The real question now is not can we, but should we go back to the Greeks? With the Persians closing in on the Greek capitol, Athenian general read more, The story of the Trojan Warthe Bronze Age conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greecestraddles the history and mythology of ancient Greece and inspired the greatest writers of antiquity, from Homer, Herodotus and Sophocles to Virgil. Yet the religious views of Socrates were deeply unorthodox, his political sympathies were far from radically democratic, and he had been the teacher of at least two notorious traitors, Alcibiades and Critias. Direct involvement in the politics of the polis also meant that the Athenians developed a unique collective identity and probably too, a certain pride in their system, as shown in Pericles' famous Funeral Oration for the Athenian dead in 431 BCE, the first year of the Peloponnesian War: Athens' constitution is called a democracy because it respects the interests not of a minority but of the whole people. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. Yet, with the advent of new technology, it would actually be possible to reinvent today a form of indirect but participatory tele-democracy. Its popular Assembly directed internal affairs as a showcase of democracy. A small number of families came to dominate the leading political offices and ruled almost as an oligarchyone that was careful not to provoke the Romans. Attacking into the half circle of the lunette, they were hit by missiles from the front and both flanks. Realizing the citys defenses were broken, Aristion burned the Odeon of Pericles, on the south side of the Acropolis, to prevent the Romans from using its timbers to construct more siege engines. His influence and that of his best pupil Aristotle were such that it was not until the 18th century that democracy's fortunes began seriously to revive, and the form of democracy that was then implemented tentatively in the United States and, briefly, France was far from its original Athenian model. Instead, Dr. Scott argues that the strains and stresses of the 4th century BC, which our own times seem to echo, proved too much for the Athenian democratic system and ultimately caused it to destroy itself. Sparta and its allies accused Athens of aggression and threatened war. It was this revived democracy that in 406 committed what its critics both ancient and modern consider to have been the biggest single practical blunder in the democracy's history: the trial and condemnation to death of all eight generals involved in the pyrrhic naval victory at Arginusae. Sulla, tipped off by a lead-ball message, captured the relief expedition. I was not sent to Athens by the Romans to learn its history, but to subdue its rebels, he declared. As the new Alexander, he may also have seen the conquest of Greece as a natural move. This, fortunately, did not last long; even Sparta felt unable to prop up such a hugely unpopular regime, nicknamed the '30 Tyrants', and the restoration of democracy was surprisingly speedy and smooth - on the whole. The resulting decision to try and condemn to death the eight generals collectively was in fact the height, or depth, of illegality. Chronological order of government in ancient Athens. The Athenian statesman Pericles defined democracy as a system which protects the interests of all the people, not just a minority. The opposing forces clashed bitterly for a long timeAppian records that both Sulla and Archelaus held forth in the thick of the action, cheering on their men and bringing up fresh troops. When Athenion returned home in the early summer of 88, citizens gave him a rapturous reception. From Democrats To Kings is published by Icon Books. The Greek emissary became an enthusiastic booster of the king and sent letters home advocating an alliance. Athenion struts on stage before the crowd, then displays the sloganeering skills of a modern politician, saying: Now you command yourselves, and I am your commander in chief. In these intellectuals' view, government was an art, craft or skill, and should be entrusted only to the skilled and intelligent, who were by definition a minority. What mattered was whether or not the unusual system was any good. By Athenian democratic standards of justice, which are not ours, the guilt of Socrates was sufficiently proven. This complex system was, no doubt, to ensure a suitable degree of checks and balances to any potential abuse of power, and to ensure each traditional region was equally represented and given equal powers. Draco writing the first written law code in Athens was the initiating event that brought democracy to Athens. And its denouement is the Roman sack of Athens, a bloody day that effectively marked the end of Athens as an independent state. In the dark early morning of March 1, 86 BC, the Romans opened an attack there, launching large catapult stones. Its economy, heavily dependent on trade and resources from overseas, crashed when in the 4th century instability in the region began to affect the arterial routes through which those supplies flowed. