Athenian Citizenship

Question 1

Qualifications for citizenship - gender, age etc

Answer 1

• Male
• Over 18
• Born of two Athenian Parents
• Registered with Deme at age of 18
• 2 years military service in the army as a cadet

Question 2

Benefits of citizenship

Answer 2

• To serve on juries
• To be protected by the laws
• To report injustices/crime
• To be elected as a general
• To equality under the law
• To serve on the Boule council
• To speak in the Assembly
• To make decisions about war and peace
• To vote in the Assembly
• To elect Generals
• To introduce new laws
• To change old laws
• Protected by the laws
• To Worship

Question 3

Rights of Citizenship

Answer 3

• To make decisions about war and peace
• To vote in the Assembly
• To elect Generals
• To introduce new laws
• To change old laws
• Protected by the laws
• To Worship

These are the most important rights of a citizen, if you did something very bad, you could be stripped of your citizen status.

Question 4

Responsibilities of Athenian Citizens

Answer 4

• To be ready to fight for Athens
• To provide your own weapons for battle
• To honour the gods and traditions
• To work and contribute to the city
• To ensure sons were able to contribute to public life
• To produce children
• They would be expected to work and contribute to the city
• They would be expected to marry and produce the next generation of citizens

Question 5

Exclusions to Athenian Democracy - who isn’t part of the democracy

Answer 5

• Women; helped to maintain Athens but could not be involved in any of the political or military activities, they were deprived of all democratic and legal rights. For example they could not own property)
• Metics (foreigners in Athens)
• Slaves (Slaves were denied all access to voting in the Athenian Assembly, they were the lowest on the social scale, However, the democracy would not have been able to function without the use of slavery: - Scythian Archers employed to keep order in the assembly and to round citizens up to Agora, slaves allowed citizens to leave their farms and work places to attend the assembly)
• These people were denied all the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen

Question 6

Athenian Women in Democracy

Answer 6

• Women helped to maintain Athens but could not be involved in any of the political or military activities.
• They were deprived of all democratic and legal rights eg. They could not own property

Question 7

Athenian slaves in Democracy - general definition

Answer 7

• Slaves were denied any access to the Athenian democracy.
• They were the lowest on the social scale and were denied any access to freely contributing to public life.

Question 8

Athenian slaves in Democracy - Scythian archers, democracy functions cause of slavery

Answer 8

However, the democracy would not have been able to function without the use of slavery:

• Scythian Archers were employed to keep order in the assembly and to round citizens up from the Agora
• Many educated public slaves were used as secretaries to assist with the administration of the democracy aiding the archons and generals
• slaves allowed citizens to leave their farms and work places to attend the Assembly.

Question 9

who were Metics

Answer 9

• Foreigners who settled in Athens had to register as a metic if they stayed longer than one month.
• they registered as a metic in a specific deme, with an Athenian citizen as a patron.
• They numbered about 20,000 in Athens.
• Their main livelihoods were banking, manufacture and retail selling

Question 10

Metics: Rights and Responsibilites

Answer 10

• Had no vote
• Could not own land (unless this privilege was specially granted)
• They could not appear in person in the law courts (but were represented by their Athenian Patron)
• Paid a small tax; 12 drachmas per annum for men
• They were expected to contribute to theatrical choruses
• If wealthy they had to pay eisphora (especially war-tax)
• If they did not pay tax they would be enslaved

Question 11

what could Metics do; army, special privileges, torture, religioun

Answer 11

• They might even receive special privileges (sometimes even citizenship) or rewards for services to the state, but this was rare
• They served in the army as hoplites or light infantry; or in the navy as rowers
• Legally they could be put to death by torture, though this was rarely done
• They could follow their own religion or take part in Athenian festivals
• They had no political rights but could perform such subordinate public offices as town crier

Question 12

Metics; Hetaerae

Answer 12

• Special category of metic
• High class prostitute
• acceptable for men to discuss issue of politics and philosophy with them rather than their wives
• These women were often intelligent and well-educated, but permanently doomed to status of concubine/prostitute

Question 13

Definition of Direct Democracy

Answer 13

• The word democracy means people power.
• In the 5th century BC Athens developed a system of democracy that put governmental power into the hands of its citizens.
• Athens had a direct democracy, which meant that every citizen was included in the process of running the city of Athens.

