deck_16131141 Flashcards
Solon laid a firm foundation on which democracy was invented
Jones on Solon
To the poor, Solon granted freedom and legal recourse against the abuse of the powerful
Holland on Solon helping the poor
Some claim Solon as a democratic pioneer, others as a more moderate reformer
Cartledge on Solon
Cleisthenes only opened up the political system equally, did not give total control
Jones on Cleisthenes and political equality
Cleisthenes was nothing more than an Alcmaeonid schemer, manoeuvring to promote his own aristocratic family
Lewis on Cleisthenes being a schemer
Cleisthenes didn’t create democracy any more than Solon. Archons were still supreme magistrates, but the framework of the future democracy had been laid down
Barrow on Cleisthenes not creating democracy
General structure of the council was very much Cleisthenes’ work
Hooper on Cleisthenes and the council
Pericles reforms were as thoroughly democratic as the world has ever seen
Kagan on Pericles
Age of Pericles is one of the most brillaint, enlightened periods of all time
McWhorter on Pericles
Athenians kept management of their public life in the hands of the ordinary citizen
Kagan on Athenians
If a politician is a good speaker they can influence the assembly - ability to speak can make or break a policy
Wyles on Politicians Influencing assembly
Athenians would rarely blame the council for mistakes, rather they’d blame politicians for duping the members
Hooper on Blame shift
Council was effectively the government of Athens
Harris on the Council
Assembly is the heart of Athenian Democracy
Osborne on the Assembly
Demagogues used their rhetoric skills to promote policies which advanced their self interests
Raymond on Demagogues rhetoric
Not primarily attacking democracy, but how the democracy of the Athenians is made to work successfully and warn opponents not to interfere
Horn on the Old Oligarch being positive
Old Oligarch is full of exaggerations
Gomme on Old Oligarch exaggerating
Old Oligarch is deeply hostile to democracy
Jones on Old Oligarch being hostile
Wisdom is knowledge of what is best for the city as a whole
McAleer on Plato and Wisdom
Sophists do not possess wisdom, but its unsurprising it passes for wisdom, as most of us are prey to flattery - they make people think they’re wise through use of rhetoric
McAleer on Plato and Sophists
Aeschylus wanted to inspire people with confidence in its institution and themselves
Decharme on Eumenides inspiring people
Eumenides: Areopagus is glorious and worthy of Eternal reverence
Hook on Eumenides and Glory
Eumenides is patriotic
Hook on Eumenides and Patrioticism
Sings praises of Athens
Hook on Suppliants praise
Euripides didn’t ignore or overlook issues that can arise when the masses have control over public matters
Decharme on Suppliants having issues
Suppliants is the most persuasive defence of democracy that we’ve seen from the ancient world
Seaford on Suppliants defence of democracy
In the conflict between Democracy and Oligarchy, Thucydides disproves of both
Pope on Thucydides and Democracy and Oligarchy
Thucydides unconsciously or consciously balances the account on both sides
Pope on Thucydides and Balance
Dikaiopolis acts without consent of the community because they’ve never been able to express their views
Macdowell on Acharnians and Dikaiopolis
Low attendance allowed decisions to be made by self interested politicians
Macdowell on Acharnians and Low Attendance
Existence of Scythian Archers suggets participation was a real issue
Wyles on Acharnians and participation
Audience would’ve found the passages boring rather than funny if there was no truth in them
Macdowell on Assemblywomen
Knights are so hostile to Cleon that they’d support anyone who has a chance of ousting him, even the sausage seller
Macdowell on Knights support in ‘Knights’
Just as sausage seller adds sweeteners to sausgages, Cleon does so in his policies, making them seem more acceptable to the assembly by using his oratory skills
Macdowell on Cleons’ rhetoric in Knights
Sausage seller is a scoundrel from a family of scoundrels
Macdowell on Sausage Seller in Knights
Aristophanes uses populist comedy to discredit the Political system
Cartledge on Wasps discredit
Outcome of the PW been due to failings in the democratic system of government
Macdowell on Frogs foreshadowing failure
Comedy was intimately tied to democracy
Edith Hall on Aristophanes and Politics