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! Under Macedonian control, Athens had dwindled to a third-rank power, with no independence in foreign affairs and an insignificant military. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. In this case there was a secret ballot where voters wrote a name on a piece of broken pottery (ostrakon). We care about our planet! In 129 BC, after Rome established its province of Asia, in western Anatolia across the Aegean, Delos became a trade hub for goods shipped between Anatolia and Italy. Now all citizens could participate in government, not just aristocrats. At last, Archelaus saw that the game was up and skillfully evacuated his army by sea. A marble relief showing the People of Athens being crowned by Democracy, inscribed with a law against tyranny passed by the people of Athens in 336 B.C. "If history can provide a map of where we have been, a mirror to where we are right now and perhaps even a guide to what we should do next, the story of this period is perfectly suited to do that in our times," Dr. Scott said. Athenian Democracy. The generals' collective crime, so it was alleged by Theramenes (formerly one of the 400) and others with suspiciously un- or anti-democratic credentials, was to have failed to rescue several thousands of Athenian citizen survivors. The Pontic army used scythes mounted on chariots as weapons of terror, cutting swaths through the Bithynian ranks. Throughout the siege, Sulla got regular reports from spies inside Piraeustwo Athenian slaves who inscribed notes on lead balls that they shot with slings into the Roman lines. When a Roman ram breached part of the walls of Piraeus, Sulla directed fire-bearing missiles against a nearby Pontic tower, sending it up in flames like a monstrous torch. Athenian Democracy. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint. This, the study says, has led to a two-dimensional view of the intervening decades as a period of unimportant decline. The constitutional change, according to Thucydides, seemed the only way to win much-needed support from Persia against the old enemy Sparta and, further, it was thought that the change would not be a permanent one. Athens' democracy in fact recovered from these injuries within years. He disappears from the historical record; Aristion must have deposed him. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. When Athenion sent a force to seize control of Delos, a Roman unit swiftly defeated it. Since Athenians did not pay taxes, the money for these payments came from customs duties, contributions from allies and taxes levied on the metoikoi. "Athenian Democracy." Passions ran high and at one point during a crucial Assembly meeting, over which Socrates may have presided, the cry went up that it would be monstrous if the people were prevented from doing its will, even at the expense of strict legality. laborers forced into bondage over debt, and the middle classes who were excluded from government, while not alienating the increasingly wealthy landowners and aristocracy. Athens was forced to destroy its main defenses, abolish the Delian League and its fleet was handed over to the Spartans. Athenian democracy refers to the system of democratic government used in Athens, Greece from the 5th to 4th century BCE. All Rights Reserved. Cartwright, Mark. Soon after, Roman soldiers overheard men in the Athenian neighborhood of the Kerameikos, northwest of the Acropolis, grousing about the neglected defenses there. - Melissa Schwartzberg. Meanwhile, the siege of Piraeus continued, with each side matching the others moves. Archelaus was to seize Delos, then solidify Pontic control of Athens and as much of Greece as possible. These challenges to democracy include the paradoxical existence of an Athenian empire. Plato realized why democracy failed - even in ideal conditions, such as the direct democracy of ancient Athens. The boul or council was composed of 500 citizens who were chosen by lot and who served for one year with the limitation that they could serve no more than two non-consecutive years. It is understandable why Plato would despise democracy, considering that his friend and mentor, Socrates, was condemned to death by the policy makers of Athens in 399 BCE. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. With the help of bodyguards, Athenion pushed through the crowd to the front of the Stoa of Attalos, a long, colonnaded commercial building among the most impressive in the Agora. Citizens probably accounted for 10-20% of the polis population, and of these it has been estimated that only 3,000 or so people actively participated in politics. Actor posing as Socrates Democracy, which had prevailed during Athens' Golden Age, was replaced by a system of oligarchy in 411 BCE. The book, entitled From Democrats To Kings, aims to overhaul Athens' traditional image as the ancient world's "golden city", arguing that its early successes have obscured a darker history of blood-lust and mob rule. An artillery duel developed. