Final Essay Sources Flashcards
Democracy
- David on Cleisthenes’ Reforms (democracy not developed overnight)
- Aristotle on Solon (limits of Solon’s reforms)
- Raaflaub on Athenian democracy (Solon/Cleisthenes/Ephialtes)
- Azoulay on Athenian imperialism (demos power goes up, ally power goes down)
- Osborne on economics and politics of Athenian slavery (reliant on slavery for democracy to work)
- classism of democracy
Empire
- Georges on Persian Ionia (prosperity of Ionia)
- Herodotos on Persian War (Athens as “saviors of Greece”)
- Azoulay on Athenian imperialism (empire guarantees of sociopolitical stability)
- Thucydides on beginnings of empire (Delian League makes allies weak)
- Kallet on Athenian arche (Athens means and opportunity)
- Pericles’ funeral oration (Athens is a “good” empire with things to teach Greece)
- Buxton on hegemony (Sparta and Theban hegemony)
Socio-Economics
- Aristotle on Peisistratos (villainization of demagogues)
- Raaflaub on Athenian democracy (liberty of outsiders)
- Aristophanes’ Lysistrata (difficulties of women)
- Euripides’ Medea (difficulties of metics/women)
- Pericles’ citizenship law
- anti-metic sentiment
David on Cleisthenes’ Reforms (Democracy)
Cleisthenes, considered the father of democracy, did not reform Athenian government overnight; occurred over many years and only started because of a demagogue-esque approach to best a political rival
Aristotle on Solon (Democracy)
Solon did not too much for democracy besides creating juries of peers; voting on archons was still limited to elites
Raaflaub on Athenian democracy (Democracy)
Solon was more focused on restraining the wealthy than giving power to the poor; Cleiesthenes aimed to reduce political rivalries by creating inter-class tribes; democracy only truly begins in Ephialtes reforms when he reduces the power of the Areopagus and gives the power to the assembly and popular courts (though as power of citizen increased, it became more difficult to become a citizen)
Azoulay on Athenian imperialism (Democracy)
paradox in that as the liberty of the demos increased, the freedom of Delian allies decreased
Osborne on economics and politics of Athenian slavery (Democracy)
participation in government from a laborer class only occurs because of slave labor; if working, can’t afford to go (democracy built on back of inequality)
Classism of democracy (Democracy)
nobody is prevented by poverty from involvement in public life, but it’s nearly impossible to run for office without being aristocratic; not much room for upward mobility until period of cleruchies
Georges on Persian Ionia (Empire)
Ionians prospered under Persian rule; financial benefit for aristocrats to give up and side with Persians
Herodotos assessing Persian War (Empire)
Athens begins to think of themselves as the “saviors of Greece” after the Persian War; leads to the kind of cultural exceptionalism that starts an empire
Azoulay on Athenian imperialism (Empire)
Athens was reliant on the phoros of the Delian League; empire guaranteed sociopolitical stability and all violence was a necessary evil to maintain that; allies could not be allowed to leave or they would switch to the enemy and wreak vengeance
Thucydides on beginning of empire (Empire)
Athens grew powerful from the money contributed by Delian League allies, making the allies inadequately prepared and inexperienced in war, allowing them to be easily re-subjugated
Kallet on Athenian arche (Empire)
Athens was handed leadership of a naval alliance, of which they were able to make immediate use because their interest and investment in regions was long-standing (means and opportunity converged); Athens began to regard the entire Aegean as Athenian territory
Pericles’ funeral oration (Empire)
Athens was an “education to Greece”; had good things, prosperity to give; considers themselves a “good” empire (like Persians without being Persian)
Buxton on hegemony (Empire)
Spartan hegemony occurs as a method of achieving political goals (sacrifice some independence for greater political power); Theban hegemony occurs after aggressive Spartan behavior leads to an erosion of broad support, allows for challengers to emerge
Aristotle on Peisistratos (Socio-Economics)
Peisistratos is villainized as a demagogue because his follower-base was made up of poor and underprivileged people; propaganda from aristocracy to keep a power shift from occurring
Raaflaub on Athenian Democracy (Socio-Economics)
political participation in the age of Cleisthenes was not regulated by law, but determined by social status and prestige → the people could only express themselves collectively, leaders could express themselves individually
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata (Socio-Economics)
women in particular suffered from war (sent off sons to die, sleep alone); because a woman’s “prime” is short, she will be alone forever
Euripedes’ Medea (Socio-Economics)
example of a metic woman doing immense things for a man then being immediately neglected upon returning to Athens in favor of a citizen bride → more than likely a common story in this time
Pericles’ citizenship law (Socio-Economics)
removed metics from lines of succession
