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Transcript
Name Class Date Primary Source 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 Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. 12 Ancient Greece Name Class Aristotle’s Athenian Constitution, continued Date Primary Source 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. Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. 13 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? Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. 14 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. Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. 31 Ancient Greece