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. From the story of the rise and fall of Athens, it is clear that the concept of democracy was abused to the point that only the city's citizens had rights and the rest of the allies were considered as subjects. In the furious fighting that followed, he kept his army close to Piraeus to ensure that his archers and slingers on the wall could still wreak havoc on the Romans. But in 200, Philip, having come of age and claimed the crown, dispatched an army toward Athens to regain the port. Ostrakon for PericlesMark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). In an effort to cope, Athens began to create a system of self-regulation, described as a "giant Neighbourhood Watch", asking citizens not to trouble its overstretched bureaucracy with non-urgent, petty crimes. Nevertheless, democracy in a slightly altered form did eventually return to Athens and, in any case, the Athenians had already done enough in creating their political system to eventually influence subsequent civilizations two millennia later. The majority won the day and the decision was final. The answer lies in a dramatic tale starring the demagogue Athenion, a mindless mob, a tyrant, and a brutal Roman general. Because of his reforming compromises and other legislation, posterity refers to him as Solon the lawgiver. To subscribe, click here. https://www.worldhistory.org/Athenian_Democracy/. Of this group, perhaps as few as 100 citizens - the wealthiest, most influential, and the best speakers - dominated the political arena both in front of the assembly and behind the scenes in private conspiratorial political meetings (xynomosiai) and groups (hetaireiai). When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. When the fleet reached the city, Aristion quickly seized power, thanks in part to a personal guard of 2,000 Pontic soldiers. Historian Appian states that the Pontics massacred thousands of Italians there, a repeat of the slaughter in Anatolia. Archaeologists discovered these caches thousands of years later and found bronze coins minted during the siege, when Aristion and King Mithridates jointly held the title of master of the mint. With few military resources of its own, the city turned for help to the Roman Republic, the rising power of the day. If you join your strength to me, my power shall reach the combined power of all of you. Then March 86 BC, shouts and trumpet blasts rend the night air as Roman soldiers, swords drawn, run through the city. Athens, meanwhile, was devastated. "There are grounds to consider whether we want to go down the same route that Athens did. To some extent Socrates was being used as a scapegoat, an expiatory sacrifice to appease the gods who must have been implacably angry with the Athenians to inflict on them such horrors as plague and famine as well as military defeat and civil war. A demagogue, a treacherous ally, and a brutal Roman general destroyed the city-stateand democracyin the first-century BC. Athenion at first feigned a reluctance to speak because of the sheer scale of what is to be said, according to Posidonius. In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia, or "rule by the people" (from demos, "the people," and kratos, or. Athens declared the Delos harbor duty-free, and the island prospered as a major trading center. The tyranny had been a terrible and. When that failed, the Romans settled in for a long siege. Cleisthenes introduced democracy in Athen (500c BCE) Democracy of Athens. The terms of the 85 BC peace agreement with Sulla were surprisingly mild considering that Mithridates had slaughtered thousands of Romans. Our word demagogue -- that is, an irresponsible "rabble rousing" populist politician -- is lifted directly from Athenian debates about the nature of democracy. Unlike the ekklesia, the boule met every day and did most of the hands-on work of governance. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Athens' democracy in fact recovered from these injuries within years. Then there was the view that the mob, the poor majority, were nothing but a collective tyrant. This executive of the executive had a chairman (epistates) who was chosen by lot each day. Athens, humbled in recent years by the Romans, can seize control of its destiny, Athenion declares. Its main function was to decide what matters would come before the ekklesia. Rome, which was preoccupied fighting its former Italian allies in the Social War (9188), failed to step in to settle matters, increasing resentment in Athens. At one point, the Romans carried a ram to the top of one of the mounds fashioned from the rubble of the Long Walls. It supervised government workers and was in charge of things like navy ships (triremes) and army horses. Other city-states had, at one time or another, systems of democracy, notably Argos, Syracuse, Rhodes, and Erythrai. Athens remains a posterchild for democracies worldwide, but it was not a pure democracy. Seven noble Persians conspire to overthrow the usurper and restore legitimate government. Aristion didnt hold out long: He surrendered when he ran out of drinking water. In Athens, it was a noble named Solon who laid the foundations for democracy, and introduced a . (Ostracism, in which a citizen could be expelled from the Athenian city-state for 10 years, was among the powers of the ekklesia.) For more details about how Ober came to . In addition, sometimes even oligarchic systems could involve a high degree of political equality, but the Athenian version, starting from c. 460 BCE and ending c. 320 BCE and involving all male citizens, was certainly the most developed. As winter stretched on, Athenians began to starve. Thank you! The third important institution was the popular courts, or dikasteria. The military impact of Athenian democracy was twofold. Inevitably, there was some fallout, and one of the victims of the simmering personal and ideological tensions was Socrates. In the late 500s to early 400s BCE, democracy developed in the city-state of Athens. The mighty Persian empire (founded in Asia a generation earlier by Cyrus the Great and expanded by his son Cambyses to take in Egypt) is in crisis, since a usurper has occupied the throne. Sulla had the tyrant and his bodyguard executed. This was a democratic form of government where the people or 'demos' had real political power. Centuries later, archaeologists discovered some of these in the ruins of the Pompeion, a gathering place for the start of processions. A demagogue, a treacherous ally, and a brutal Roman general destroyed the city-stateand democracyin the first-century BC, https://www.historynet.com/the-end-of-athens/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, When 21 Sikh Soldiers Fought the Odds Against 10,000 Pashtun Warriors, Few Red Tails Remain: Tuskegee Airman Dies at 96. Athens transformed ancient warfare and became one of the ancient world's superpowers. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. S2 ep 5: What is the future of artificial intelligence. The second important institution was the boule, or Council of Five Hundred. But this was all before the powerful Athens of the fifth century BC, when the city had been at its zenith. Re-enactment of fighting 'hoplites' Out of all those people, only male citizens who were older than 18 were a part of the demos, meaning only about 40,000 people could participate in the democratic process. When some topped the walls and ran away, he sent cavalry after them. The University of Cambridge will use your email address to send you our weekly research news email. (Thuc. A very clever example of this line of oligarchic attack is contained in a fictitious dialogue included by Xenophon - a former pupil of Socrates, and, like Plato, an anti-democrat - in his work entitled 'Memoirs of Socrates'. The word democracy comes from the Greek words demos, meaning "the people," and kratos, meaning "to rule.". Indeed, the failure to make badly needed changes in such key areas as pensions and health (under PASOK) and education (under ND) became the most striking feature of all governments in Greece's. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. With Athens running short of food, Archelaus one night dispatched troops from Piraeus with a supply of wheat. How did Athens swing so quickly from euphoria to catastrophe? Athenions fate is not clear. Perhaps the most notoriously bad decisions taken by the Athenian dmos were the execution of six generals after they had actually won the battle of Arginousai in 406 BCE and the death sentence given to the philosopher Socrates in 399 BCE. Others brought up rams and entered the breach theyd made in the walls earlier. To the Greeks, he represented himself as a new Alexander, the champion of Greek culture against Rome. Under this system, all male citizens - the dmos - had equal political rights, freedom of speech, and the opportunity to participate directly in the political arena. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. These bronze coins bore the Pontic symbol of a star between two half-moons. Athenian democracy was short-lived Around 550BC, democracy was established in Athens, marking a clear shift from previous ruling systems. Inside Piraeus, Archelaus countered by building towers for his siege engines. Some 2,000 of Archelauss men were killed. S2 ep 3: What is the future of wellbeing? As the year 87 drew on, Mithridates sent additional troops. In ancient Athens, hatred between the rich and poor threatened the city-state with civil war and tyranny. Yet his plans hit a snag when Delos refused to break from Rome. Certainly, he was an oligarch, but whether he was old or not we can't say. There were no police in Athens, so it was the demos themselves who brought court cases, argued for the prosecution and the defense and delivered verdicts and sentences by majority rule. Persuasive speakers who seemed to offer solutions - such as Demosthenes - came to the fore but ultimately took it closer to military defeat and submission to Macedonia.