Theme 2: Invention of the citizenship in the ancient world

Chapter 1:

Citizenship and democracy in Athens (5th – 4th BC)

1. Unfinished Temple of Zeus

2. Unfinished law courts

3. Painted Stoa

5. Altart of the Twelve Gods

6. Stoa of Zeus with his statue

7. Temple of Hephaestus

(Theseion)

8. Bouleyterion

10. Tholos

11. Strategeion

13. Heliaia law courts

14. South Stoa

15. Southeast Fountain House

17. Panathenaic festival procession

18. Pnyx

19. Areopagus

20. Temple of Athena Nike

21. Propylaia

22. Statue of Athena Promachos

23. Erectheum

24. Parthenon

25. Royal Stoa

Greek cities & colonies circa 550 BC

I - Greece and Athens

1.1. The city states or polis

In the 5th century BC, Greece consisted of various city states as Athens, Sparta, Corinth…

They were all independent from each other because of the mountains.

Athens is the most important one, it has the leadership over a large part of Greece, such as Crete and Thrace for example.

Each of them had its own government, laws and army, and this is why they were called city states or polis. Nevertheless, all of them belonged to the same civilization, since they shared a common language, religion and culture.

1.2.Athens, a powerful city

state

The two main city-states in Greece were Sparta and Athens. The

greatest of these was Athens.

Which were the strengths of Athens in the 5th century ?

Read the documents and answer the question.

In the 5th century, Athens was a very rich and powerful city in the

Mediterranean because of geographical and economical factors.

a) The climate is mild so that the agriculture is very good. The sea

is also very productive and underneath the ground you can find silver

and all around stones needed to build temples and houses.

b) Athens has a safe accommodation for ships so that the trade is

very important with a lot of merchants coming from other cities.

II – Athens: citizens and

non-citizens

2.1. A democratic polis

There were different ways to rule the city states: - monarchy - oligarchy - aristocray - tyranny - democracy

Which were the differences between them ? Look at the cartoons and answer the question.

Democracy is achieved in several stages, through reforms linked with Solon in 594, Cleisthenes in 508, and Pericles in 462.

Pericles’ reforms (462 B.C.)

Pericles ( 495 – 429 BC) was a prominent and influential statesman and orator.

Pericles had such a profound influence on Athenian society that Thucydides, his contemporary historian, acclaimed him as "the first citizen of Athens".

Pericles promoted the arts and literature. He started an ambitious project that built most of the surviving structures on the Acropolis (including the Parthenon). This project beautified the city and exhibited its glory. Furthermore, Pericles fostered Athenian democracy to such an extent that critics call him a Populist.

2.2. The citizens, their rights and duties

Athenian citizens could participate in politics and had full rights. The citizen democrats of Athens are some males, over eighteen years old, who are sons of an Athenian father (after 451 BC the mother must be Athenian as well). They have done military service (“éphébie”). They number no more than 50,000 in the whole of Attica.

Find out in your textbook which the rights und duties of the citizens were.

They had to:

-do their military service

-participate in the meetings of the Assembly

-do their work if they were elected. They

couldn’t refuse.

If they were rich, they had to spend money to

build new monuments in the city.

They were allowed to:

- vote

-be elected

-inherit

-pass on their property

They were protected by law.

Duties Rights

2.3. The non-citizens But most of the people were non-citizens.

They could not participate in politics, even if their situations were very varied.

Foreigners, called metics (who were about 25,000), were for example free. Most of them were engaged in trade and craftsmanship. They paid taxes and formed part of the army.

Slaves were not free, but the property of a family. They were usually prisoners of war (about 100,000 slaves).

Children and women could be free or slaves, but they had no rights.

Athens’population – citizens and non-citizens - gives a total of about 300,000 people. So the citizens form at most 20% of the population.

Do you think the Athenian society was an equal one ?

Justify your answer.

No, it wasn’t, because women were excluded, so were the slaves and the foreigners. Therefore, the Athenian society was an unequal one.

III – Organisation of Athenian democracy

3.1. How was it organised ? There were four main institutions in Athens:

The Assembly or Ekklesia. The Athenian citizens gathered four times a month on the Pnyx and

passed laws, decided on war and peace, and elected The magistrates. They voted by a show of

hands and could ostracise people.

It has the legislative power.

The boule was the council of 500 citizens, chosen by lot, which decided what was to be discussed

at the Ecclesia, controled the Treasury and watched over the magistrates.

It has the legislative power.

The magistrates had to carry out the laws and the decisions made by the Assembly. Among them

were the ten strategoi, who headed the army and navy, and the nine archons, who presided over the

courts and religious rites.

It has the executive power.

The court of justice known as heliaea was formed by 6,000 citizens selected by lot.

It has the judicial power.

There is a direct democracy when…

A representative democracy is a democracy ….

Isonomia means that….

3.2. Where did it take place ?

Life in the city was organized around two main centres: the agora and the acropolis.

The agora was a big public square and the marketplace, where the Athenians gathered to have a walk and chat. The craftsmen and merchants quarter was located around it.

The acropolis was a walled space in which the temples and some of the main buildings were located. It was situated in a high and walled area.

3.3 Discussion:

Compare our democracy today with Athens’democracy

France today is a representative democracy, where we vote for people to make decisions for us.

But…..

Women could not vote until 1944.

Eighteen year olds could not vote until 1974.

If you think France is better. . .

- - All citizens were allowed to play a role

in politics.

- They took the decisions together at the

assembly on the Pnyx. It was a direct

democracy.

-Representatives were drawn by lot or

elected.

-All citizens had to do their military

service.

-Women were excluded from politics.

-Men could participate in the assemblies

because most of them had slaves to do

their work at home.

-Legislative, executive and judicial

powers were separated.

Our democracy today Athens’ democracy

IV– Democracy under debate

Athenian democracy had many critics.

………………… were almost invariably from an elite background …..

Pericles fostered Athenian democracy to such an

extent that critics called him a Populist.

Explain why.

A demagogue (/ˈdɛməɡɒɡ/) or rabble-rouser /ræb(ə)l

raʊzə(r)/ is a political leader in a democracy who appeals

to the emotions, prejudices, and ignorance of the poorer

and less-educated classes in order to gain power..

Demagogues have appeared in democracies since

ancient Athens. (Wikipedia)