Question 14

The Assembly (Ecclesia) of citizens - Structure

Answer 14

• The Assembly met on the Pynx a sloping hillside near the Acropolis
• Met at dawn
• 6000 citizens needed for an important vote
• voted by a show of hands
• All male citizens could attend
• Met four times a prytany (month)
• When speaking a citizen would stand on a platform called the bema
• Any citizen had the right to speak
• Citizens had to listen
• Scythian archers gathered people in the agora with red chalked rope then dragged them to the Assembly

Question 15

The assembly (ecclesia) - Role

Answer 15

• The agenda to be discussed at these meetings was fixed by law.
  Meeting content;
• The first meeting of the month voted confirmation of magistrates and discussed issues of food supply and defence.
• The second meeting allowed petitions to be presented, anyone who wished, after informing the council of 500, could speak to the people about anything.
• The third and fourth meetings dealt with all other business
• Emergency meetings could be called
• At the Ecllesia citizens had the responsibility of voting on all the decisions made on how the city would be run: this included taxation, decision on warfare and law.
• They were responsible for overseeing the appointment of officials by lot or by election.

Question 16

The Assembly (ecclesia) - Purpose

Answer 16

• The Ecclesia is what made Athens a direct democracy as it ensured that every citizen was involved in the running of its own city.

Question 17

The Assembly (Ecclesia) - Effectiveness

Answer 17

• The Assembly was democratic as it allowed all citizens an opportunity to be involved in the running of the city.
• It also allowed citizens to develop a greater understanding of what was needed to govern a city and of the political issues affecting Athens.
• Many Athenian citizens had very little political knowledge and would have been unknowing about many of the issues they were voting on.
• The decisions made represented the citizens of Athens, however it did not represent the women, slaves or metics.

Question 18

The Assembly (Ecclesia) - Not Effecive

Answer 18

• However, charismatic leaders could arise, who could control and manipulate the assembly into making decisions for example Pericles
• It was difficult for people living in the countryside to attend all the meeting of the Assembly and so they did not always exercise their democratic right
• Many Athenian citizens could not be bothered attending the Assembly, just like many people don’t bother voting today, the Athenians would be rounded up in the Agora with red chalked rope by the Scythian Archers, they were then fined for not attending the meeting.
• The decisions of the Assembly could vary from day to day, this could lead to a lack of consistency in approach and also meant that individuals could influence the voting to match their own personal desires.

Question 19

The Boule/Council of 500 - Structure

Answer 19

• 50 men were selected by lot from each of the ten tribes.
• This resulted in 500 men being elected for one year.
• These groups of 50 men took it in turn to serve for one prytany/month in Athens
• You had to be over 30 to be eligible.
• Could only serve twice in your life
• Paid 1 drachma per day
• Boule councillors had to take an oath and be subject to scrutiny after their year in office.

Question 20

The Boule/Council of 500 - Role/Purpose

Answer 20

• To set the agenda for discussion at the Assembly meeting and to organise these assemblies
• receive any foreign ambassadors and deal with emergency situations
• oversee the election and conduct of the magistrates and generals
• responsible for the day to day running of Athens
• responsible for ensuring that any decisions made by the Ecclesia were carried out
• councillors had to take an oath and be subject to scrutiny after their year in office

Question 21

The Boule/ Council of 500 - effectiveness

Answer 21

• Participation in the council furthered citizens understanding of the day to day demands of running a city
• It was also very democratic and fair as all citizens were allowed to participate, the only conditions were that the citizen had to be over the age of 30.
• It was difficult to corrupt as the member of the council were selected by lot
• However, by using a lot system, sometimes incompetent or uninterested men would be selected to be on the council
• it prevented the rise of powerful groups or individuals
• Because one tribe was only able to lead for one prytany this meant that there was a lack of consistency between the leadership and also might have made it difficult to see the effect of one tribes actions.

Question 22

Generals/Strategoi - Structure

Answer 22

• 10 generals were elected by the people for the period of one year
• One general was selected from each of the ten tribes
• There was no limit on the amount of time someone could serve for
• Often rich men of wealth and social standing
• Generals were unpaid, except when on military service
• Their role as military leaders was symbolic, it was officers known as taxiarchos who were more likely to lead soldiers in battle

Question 23

Generals/Strategoi - Role/Purpose

Answer 23

• These individuals had to carry out their duties well, always respecting the wishes and interests of the people
• As they’d ere not chosen by lot, the people needed to make sure the person selected was competent enough:
• To lead an army/navy (although they often were not on active duty)
• be in charge of the maintenance of the city fortifications
• control the city’s finances
• be ambassadors to other city states when needed
• Meetings of the assembly could be called by them and they dealt with matters of foreign policy
• Had to respect the wishes of the people

Question 24

Generals/Strategoi - effectiveness

Answer 24

• Constitutionally all ten were equal, but sometimes a more forceful personality, an outstanding orator, or one with greater experience might have more influence over the people.

-They could be fined, exiled or in extreme cases sentenced to death for a dereliction of duty.

-Because they tended to be from the upper-classes, it could be suggested that many generals did not know what the interests of the lower classes would be. This would influence their decisions and actions.

