![]() So some decrees might begin “It seemed best to the Demos…”, others might begin “It seemed best to the Council…”, and still others might begin, “It seemed best to the Demos and the Council….” In this context, “Demos” was used to make a distinction between the Assembly of all citizens and the Council of 500 citizens, another institution of the democracy (see below). The Greek word for “ Assembly” is ekklesia ( ἐκκλησία), but the Athenians generally referred to it as the “Demos.” Decrees of the Assembly began with the phrase “It seemed best to the Demos…,” very much like the phrase “We the People…” that introduces the Constitution of the United States. As a member of the Demos, this young man could participate in the Assembly of Citizens that was the central institution of the democracy. So a young man was enrolled in his “demos” (deme), and thus became a member of the Demos (the People). 42.1).Īnother meaning of Demos, to the Athenians, was “People,” as in the People of Athens, the body of citizens collectively. Young men, who were 18 years old presented themselves to officials of their deme and, having proven that they were not slaves, that their parents were Athenian, and that they were 18 years old, were enrolled in the “ Assembly List” (the pinax ekklesiastikos, πίναξ ἐκκλησιαστικός) (see Dem. Demos is the Greek word for “village” or, as it is often translated, “deme.” The deme was the smallest administrative unit of the Athenian state, like a voting precinct or school district. Demos (pronounced “day-moss”) has several meanings, all of them important for Athenian democracy. In doing so, I have tried to limit myself to sources I know to be available online, in the original language and in translation.įor the Athenians, “democracy” ( demokratia, δημοκρατία) gave Rule ( kratos, κράτος) to the Demos ( Δῆμος). Note 1From time to time in this introduction, I cite ancient evidence for our knowledge of Athenian democracy and its history. This general description of how the Athenians governed themselves will focus on the 4th century BCE, both because the democracy was most fully developed during that time and because the majority of our evidence either comes from that period, or describes the the Athenian government during that period. The early history of Athenian Democracy and its development is the subject of another article in this series. And despite its moments of imprudence, injustice, and indecision, it was an experiment remarkable enough to deserve our attention. Nevertheless, it was coherent enough during those two centuries that we can describe it, in general terms, without being too far wrong on any point. The system evolved over time, suffered two complete breakdowns in the 5th century, and is certainly open to criticism at many points during its history. ![]() They understood that professionalism is necessary in certain jobs, that accountability was necessary of most jobs, and that some jobs required absolute job-security. The Athenians understood the value of checks and balances and of enforcing time for reflection before acting. 1 The Athenian democracy was not, of course, a free-for-all of mob rule. In a very real sense, the People governed themselves, debating and voting individually on issues great and small, from matters of war and peace to the proper qualifications for ferry-boat captains (for the latter, see Aeschin. Athens was not a republic, nor were the People governed by a representative body of legislators. Democracy in Athens was not limited to giving citizens the right to vote. Before the earlier date there was democracy to be found here and there in the government of Athens, and democratic institutions survived long after the latter date, but for those 186 years the city of Athens was self-consciously and decidedly democratic, autonomous, aggressive, and prosperous. The city of Athens lived under a radically democratic government from 508 until 322 BCE. This is a companion-piece to “The Development of Athenian Democracy,” also written for the CHS’s discussion series. Its purpose is to introduce, very briefly, the institutions of the Athenian democracy during the late 5th century BCE through the end of the radical democracy in the late 4th century. ![]() This article was originally written for the online discussion series “Athenian Law in its Democratic Context,” organized by Adriaan Lanni and sponsored by Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |