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Athens
CHW3M
The Acropolis
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Inhabited as of around 4000 BCE
Natural elevation provides security,
defence
Pre-Classical Greece
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Attica (the region in which Athens is
located) ruled by four tribes
Worked relatively cooperatively
People had the ability to elect and
depose chiefs
Pre-Classical Greece
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Athenian kings elected by a council of
elders
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King is chief priest, judge, and general
But still just a person like any other – not a
god
During the age of colonization and the
rise of the city-state in the wake of the
dark ages, kings gradually lose power to
the land-owning aristocrats
Pre-Classical Greece
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A new position is created: archon
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A land-holding aristocrat responsible for
supervising gov’t administration
Initially elected to serve for life
Eventually increased to 3 archons, and
elected (by council of landowners) to
serve for 1 year terms
Pre-Classical Greece
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Merchants and artisans are getting richer
from trade and start to demand a greater say
in gov’t
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Backed by the lower classes
Political power comes to be based on military
power
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The wealthy could afford weapons and hoplites
The Age of Tyrants
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Anyone who used their military muscle to
seize power unconstitutionally was called a
tyrant
Between 650-550 BCE some rulers are
legitimate, some are tyrants
Tyrants are not necessarily bad – many were
very effective administrators, and in some
cases got a lot more done than more
democratically elected rulers
From Tyranny to Democracy
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Even the “elected” rulers are still
representative of the elite moreso than the
common person
Key rulers in the transition to a more
democratic Athens:
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Draco
Solon
Pisistratus
Cleisthenes
Draco
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Athenian law is administered by the landowning aristocracy
As such, law is often biased in favour of
landowners and against commoners
In 621 BCE an archon (Draco) writes down
a comprehensive list of laws that would
apply to all citizens
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Still favours the elite, but provides greater legal
protection to commoners than they had before
Draco
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However, many punishments under
Draconian law are quite harsh
Death penalty for many crimes, even
ones that seem less serious
Solon
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Elected archon in 594 BCE
Freed farmers who had been enslaved
because of debt
Made so any wealthy man could hold
political office
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Previously only those from aristocratic
families can hold office
Opens things up to landless merchants
Solon
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Archons increased
to nine
Creates “Council of
400”
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100 citizens from
each of the
traditional four
tribes of Athens
Pisistratus
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A tyrant who seizes power by military
force in 546 BCE
Drove out wealthy landowners and
divided their lands among the landless
Instituted state loans for farmers
Created circuit judges whose authority
superseded local aristocracy
Hippias and Hipparchus
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Sons of Pisistratus
Not popular – Hipparchus is murdered
and Hippias is exiled
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Hippias joins the Persians and may have
instigated the Battle of Marathon
Cleisthenes
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Takes over from there (508 BCE)
Replaces the 4-tribe division with a 10tribe division based on each precinct of
Attica
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Each tribe contains a mix of social
classes
All citizens get membership in the
assembly
Cleisthenes
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Council of 400 increased to 500
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50 members from each tribe
Not elected but chosen randomly by lot
Assembly passes laws, acts as court,
elects generals
Council of 500 proposes laws and
controls day-to-day administration of
gov’t
Cleisthenes
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Assembly can vote any man into exile if they
are considered a threat to city’s democracy
If at least 6000 people scratched your name
onto a shard of pottery (ostraka) then you
were exiled for 10 years
Classical Greece
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After the Persian Wars (550-480 BCE Hippias/Hipparchus and Cleisthenes
all rule during this period) things get
better
Increase in trade, contact with Egypt
and Persia
Developments in crafts, art,
architecture, science, etc.
Pericles
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Athenian General
Charismatic, strong orator
Instituted pay for military service
Patron of the arts and beautification of
Athens (see Parthenon)
Encouraged foreign merchants to
settle in Athens
Pericles
The Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War
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Remember it was Pericles’ strategy to
hide behind the walls of Athens and
survive the Spartan siege with supplies
from Athens’ naval fleet
Also remember how that turned out:
1/3 of Athens died from a plague
(including Pericles himself)
The Peloponnesian War
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See Pericles’ funeral oration (p. 118)
Questions
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Page 120 #1-4
Page 128 #2-3