Question 25

The Magistrates/Archons - structure

Answer 25

• 9 Archons selected per year
• Paid 4 obols per day
• Archons were used to assist with the work of the generals
• Most Archons positions were selected by lot
• These Archonships lasted only one year and you could only be an Archon once in your life

Question 26

The Magistrates/Archons - Role/Purpose

Answer 26

• in charge of the organisation of the Dionysia and other religious festivals
• presided over and organised the courts and all other legal matters
• they would assist the generals when needed

Question 27

The Magistrates/Archons - Effectiveness

Answer 27

• The Archons assisted in the effective running of the city
• Candidates could quite easily be incompetent and in charge of important tasks but only served for one year
• Citizens again gained the opportunity to gain more understanding of what it took to run a city

Question 28

Ostracism - Structure

Answer 28

• They used the practise of Ostracism to remove any potential threat to democracy and the equality of power amongst citizens
• The Athenians wanted no threats to the equality of power between citizens
• It was the responsibility of citizens to use this process to get rid of unwanted public figures who were thought to have gained too much personal power over the people or had somehow invited the disapproval of the citizens of Athens.
• The Athenians wanted no threats to the equality of power between citizens

Question 29

Ostracism - Process

Answer 29

• The assembly of citizens would vote on whether there was a need for ostracism that year.
• A minimum of 6000 citizens were required to vote out any politician.
• The name of the politician would be scratched on a piece of pottery known as an ostracon.
• The individual would be sent into exile for ten years, after these 10 years he could return.
• The individual kept their citizenship status and property.
• This was a better way than killing them to get rid of them. It stopped any outbreak of civil violence.

Question 30

Ostracism - Process

Answer 30

• The person nominated had ten days to leave the city. If he attempted to return, the penalty was death.
• After ten years, he was allowed to return without stigma.
• Cimon, ostracised in 461 BC, was recalled during an emergency.

Question 31

Ostracism - effectiveness

Answer 31

• Ostracism was an effective way of removing someone from power without violence
• It allowed the people who exercise their voting rights under the democracy
• However, many citizens could not read or write so they were relying on others to write the name of the person they wanted to ostracise on their ostracon
• This could mean that they ended up casting a vote for the wrong person and they would be none the wiser.
• The motives of individual voting citizens cannot, of course, be known. Many of the surviving ostraka name people otherwise unknown.

-They may well be just someone the submitter disliked and voted for in moment of private spite.

• Many of the people who we would now consider to have had too much power in Athens were not ostracised.
• This highlights that perhaps it was not very effective as demagogues were still able to maintain power in the Assembly and even use ostracism to get rid of their opponents.

Question 32

Strengths of Athenian Democracy

Answer 32

• Truly equal as all citizens had the opportunity to participate in the running of their city.
• Citizens were knowledgeable about politics, foreign affairs and what it took to run a city.
• Citizens felt involved in the running of their country and therefore were more patriotic.
• Equal rights for all citizens in the law courts.
• Poverty was not a barrier for citizens to participate in government; public pay allowed all male citizens the opportunity for involvement.

Question 33

Strengths of Athenian Democracy

Answer 33

It offered political, social and individual freedom. Citizens had freedom of speech.

• The rule of law, rather than through an individual king, governed the citizens of Athens. They made laws that reflected their needs and morality.
• Citizens were patriotic and politically aware as they were involved in the running of their country.
• Prevented political corruption as men could only hold office for one year. Some posts could only be held once in a lifetime and each public official was held to account for his actions at the end of the year.
• Prevented bribery as most positions were appointed by lot e.g. the council of 500.

Question 34

Weaknesses of Athenian Democracy

Answer 34

• The Ecclesia could sometimes be motivated by mass hysteria or the momentum of the crowd and bad decisions were made e.g. the Mytilene Debate.
• Clever speakers could influence the citizens to make decisions that were not always in the best interest of the people e.g. Cleon’s rejection of the peace offer from Sparta.
• Some contemporary writers believed that the introduction of public pay resulted in corruption of the people. They participated for payment rather than out of duty. Aristophanes is of this opinion.
• Appointing by lot meant that some incompetent people were placed in positions of responsibility. There was a lack of expertise, and the best man for the job based on experience or knowledge was not always chosen.

Question 35

Weaknesses of Athenian Democracy

Answer 35

• As the council changed every month and public officials every year, it was difficult to build consistency into the policy and decisions that affected Athens.
• Generals were often overly cautious when on campaign out of fear of acting against the approval of the assembly e.g. see note on Nicias and the Sicilian expedition.
• Policy often represented and suited those who lived in the city of Athens rather than those in the country. Many in the country may not have been able to attend four times a month and there were more city dwellers.
• Was only possible using slavery. The slaves carried on with the work whilst citizens carried out their democratic duties.

-Women, slaves and metics were prohibited from being involved.