![Page 1: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
How Athenian Democracy Worked
![Page 2: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Overview
• 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution.
• Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens enfranchised; use of lot; (possibly) introduced ostracism
• 460 – 450 BCE: Reforms under Pericles
bring Athenian democracy to its apotheosis
![Page 3: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
The Nature of Athenian Democracy
• All citizens, without regard to wealth or class, had the right to vote, hold office, sit on juries
• Participation limited to adult males of native parentage; slaves, women, foreigners excluded
• Direct democracy vs representative democracy
![Page 4: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
The Assembly (ecclesia)
• Passed all legislation by simple majority of those present
• Open to all citizens (40,000 – 50,000)
• Probably only 5 – 6000 took part in any one assembly
• Quorum of 6000 for some votes, eg. ostracism
![Page 5: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
The Assembly (ecclesia)
• Voting by show of hands, except in the case of treason or an ostracism
• Four meetings of the ecclesia each prytany (month)
• One of the prytaneis would preside over the assembly while a secretary kept records
![Page 6: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
The Pnyx
![Page 7: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
The Pnyx
![Page 8: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
The Pnyx
• Meetings took place in the open air on a hill called the Pnyx
• Citizens sat on the earth, speakers stood on a low platform
• Not easy for speakers to make themselves heard…
The fourth century orator, Demosthenes, is said to have practised speaking over the crashing surf at the seashore.
![Page 9: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Aristophanes, The Acharnians (425 BC)
![Page 10: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Powers of the Assembly• Passed all legislation
• Debated and decided on war and peace
• Annually elected the ten generals
• Annual vote on the question of ostracism
• Minimal constitutional constraints on the will of the assembly
![Page 11: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Boule (Council of 500)
• prepared legislation for consideration of assembly
• Oversaw collection and expenditure of public money
• Oversaw public works• Supervised foreign affairs• Supervised magistrates (office-holders)• But council was the servant of the
assembly: assembly could vote down, change, send back or replace bills drafted by the council
![Page 12: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Boule (Council of 500)
• Fifty citizens from each tribe served annually on the boule (state council of 500).
• In a lifetime, citizens could only serve twice on the boule.
• Chosen by lot from all Athenian citizens
• Councillors were paid 1 drachma a day
![Page 13: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
The Prytaneis
• The Athenian year consisted of ten months (called prytanies)
• For one month a year the fifty representatives of a particular tribe as a group took it in turn to run the Athenian government - a form of Executive Council for the month
• Reported daily to the council as a whole• ‘Foreman’ presided for a day; had control
of the seal of the city and the keys to the temples
![Page 14: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
The Prytaneis
• Lived at public expense in the tholos
• Chosen by lot
• The order in which tribes would assume the prytaneis was decided by lot
• Foreman chosen by lot
![Page 15: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
The kleroterion
![Page 16: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Election vs. Sortition
![Page 17: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Generals (Strategos)
• Elected by vote of the assembly• 10 generals elected for a one year term• Could be elected in perpetuity. Cimon and
Pericles were elected over and over again for over a decade (but they were exceptions).
• Political power limited to personal ability to persuade fellow citizens in the assembly to follow their advice, no special political or civil authority
![Page 18: How Athenian Democracy Worked. Overview 508 BCE: World’s first democratic constitution. Reforms of Kleisthenes: creation of ten tribes (phylai); all citizens](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022062804/56649ec45503460f94bcf2b3/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Generals (Strategos)• Even in military matters, leaders of
expeditions were selected by vote of Athenian assembly, which also determined size of force and goal of campaign
• Before they took office, scrutinised by council
• After year of service they were ‘audited’ – euthyna
• 10 times a year, assembly voted on generals conduct of military affairs. Negative vote, generals tried. Penalised if guilty