Isabella Carter
Athenian democracy developed around the 6th century BC in the Greek city-state of Athens, comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica. Aristotle, a great Greek philosopher, compiled the constitutions of 158 Greek states, of which the Constitution of Athens is the only one to survive intact. The Athenian Constitution describes the political system of ancient Athens, which focused on supporting liberty, equality, and security. The Constitution of Athens is part of a collection called Constitutions (Politeiai) compiled by Aristotle and his students in the 4th century BCE. The work consists of two parts, with the first part dealing with the different forms of the constitution, and the second part describing the city's institutions, including the terms of access to citizenship, magistrates, and the courts. While Athenian democracy aimed to uphold the values of freedom and equality, critics argue that it led to sharper discriminatory lines, particularly in relation to women, slaves, and non-citizens.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Democracy | The many rule, not the few |
| Equality | Full and active participation in every decision of the state without regard to wealth or class |
| Citizenship | Limited to adult males of Athenian parentage |
| Variety | Variety of skills encouraged, rather than specialization |
| Meritocracy | Merit is encouraged and rewarded |
| Leadership | Pericles himself was a leader, born into Athenian aristocracy |
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What You'll Learn
- Athens' democratic constitution was compiled by Aristotle and his students in the 4th century BCE
- The constitution describes the political system of ancient Athens
- Participation in the political system was open to adult, free male citizens
- Athens' constitution focused on supporting liberty, equality, and security
- The constitution was written between 328 and 322 BC, after Samos was no longer under Athenian control
Athens' democratic constitution was compiled by Aristotle and his students in the 4th century BCE
Athenian democracy developed around the 6th century BCE in the Greek city-state (known as a polis) of Athens. By the 5th century BCE, Pericles was responsible for the full development of Athenian democracy and the Athenian empire, making Athens the political and cultural focus of Greece. Pericles' Funeral Oration in 431 BCE, the first year of the Peloponnesian War, praised the virtues of Athens' constitution, which was called a democracy because it respected the interests of all the people, not just a minority.
Pericles' vision for Athens was the culmination of a long process of imposing communal, civic values on a society that had always been organised along family, clan, and tribal lines. He adapted the aristocratic image that emerged from the epic poems of Homer and dominated Greek society for hundreds of years to his own purposes. Pericles also rejected the newer image provided by Sparta, which had captured the imagination of many Greek thinkers.
Athens' constitution was compiled by Aristotle and his students in the 4th century BCE as part of a collection called Constitutions (Politeiai). Aristotle points out that other cities in Ancient Greece, apart from Athens, also instituted democratic governments. Athenian democracy was characterised by the requirement that all adult male citizens take an active part in the government. This was a departure from the traditional power of family politics, and the old aristocratic rule of archons, or magistrates, and the council of the Areopagus.
Pericles' Funeral Oration emphasised the greatness of Athens, where victory, glory, and immortality were available to all citizens, not just the well-born few. He also emphasised the variety available to Athenians, which was normally associated with aristocracy. Pericles' vision of Athens as a competitor for greatness, power, honour, and fame was one where these prizes were won by and for all citizens, not just the heroic individuals celebrated in Homeric epics.
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The constitution describes the political system of ancient Athens
Pericles' vision for Athens was shaped by the need to overcome two earlier views of the best human life. The first was the aristocratic image from the epic poems of Homer, which dominated Greek society for centuries. The second was the newer image provided by Sparta, which captured the imagination of Greek thinkers. Pericles adapted the former to his purposes and rejected the latter as inferior to the new society he introduced in Athens.
Pericles' reforms brought democracy to Athens, where the many rule, not the few. Athenian citizenship granted full and active participation in every decision of the state, without regard to wealth or class. However, the Athenians excluded women, children, resident aliens, and slaves from political life. Pericles promoted the arts and literature, and Athens became known as the educational and cultural centre of the ancient Greek world.
In his famous Funeral Oration, Pericles praised the greatness of Athens and its democratic values. He encouraged merit and rewarded it with victory, glory, and immortality. He also emphasised the duty of citizens to defend democracy and freedom, praising the sacrifices of those who had died for their city. Pericles' oration is recognised as a rhetorical masterpiece, offering a stirring tribute to the culture of Athens and celebrating those willing to fight and die for their city.
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Participation in the political system was open to adult, free male citizens
Pericles was an Athenian statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He played a significant role in the development of Athenian democracy and the Athenian empire, making Athens the political and cultural epicentre of Greece. Pericles was born into the first generation that could wield the power of the popular vote against the established might of family politics. His father, Xanthippus, was a member of an old family and began his political career through a strategic marriage into the Alcmaeonid family. However, Xanthippus soon departed from their political camp, likely due to differences over relations with Persia, and instead embraced legal prosecution as a political tool. Pericles may have inherited his father's inclination towards the people, along with landed property just north of Athens, which elevated his social status.
