Urban Population Flashcards
What could citizen men do?
Once they were 20 they could vote & speak at the Ekklesia. They could own land, serve as magistrate/ juror, bring forward lawsuits etc
What were women in Athens expected to do?
Domestic work in the oikos, spinning + weaving
XENOPHON: even women of high social ranking learn wool working
Vase paintings are archaeological evidence of women spinning
In the absence of a male heir, women had to do what to preserve the oikos
Epikleros: had to resolve issues of inheritance in absence of male heirs- ensure continuation of oikos, a key institution in Athenian culture
How did Pericles’ citizenship law affect the lives of Athenian women?
If a woman had children with a metic or non citizen, then her children would not be considered citizens. Pericles stressed an importance of Athenian bloodlines being preserved.
How were metics regarded / treated in Athenian society ?
ARISTOTLE: a citizen is he who has part in the deliberative + judicial function of the polis
PSEUDO - XENOPHON - stated the metics were needed in Athens for the multiplicity of their skill sets (e.g the navy)
Immigrants were encouraged under Solon
What were the requirements for metics to live in Athens ?
Each metic had to have their own sponsor (Prostates)
They also had to pay a monthly poll tax (Metoikon)
How does the Will of Epicurus serve as evidence of the civil limitations of metics in Athens ?
The will, as recorded by Diogenes Laertius, records details of how Epicurus used citizen middlemen to ensure his metic associates inherited his property on which his school was located
What were things metics could / couldn’t do in Athens ?
Own or inherit land, vote or hold judicial office & had a vulnerability to summary arrest + slavery
They could bring forward legal disputes, do business in Athens + could participate in Athenian public festivals
What were the roles of slaves in Athens
labour intensive jobs, such as
- mining & quarrying
- agriculture
- misthos (slaves who worked for an income and gave their masters a portion of their earnings)
Slaves also were used in the Athenian navy
What did a THUCYDIDES write about the role of slaves in the Peloponnesian war ?
Athenian hoplites brought along slave baggage handlers/ assistants
