Malcolm Rivera
The Constitution of Ancient Greece refers to the Constitution of the Athenians, which was compiled by Aristotle. It describes the political system of ancient Athens and is the only one of 158 constitutions compiled by Aristotle to survive intact. The work consists of two parts: the first deals with the different forms of the constitution, and the second describes the city's institutions, including citizenship, magistrates, and the courts. The Constitution of Athens is significant as it provides valuable insights into the political and social structures of ancient Greece, with modern scholars debating the extent of Aristotle's authorship.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Author | Aristotle |
| Date of Writing | Between 328 and 322 BC |
| Subject | The political system of ancient Athens |
| Content | Two parts: the first deals with the different forms of the constitution, the second describes the city's institutions |
| Context | Athens was still sending officials to Samos |
| Serfdom | The poor were serfs of the rich |
| Magistrates | Elected according to qualifications of birth and wealth |
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What You'll Learn
The Athenian Constitution
One example of a reform mentioned in The Athenian Constitution is the law of ostracism. This law was originally passed as a precaution against men in high office, as Pisistratus had taken advantage of his position as a popular leader and general to make himself a tyrant. The first person ostracised under this law was Hipparchus, son of Charmus, of the deme of Collytus. The Athenians allowed all the partisans of the tyrants who had not joined in their evil deeds to remain in the city, and Hipparchus was their chief and leader.
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Written by Aristotle
The Constitution of the Athenians, also called the Athenian Constitution, is a work by Aristotle or one of his students. The work describes the constitution of Athens and is preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis, published in 1891 and now in the British Library. A small part of the work also survives on two leaves of a papyrus codex, discovered in the Fayum in 1879 and now in the papyrus collection of the Egyptian Museum of Berlin.
The first part, from Chapter 1 to Chapter 41, deals with the different forms of the constitution, from the trial of the Alcmaeonidae until the fall of the Thirty and the restoration of democracy in 403 BC. The lost beginning, which is not preserved on the London papyrus, deals with the migration of Ion to Athens, the creation of phylai, trittyes and phratries, the kingship of Pandion, the democratic reform of Theseus, the death of Theseus, the change from a monarchy to a system with elected archons under the Codrid dynasty, the cruelty of Hippomenes, and the conspiracy of Cylon.
The second part describes the city's institutions, including the terms of access to citizenship, magistrates, and the courts. In Chapter 54, Aristotle notes that the Festival of Hephaestus was "instituted during the archonship of Cephisophon", corresponding to 329 BC. In Chapter 62, Aristotle indicates that Athens was still sending officials to Samos at the time of writing. As Samos was no longer under Athenian control after 322 BC, this has led scholars to conclude that the Athenian Constitution was written no earlier than 328 BC and no later than 322 BC.
The Athenian Constitution is both a history and an analysis of Athens' political machinery between the seventh and fourth centuries BC. It recounts the major reforms of Solon, the rule of the tyrant Pisistratus and his sons, the emergence of democracy in which power was shared by all free male citizens, and the leadership of Pericles and the demagogues who followed him. Aristotle also examines the city's administration in his time, including the council, the officials, and the judicial system.
While the ancient sources unanimously credit the work to Aristotle, modern scholars dispute how much of the authorship can be attributed to him personally. It is widely assumed that the Constitution of the Athenians and other lost Constitution works were research for Aristotle's Politics, possibly conducted by his students. This is because the text has little in the way of philosophical argument or conclusions, and it does not contain Aristotle's signature philosophical style. However, Aristotle himself provided evidence for the existence of the Constitutions, stating that his Politics would be based in part on the "collected constitutions".
Regardless of the authorship, the Constitution of the Athenians is a significant primary source for Classical Athens and a treasured piece of cultural history. It is of particular significance because it is the only one of Aristotle's extant writings that was intended for publication, and it provides contemporary information that was previously unknown or unreliable.
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Describes the political system of ancient Athens
Athenian democracy, or the political system of ancient Athens, was a unique and revolutionary system that granted all male citizens equal political rights. This system developed around the 6th century BC in the Greek city-state (or polis) of Athens, encompassing the city itself and the surrounding territory of Attica. It focused on supporting liberty, equality, and security.
Athens was not the only polis in ancient Greece with democratic institutions, but it is the most familiar and well-documented. Before the advent of democracy, Athens was ruled by a series of archons (magistrates) and the council of the Areopagus, composed of ex-archons, who were generally aristocrats.
