Download Archaic Greece (800 BCE – 500 BCE)

Athens
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End of Aristocratic Rule at Athens
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Athens ruled by handful of noble families
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Eupatrids meaning “well sired”
They formed a ruling council
Eupatrid rule characterized by intense competition
620 BCE – Athenian law codified by Drakon - very harsh (draconian) laws
Solon’s solution – early democracy (594BCE)
– Solon (Eupatrid) runs for archon based on debt relief and political reform
– Elected archon in 594 BCE
– Divides Athenians into 4 classes based on wealth (involving male citizens
only)
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Pentekosiomedimnoi – 500 bushel men,
Hippeis – Cavalry men,
Zeugetai – Hoplite (foot soldiers) class,
Thetes – everyone else)
– All classes could vote for magistrates, vote in the assembly (Ekklesia), sit on
law courts/juries
– Top two classes only can run for Archon (chief magistrate
– Top class alone can run for strategos (general)
The Rule of Peisistratus in Athens
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Immensely popular tyrant (except with nobles)
– Did not change the constitution of Solon
– Secured loyalty of nobles by appointing them to senior posts
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Took vote away from Ekklesia (the assembly)
– Established circuit judges
– Put a 5% tax on agricultural produce
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funds used to lend to poor farmers
– Established major building program
– died in 528 BCE – Succeeded by his sons Hippias and
Hipparchus
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V unpopular tyrants who were driven from Athens by Cleisthenes
democratic revolution
508 BCE Reforms of Cleisthenes
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Recognizably democratic
Replaced economic divisions with geographic divisions
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Which gave poor equal power as rich
Divided Attica (Athens region) into regions (Demes)
centered on villages, each with its own assembly and magistrates
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New Boule (legislative council) of 500 made up of 50 members (elected by lot) from each tribe
Each tribe elected a strategos (general)
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10 year exile of those who were growing too powerful
As a way to keep power from gathering around one or a few men.
Replaced 4 old tribes with 10 new tribes distributed throughout every Deme
Designed to fragment the power base of nobles
Introduced Ostracism
Reforms of Pericles (462-430)
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Pericles THE great leader following the defeat of Persia – responsible for Athens’ success
as a regional power.
let anyone serve as the archon (one of the nine central leaders of the country) despite
birth or wealth.
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Pericles also changed the rules of citizenship:
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The Assembly became the central power of the state. Consisting of all the free-born (no freed slaves) male
citizens of Athens, the Assembly was given sole approval or veto power over every state decision.
The Assembly was not a representative government, but consisted of every male citizen (participatory).
In terms of numbers, this still was not a democratic state: women weren't included, nor were foreigners, slaves,
or freed slaves.
before the ascendancy of Pericles, anyone born of a single Athenian parent was an Athenian citizen; Pericles
instituted laws which demanded that both parents be Athenian citizens.
So, in reality, the great democracy of Periclean Athens was in reality only a very small
minority of the people living in Athens. It was, however, the closest human culture has
come to an unadulterated democracy.
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elected officials, such as military generals, were not chosen by the Assembly, but the Assembly did hire and fire
all other public officials.
In addition, the Assembly served as a law court hearing major cases. Any decision made in a court of law could
be appealed to the Assembly where a court of free citizens would hear the case. There was no standing army,
either, as there was in Sparta; free citizens could choose to serve in the military.
Greek Colonization
http://www.fofweb.com/Onfiles/Ancient/AncientDetail.asp?iPin=AK46
Reasons for Colonization
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Demographic Pressure
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Land Hunger
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Drought/agricultural failure
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Political Conflict (stasis)
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Trade
The Consequences of
Colonization
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The diffusion of Greek cultural forms
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The spread of the Polis system
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The expansion of trade networks
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Increased contact with non-Greek peoples
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The growth of a distinctly “Hellenic” identity (esp.
Pan-Hellenic Colonies)
Cultural Developments of
the Archaic Period
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Pan-Hellenism (i.e. Oracle of Delphi; Olympic Games)
– Things that all polies shared
“Orientalizing” Revolution
– Colonies established in Asia minor (modern Turkey)
Speculative Philosophy
– Looked for rational causes for natural events (rather than
supernatural)
New Directions in Literature
– Bardic tradition becomes recorded by alphabet (HOMER)
– Poetic tradition begins
– Religious hymns – the forerunner of theatre
Origins of the Olympic Games
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First Olympic Games held in 776 BCE (first modern games held in 1896)
 Greek athletics predate the Olympics (i.e. Iliad 23)
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Only Greeks could participate (i.e. Pan-Hellenic institution)
 Religious celebration in honor of Olympian Zeus
 Opportunity for aristocratic class to display their arete (fame)
 Women were excluded from competition
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Women competed in separate event – The Heraia – In honor of Olympian Hera
Olympic events
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Horse Race
Chariot Race
Running (Stadion; Diaulos; Dolichos)
Wrestling
Boxing
Pankration
Pentathlon (Running, Jumping, Discus, Javelin, Wrestling)
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Prizes only given to victors (No second place etc.)
A young boy cut olive branches from sacred olive grove in the Altis
Made crowns of olives for victors
Victors allowed to erect statues of themselves at Olympia
No material value to the prize; conferred Arete and Time on the victor
Pan-Hellenic games were stephanitic (crown) games