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ATHENS AND ATHENIANS
Festivals
The Persian War
The Peloponnesian War
THE RURAL DIONYSIA
• December - various parts of Attica
• Depended on wealth of district
• Fertility rites
• Procession around god’s altar
• Offerings and revelry
• Repeats of works performed at City Dionysia
The Lenaia
• January
• Women with torches, flutes and sacred wands
danced
• Drama introduced 440BC
• Concentrated on comedy
• Some tragedy
• Audiences smaller than City Dionysia
• Seas still too rough for many foreigners
Anthesteria
• End of February
• Involved:
• Opening wine jars
• Drinking contests
• Ceremonies that symbolise
union of Dionysus with
community
The City Dionysia
• End of March
• Spectators from whole Greek world
• Athens’ subject-allies brought tribute
• The orphans of those killed in war paraded
• Honours conferred on outstanding citizens
• Foreign ambassadors
• Holiday
• Law courts closed and prisoners given bail to
attend
The City Dionysia
• Day 1
• Procession to temple of Dionysus near theatre
• The choregoi paraded in splendid robes
• Day 2, 3 and 4
• A tragic poet presents 3 tragedies and a satyr
play
• A comic poet presents comedy
• Day 5
• 50-man choirs (each of ten tribes) compete in
choral singing
The City Dionysia
• Day 6
– 50-boy choirs (x10) compete
– Immediately after festival – special assembly
– Conduct of festival officials was examined
– Bad behaviour by spectators was investigated
• Equal to sacrilege
The Persian Wars
• The Battle of Marathon – 490BC
• Persians on a field outside Athens
• Persians chased back to ships
• Persians sailed around the coast to sack Athens
while undefended
• The Athenian army beat the Persians there
• marched 26 miles in full armour
• Regarded as Athens finest hour
The Persian Wars
• The Battle of Thermopylae – 480BC
• Courage of the Spartans
• King Leonidas and Spartans
• The Battle of Salamis – 480BC
• Athens used the 3 days Spartans gave
them to evacuate Island of Salamis
The Peloponnesian War
• Pericles – 460 – 429BC was popular
• Elected Strategos (general) more than 14
times
• 431BC – Peloponnesian War broke out
• Everyone summoned into city
• 430BC – Plague in city
• 429BC – Pericles dies
• Cleon takes Pericles’ place
• More war-like policy
The Peace of Nicias
• Treaty signed in 421BC for ’50 years of peace’
• Only lasted till 415BC
• Expedition into Sicily
• 413BC – lost entire force – men and ships
• Led by Alcibiades
• Herms vandalised
• When Alcibiades recalled to
stand trial
• Defected to Spartans
• Gave advice on how to defeat
countrymen
End of the Peloponnesian War
• 411 – 404 BC
• Political upheaval – The council of 400
• Oligarchs
• Many democratic politicians murdered
• Very repressive
• Alcibiades
• switched from Sparta to Persia
• 407 BC returns to Athens – all charges dropped
• 406 BC lost favour – return to Sparta
• 406 BC – Battle of Arginusae
• Heavy losses – 8 generals condemned
ATHENS AND ATHENIANS
The Jury System
Demagogues
Oligarchy vs. Democracy
THE JURY SYSTEM
• Klepsydra – water clock
• Jury Selection – 6000 chosen by lot
• Not compulsory
• 2 obols – Pericles
• 3 obols – Cleon
• Courts ran about 300 days per year
• Ten courts
• No lawyers
DEMAGOGUES
• Leaders
• Play on emotions and prejudices of the people
• Even in recent times we have leaders that
play on peoples emotions
• Can you think of any?
OLIGARCHY VS. DEMOCRACY
• Oligarchy
• Few people have all the power
• Dominant class
• Democracy
• Ruled by the people
• voting
TYPES OF CHARACTER
• Ponerus
• Cunning man
• Often in trouble – can find a way out
• Eg. Philocleon – donkey, flute girl
• Bomolochus
• Buffoon or clown
• Lacks ingenuity and courage of Ponerus
• Eg. Dionysus (The Frogs)