their favorite poets and playwrights. They consisted of either three tragedies or three comedies followed by a short satyr farce.
The actors were all men. Women were not allowed to participate. They wore large masks and elaborate costumes while performing both male
and female roles. The cost for entrance to the theatre was two obols. Those who did not have the money to pay were allowed in at no cost.
MILITARY OF ATHENS Athenian
soldiers were required to serve two years in the military, one in the garrison
and one in a border fort. After the first year, they were given a sword and a shield with the state's
emblem on it. Although they served only two years, they could be called at any moment up to age sixty.
The army consisted of horsemen and hoplites, footsoldiers. They were armed with swords, shields, and
extremely long lances. Most wars between city-states were due to problems concerning harvests or
livestock, sometimes only lasting a day or so. There was a truce called every four years in Greece in
order for representatives of various city-states to compete in the Olympic Games.
Naval dominance was a trademark of the Athenian military. The Athenian army was no match for the size
and effectiveness of the Spartan army, but what they lacked on land, they made up for at sea, with an
innovation that completely changed the face of naval warfare and would make Athens the dominant naval
power for a century or more. (1)
The Athenian Trireme
The Athenian trireme was a superfast galley that was different from anything else at that time. At the time,
naval warfare had primarily consisted of attempting to either board an enemy's ship, or set it on fire. With
the introduction of the trireme, however, a new tactic was added to naval combat-ramming opposing
ships.
The trireme's special shape and construction allowed ot to do things that other ships at the time could not
do. It's keel ran the length of the ship, as in most ships, but it also stuck out three meters in front, and was
armored with bronze plates. This projection was the battering ram that became the ship's primary
weapon. (4)
Until the trireme, ramming opposing ships was not done because of the extraordinary speed it required.
But the trireme was long and narrow, which aided its speed and maneuverability. What aided it even
more were the three rows of oars on each side, manned by a total of 170 oarsmen.
Using the oars, the trireme could reach a maximum speed of ten knots, or about 12 mph. This was more
than fast enough to cause serious damage to any opposing ship. The trireme was also fitted with a huge
square sail that it used in combat conditions to give the rowers a break. Essentially, the trireme served as
a waterborne spear, deadly to opposing boats.(4)
Works Cited
www.history.com
www.cactusporpoise.wwbly.com
www.ancientathens.com
www.arwhead.com