Pericles' reforms furthered Athenian democracy, ensuring that all adult male citizens of native parentage could actively participate in every decision of the state, regardless of wealth or class. Notably, women, children, resident aliens, and slaves were excluded from political life. Nevertheless, the principle of equality within the political community that emerged in Athens planted the seeds of the modern concept of universal egalitarianism. Pericles' vision represented a significant shift from the aristocratic ideals that had dominated Greek society for centuries, as exemplified in the epic poems of Homer.
Pericles' democratic ideals stood in contrast to the Spartan model, which was characterised by a minority ruling over the majority. In his Funeral Oration, Pericles extols the virtues of Athenian democracy, urging citizens to fix their eyes on the greatness of Athens and embrace their duty to defend democracy and freedom. He emphasises the importance of individual sacrifice for the collective good, praising those who willingly give their lives for the city. Pericles' oration serves as a powerful tool to inspire and persuade Athenians to continue fighting and uphold the democratic values he championed.
Pericles' influence extended beyond politics, as he promoted the arts and literature, contributing to Athens' reputation as the educational and cultural centre of ancient Greece. His achievements included the construction of the Acropolis, which commenced in 447 BCE. Pericles' intellectual prowess, leadership, and commitment to democratic principles shaped Athens into the cultural and political powerhouse of its time.
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Athens' constitution focused on supporting liberty, equality, and security
Pericles was an Athenian statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He is largely responsible for the full development of Athenian democracy and the Athenian empire, making Athens the political and cultural focus of Greece.
Pericles' vision for Athens was the culmination of a long process whereby the polis tried to impose its communal, civic values on a society that had always been organized by family, clan, and tribe. The older ethical tradition came from the Homeric epic, where the esteemed values were those of heroic individuals. Pericles adapted this to his own purposes, showing that democracy would bring to all the citizens of Athens the advantages previously reserved for the elite.
In the decade before 500 B.C., the Athenians established the world's first democratic constitution. This new form of government was carried to its classical form by the reforms of Pericles a half-century later. Athenian citizenship granted full and active participation in every decision of the state without regard to wealth or class. However, the Athenians excluded women, children, resident aliens, and slaves from political life. The principle of equality within the political community that they invented was the seed of the modern idea of universal egalitarianism.
Pericles' Funeral Oration, recorded by Thucydides, is considered a rhetorical masterpiece and a powerful expression of the duty of every citizen to fight to defend democracy and freedom. In it, Pericles praises the sacrifices of the dead so that others will imitate them. He also emphasizes the greatness of Athens, encouraging his listeners to fix their eyes upon it until they become filled with love for the city. He reflects on how the empire was acquired by men who knew their duty and had the courage to do it, freely giving their lives for Athens as the fairest offering.
Pericles' Athens focused on supporting liberty, equality, and security through its democratic constitution, promoting merit and rewarding citizens with victory, glory, and immortality.
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The constitution was written between 328 and 322 BC, after Samos was no longer under Athenian control
Pericles was an Athenian statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Ancient Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War. Pericles is largely responsible for the full development of Athenian democracy and the Athenian empire, making Athens the political and cultural focus of Greece.
Pericles was born into the Athenian aristocracy around 495 BCE. His father, Xanthippus, was also a politician, and Pericles may have inherited his wealth and leaning towards the people from him. Pericles himself was wealthy by Athenian standards, and this, along with his continual reelection to the generalship, formed the basis of his power.
Pericles' reforms carried Athenian democracy to its classical form. Athenian citizenship granted full and active participation in every decision of the state without regard to wealth or class. However, the Athenians excluded women, children, resident aliens, and slaves from political life. Pericles also introduced pay for juries.
Pericles' vision for Athens was the culmination of a long process of imposing communal, civic values on a society that had always been organized by family, clan, and tribe. He adapted the older aristocratic image that emerged from the epic poems of Homer and dominated Greek society for hundreds of years to his own purposes. He rejected the newer image provided by Sparta, which had captured the imagination of many Greek thinkers.
In his famous Funeral Oration, Pericles praised the greatness of Athens and the sacrifices of the dead to inspire his listeners to keep fighting and to imitate the dead. He also expressed the duty of every citizen to fight to defend democracy and freedom. Pericles revelled in the variety available to the citizens of Athens, which was normally associated with aristocracy.
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Frequently asked questions
Pericles found that the Athens constitution brought to all citizens the advantages that were previously reserved for the few. Pericles praised the Athenian constitution for its encouragement of merit, rewarding victory, glory, and immortality.
The Athenian constitution was the world's first democratic constitution, granting active participation in every decision of the state without regard to wealth or class.
The Athenian constitution was established in the decade before 500 B.C., with reforms by Pericles occurring around 50 years later.
Pericles was responsible for the full development of Athenian democracy, promoting the arts and literature, and making Athens the political and cultural focus of Greece.
Pericles was praised for his intelligence and incorruptibility. He was also admired for his astronomical knowledge and his ability to calm frightened ship crews.
