The Athenian Polis

The Athenian Polis

The term polis* refers to the city-state and its people, a community that acts together to govern itself. Public affairs are regarded as the business of all the citizens. This idea of a self- regulating, self-governing community begins to take off. In the sixth century the distinctive Athenian character becomes established. At this time Athens* is ruled by five archons* who are elected annually by lot from among the citizens. The senior archon is head of this citizen state.

A "citizen" is any property owner who does not work for someone else and is born a Greek of the city-state. Only citizens are allowed to vote and hold public office. A citizen is an all- round man, educated by private schooling, tutors and a grammar school until the age of fourteen. There is no vocational schooling and trades are learned through apprenticeship. Manners are to be learned at home. The wealthy can afford additional training in the private schools. Citizens make up perhaps one percent of the total population. The rest are slaves, women and children, foreigners, and those who work for a living. The real criteria for being a citizen is being free from the need to work so that they can devote themselves totally to the welfare of the community.

The legal system concerned mainly of feudal landlord laws designed to protect the land owners. In Attica there is a rising protest from poor farmers, tenants and small shop owners against the oppression of these big land barons. The Greek ideal of the virtues of community life and dedication to the service of the polis don't bring them any benefits. A class struggle began that would turn into a social revolution. There is a basic belief that every citizen should play some direct part in the governing of the state. This is based on a belief in the rule of law.

594 - Solon*, Athenian lawgiver, makes constitutional and economic reforms 527

At this time, in 594 BCE, a man named Solon* is elected archon and given extraordinary powers to revise the legal code. The very name "Solon" would come to mean "lawgiver". He passed a series of laws which reduced the power of the landlords and set up a system in which the poor can get protection from the rich. He also comes up with a scheme to develop manufacturing. There aren't enough craftsmen in Athens to do this so Solon offered full citizenship to foreign craftsmen if they would immigrate. This is a real milestone in economic growth. He does not, however, do much to change the political institutions. He adds one element, the Council of Four Hundred. This provid some equal representation for each of the four tribes of free Ionian* citizens. More sweeping changes would be left for a later leader. But the foundations of democracy are being laid.

560s to CULTURAL GROWTH IN ATHENS - Athenian society under tyrants Pisistratus* 530s brings annual festival to Dionysus from Eleuthrae (a town northwest) into Athens [NOTE: Eleutheria are "festivals of freedom" Eleutherios means "the deliverer"] 566 institutes religious Panathenaic* (all Athenian) festival of games