Western Civilization Blog Post #19 - Greece

February 26th, 2020

Greece

Terms

Polis: the fundamental political unit, made up of a city and the surrounding countrysideMonarchy: rule by a single person (a king, in Greece)
Aristocracy: rule by a small group of noble, very rich, landowning families
Oligarchy: wealthy groups, dissatisfied with the aristocratic rule, who seized power (often with military help)
Tyrant: a powerful individual who seized control by appealing to the common people for support; rules outside the framework of the polis
Tyrant (modern meaning): an abusive or oppressive ruler
Tyrant (Greek): someone who simply seized power
Aristocrats: members of the ruling class
Symposiums: meetings where elite, aristocratic men would enjoy wine and poetry, performances by dancers and acrobats, and the company of hetaeras while discussing politics
Hetaeras: courtesans
Hoplites: well-armed soldiers
Debt Slavery: work as a slave to repay debts
Council of Five Hundred: members chosen at random, to counsel at the assembly
Direct Democracy: the state (or city-state) is ruled by its citizens

City-states

Transformation of Government
  • during the 7th and 6th centuries B.C., aristocrats were in charge of most of Greece
  • wealthy people wielded more influence in society and held more governmental power than the other social classes
  • Greek: συμπόσιον symposion, from συμπίνειν sympinein, "to drink together"
Politics
  • politics were an exclusive club
  • no women (except for "entertainment")
  • no middle class
  • no slaves
  • sometimes certain aristocrats were excluded (those who didn't have the right connections or fell out of favor)
Tyrants Seize Control
  • sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hoplites, and set up an alternative form of government called a tyranny.
Rules, Codes, and Laws
  • Draco (621 B.C.)
    • all Athenians, whether they were rich or poor, are equal under the law
    • death is the punishment for most crimes
    • debt slavery is accepted
  • Solon's reforms (594 B.C.)
    • outlaws debt slavery
    • all Athenian citizens can now speak at the assembly
    • any citizen can press charges
  • Cleisthenes and his reforms (around 500 B.C.)
    • allowed all citizens to submit laws for debate at the assembly
    • created the Council of Five Hundred
    • only free adult male property owners born in Athens were considered citizens
Clash of the Tyrants
  • Hippias - a tyrant who ruled from 527-510 B.C.
  • his brother was murdered, afterward, his rule became harsh
  • eventually, he was ostracized from Athens
  • for revenge, he worked with Persian king Darius I to help them invade Marathon
  • while Hippias was gone, Isagoras and Cleisthenes (both aristocrats) engaged in a power struggle
  • Isagoras had support from the aristocrats and from Sparta
  • Cleisthenes had the support of the majority of Athens, including the middle and lower classes
  • Isagoras becomes archon eponymous (tyrant)
  • He ostracizes Cleisthenes
  • Cleisthenes' supporters and the ordinary Athenian citizens revolt against Isagoras' tyranny
  • they trap Isagoras on the acropolis for two days, and on the third he flees and is banished from Athens
  • Democracy begins in 508 B.C.
Cleisthenes
  • Cleisthenes - definitely a member of the elite
  • very rich
  • insulated from the "hoi polloi"
  • a crafty politician
  • saw the value of tapping into the talents, intelligence, and energies of the non-aristocrats
  • made a huge step forward by allowing "regular folks" to get involved in governing
Democracy
  • citizens could participate, but only 1/5 of Athenians were citizens
  • after several years, Athens practiced a direct democracy
  • rule is based on citizenship
  • majority rule decides vote
    • in the agora, citizens argued and made speeches, then voted with white stones (yes)/black stones (no)
  • was first practiced in Athens under the rule of Cleisthenes by around 500 B.C.

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