The democratic system of ancient Athens was open to adult, free male citizens, who probably constituted no more than 30% of the total adult population. Citizenship was largely determined by birth, with three categories: free birth from an Athenian father, free and legitimate birth from an Athenian father, and free and legitimate birth from an Athenian father and an Athenian mother. Athenians considered one's birth circumstances relevant to the type of political identity and positions they could hold as citizens. Citizenship was a form of ethnic-national identity, and non-citizens were considered "non-Athenians," with fewer protections under the law.
The Athenian political system involved legislation and executive bills, with figures like Solon, Cleisthenes, and Ephialtes contributing to its development. Aristotle and his students also played a role in documenting and shaping the Athenian constitution, with Aristotle compiling constitutions of various Greek states, including Athens.
The Athenian version of democracy was certainly the most developed for its time, and its influence extended to subsequent civilizations, shaping political systems even two millennia later.
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Adopted in 1844
The Greek Constitution of 1844 was adopted after the 3 September 1843 Revolution in Athens. The revolution was sparked by discontent at the continued "Bavarocracy" – Greece was still being run by Bavarian officials despite gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832.
Otto, the Bavarian Prince who had accepted the Greek crown, agreed to grant a constitution and convened a National Assembly in November 1843. The Greek Constitution of 1844 created a bicameral parliament consisting of an Assembly (Vouli) and a Senate (Gerousia). Power then passed into the hands of Greek politicians, many of whom had been commanders in the War of Independence against the Ottomans.
The 1844 Constitution was not the first in Greece. The country's constitutional history goes back to the Greek War of Independence (1821-1832), during which the first three Greek constitutions were adopted by the revolutionary national assemblies. The first constitution was adopted in 1822 when the rebels gained control of the Peloponnese and declared the independence of Greece.
Athens, a particularly important state, had its constitution compiled by Aristotle, who is credited with 158 constitutions of various states. The Constitution of the Athenians is the only one to survive intact. It describes the political system of ancient Athens and consists of two parts. The first part deals with the different forms of the constitution, from the trial of the Alcmaeonidae to the restoration of democracy in 403 BC. The second part describes the city's institutions, including the terms of access to citizenship, magistrates, and the courts.
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Defined Greece as a constitutional monarchy
The constitutional history of Greece dates back to the Greek War of Independence (1821–1832), during which the first three Greek constitutions were adopted. The current constitution, which was adopted in 1975, is a major revision of the 1952 constitution. It was created by the Fifth Revisionary Parliament of the Hellenes in 1974, after the fall of the Greek military junta and the start of the Third Hellenic Republic.
The Greek Constitution of 1844 defined Greece as a constitutional monarchy, providing for a bicameral parliament, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. This came about after King Otto, who ruled as an absolute monarch from 1835 until 1843, was deposed in a revolution. The revolution transformed Greece into a constitutional monarchy, creating a Prime Minister as head of government, universal male suffrage, and a constitution.
King Otto's dismissal of his Prime Minister, Konstantinos Kanaris, in 1862 provoked a military rebellion, forcing him to leave the country. The Greeks then asked Britain to send Queen Victoria's son, Prince Alfred, as their new king, but this was vetoed by the other powers. Instead, a young Danish prince became King George I, a popular choice as a constitutional monarch.
In 1874, Charilaos Trikoupis published a manifesto entitled "Who's to blame?", naming King George I as the answer. Trikoupis condemned the king for bypassing parliamentary opinion in his selection of Prime Ministers. The article landed Trikoupis in jail, but it also boosted his popularity significantly. A year later, he mustered a parliamentary plurality, and George reluctantly named him as Prime Minister.
In 1973, the Greek military junta called a referendum that abolished the monarchy for the second time in Greek history. The following year, the democratically elected prime minister, Konstantinos Karamanlis, called a referendum that legitimately confirmed the abolition of the monarchy. A new Constitution, adopted by Parliament and promulgated on 11 June 1975, established a parliamentary democracy with a president as head of state.
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Frequently asked questions
The Athenian Constitution is a text that describes the political system of ancient Athens. It was written by Aristotle, who also compiled the constitutions of 157 other states.
The Athenian Constitution was written sometime between 328 and 322 BC.
The Athenian Constitution describes a system in which the poor were serfs of the rich. Magistrates were elected according to qualifications of birth and wealth and initially governed for life, then for terms of ten years.
The Athenian Constitution is considered to be a significant source of contemporary information about ancient Greece, containing unique details about the political system and society of the time.
