The Rise and Organization of Athens

MEDITERRANEAN PEOPLES HIST 1301 | History The Rise and Organization of Athens Similar to Sparta, Athens had its own political structure throughout the Archaic era. Athens, as the largest city-state in Greece, had long encircled the whole region of Attica, encompassing many mountain valleys. It was finally able to grow into a militarily strong democratic state where all adult male citizens could take part in politics; yet, since only men could participate, the notion of "citizenship" was constrained, making the state by its very nature a limited democracy. Nonetheless, Athenian democracy has profound historical origins, and its institutions developed over decades before achieving their zenith in the fifth century BCE. Athens was probably put on this course by the increasing riches of its citizens in the seventh century. As more families got wealthy, they wanted more control over how the city-state was run. By the seventh century BCE, Athens had an assembly where free adult male citizens could congregate and talk about matters of state. But by century's end, the Athenians' growing affluence had stagnated, and the future viability of the nascent democracy was uncertain. While codifying the law in writing form improved legal clarity, attempts to address the economic issues through changes to the legal code, most notably those made by lawmaker Draco (from whose name we derive the modern term "draconian"), had little impact. Civil war appeared inevitable as the once-thriving middle class fell into debt and occasionally enslavement. Only until Solon was sent to restore order in 594 BCE could disaster be averted. Despite coming from a privileged aristocratic family, Solon promised to write rules that would help all Athenians, no matter how rich or poor. He was a poet who expressed his support for these new legislation through his lyrics. Declaring the forgiveness of all debts owed by Athenians to one another was one of Solon's initial actions. In addition, Solon established legislation prohibiting the sale of Athenians into slavery due to debt default. Farmers who were dealing with debt found significant respite from these orders, allowing them to resume working the land. Each of the four old tribes of Athens selected one hundred individuals, including commoners, by lot to serve in the newly formed Council of Four Hundred and administer the city under Solon's new laws. Even so, Solon established the jury courts, replacing the judges. Any Athenians with an objection to a magistrate's decision might go to court and have a jury of their fellow citizens consider their case. Additionally, Solon established a hierarchical structure in which a person's eligibility for public office was determined by their money rather than by inherited status. The quantity of grain and olive oil that a citizen's land could yield was used to determine their wealth. The Council, the Assembly, jury trials, and magistrate positions were reserved for the wealthy. Less wealthy citizens were allowed to take part in all of these events but were not permitted to hold magistrate positions. Only the Assembly and jury trials were open to the poorest. However, Solon's reforms were insufficient to put a stop to civil turmoil. By 545 BCE, a relative of his by the name of Pisistratus had used his own private army to capture control and was widely regarded as a tyrant by the populace. It is said that Pisistratus was a well-liked and kindhearted ruler. He essentially maintained Solon's reforms, and Athenians grew accustomed to sitting on juries and participating in Solon's Council. They were actively participating in self- government, which prepared the ground for democracy to be established. Pisistratus also promoted religious cults and festivals that brought the Attican people together via a shared religion. Pisistratus redistributed land to assist the farmers Solon brought back much more, enabling them to earn a livelihood once more. Pisistratus's sons attempted to continue as dictators after his death, but they were not as well-liked as their father. An Athens nobleman by the name of Cleisthenes convinced the Spartans to invade Athens and remove these despots about 509 BCE. But Cleisthenes was absent from the elite administration that the Spartans established in Athens. As a result, he urged the ordinary people residing in the demes, or villages, to overthrow this Spartan-supporting government and install a "democracy." After his petition was granted, Cleisthenes changed the political structure of Solon. He established a Council of Five Hundred in place of the Council of Four Hundred, and he divided the Athenians into 10 new tribes, including communities from various regions of Attica in each. Each tribe selected fifty people at random to serve on the next Council each year. Because each tribe was made up of individuals from various regions of Attica, this reform helped to bring the Athenians together by requiring them to cooperate politically. The fifty delegates from each tribe oversaw daily government operations and presided over the assembly for a portion of the year. In contrast to contemporary republics where residents elect legislators to office, Athens had established a functional direct democracy by the end of the Archaic era. The Athenian Assembly, which was originally mandated to convene at least 10 times annually, was open to all citizens. The Assembly had to ratify every bill. Treaties and war declarations could only be approved by the Assembly. During the Classical era, Athens had a population of thirty to forty thousand adult male citizens, yet only six thousand of them were required to attend Assembly sessions. Additionally, members of the Council can be chosen at random. Many Athenians were able to engage in the executive arm of government, although they were only allowed to serve two one-year terms in their lives. Every citizen was also a member of a jury, which not only decided if an accused person was guilty or innocent but also understood the law. Foreign nationals, women, and slaves were prohibited from taking part. But as priestesses and in ceremonial roles during religious festivals, women of the citizen class played a significant role in the public religious life of the city.