Isabella Carter
The Constitution of Athens, also known as the Athenian Constitution, is a work by Aristotle or one of his students. It describes the constitution of Athens and the development of the Athenian Constitution down to 403 BC. The work is preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis, now in the British Library, and was likely written no earlier than 328 BC and no later than 322 BC.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date written | Between 328 BC and 322 BC |
| Author | Aristotle or one of his students |
| Content | Describes the constitution of Athens |
| Content | Describes the development of the Athenian Constitution down to 403 BC |
| Content | Describes the operation of the Athenian government at the time of writing in the 330s or 320s BC |
| Content | Describes the revolution in Athens in 411 BC |
| Content | Describes the political system of ancient Athens |
| Content | Includes 158 constitutions of Greek city-states |
| Content | Includes non-Greek states |
| Surviving copies | Preserved on papyrus found in Egypt in 1879 and 1890 |
| Surviving copies | Published in 1880 and 1891 |
| Surviving copies | Housed in the British Library and the Egyptian Museum of Berlin |
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What You'll Learn
Authorship
The Constitution of Athens, also called the Athenian Constitution, is a work by Aristotle or one of his students. It is written in Ancient Greek and is called "Athenaion Politeia" in that language. It 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 work describes the political system of ancient Athens and is the only one of 158 constitutions compiled by Aristotle to survive intact. It is unique because it is not a part of the Corpus Aristotelicum as preserved through medieval manuscripts. It was lost until two leaves of a papyrus codex carrying part of the text were discovered in the Fayum in 1879 and published in 1880. A second, more extensive papyrus text was purchased in Egypt by an American missionary in 1890.
Based on internal evidence, scholars conclude that the Athenian Constitution was written no earlier than 328 BC and no later than 322 BC. For example, in Chapter 54, Aristotle mentions the Festival of Hephaestus, which was "instituted during the archonship of Cephisophon", corresponding to 329 BC. In Chapter 62, he indicates that Athens was still sending officials to Samos, which was no longer under Athenian control after 322 BC.
While ancient accounts credit Aristotle with compiling 158 constitutions of various states, modern scholars debate how much of the authorship can be attributed to him personally. It is likely that he was at least assisted by his students, and some even suggest that the Athenian Constitution, being a particularly important state where Aristotle lived, may have been composed by Aristotle himself as a model for the rest. On the other hand, several prominent scholars doubt that Aristotle wrote any of them. If it is a genuine writing of Aristotle, then it is of particular significance because it is the only one of his extant writings intended for publication.
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Date
The Constitution of Athens, also called the Athenian Constitution, is a work by Aristotle or one of his students. It describes the constitution of Athens and is preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis, now in the British Library.
It is widely assumed that Aristotle compiled 158 constitutions of various states, which served as research for his work 'Politics'. Athens was a particularly important state, and where Aristotle was living at the time. Therefore, it is plausible that Aristotle composed the Athenian Constitution himself, as a model for the rest. However, modern scholars dispute how much of the authorship can be attributed to Aristotle personally, and it is speculated that he was at least assisted by his students.
Based on internal evidence, scholars conclude that the Athenian Constitution was written no earlier than 328 BC and no later than 322 BC. In Chapter 54, Aristotle mentions the Festival of Hephaestus, which took place in 329 BC. In Chapter 62, he indicates that Athens was sending officials to Samos, which stopped happening after 322 BC.
The Aristotelian text is unique because it is not a part of the Corpus Aristotelicum as preserved through medieval manuscripts. It was lost until two leaves of a papyrus codex carrying part of the text were discovered in the Fayum in 1879 and published in 1880. A second, more extensive papyrus text was purchased in Egypt by an American missionary in 1890.
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Content
The Constitution of Athens, also called the Athenian Constitution, is a work by Aristotle or one of his students. It describes the constitution of Athens and is preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis, now in the British Library. It is written in Ancient Greek (Ἀθηναίων πολιτεία, Athēnaiōn Politeia).
The work describes the development of the Athenian Constitution down to 403 BC and the operation of the government at the time of writing in the 330s or 320s BC. Based on internal evidence, such as references to the Festival of Hephaestus and Athens sending officials to Samos, scholars conclude that the Athenian Constitution was written no earlier than 328 BC and no later than 322 BC.
The Athenian Constitution is one of 158 constitutions of Greek city-states known to have been produced by the school of Aristotle or perhaps by Aristotle himself. It is the only one of these constitutions to survive intact. Modern scholars debate how much of the authorship can be attributed to Aristotle personally, as he likely would have been assisted by his students.
The content of the Athenian Constitution includes a description of the political system of ancient Athens, including the standard coin in earlier times and the weights corresponding with the coinage. It also covers the revolution in Athens in 411 BCE and the psychology of the time, diverging from Thucydides' account. Additionally, it mentions the Festival of Hephaestus and the fact that Athens was sending officials to Samos.
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Historical context
The Constitution of Athens, also called the Athenian Constitution, is a work by Aristotle or one of his students. It describes the constitution of Athens and is preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis, now in the British Library. It is the only one of 158 constitutions compiled by Aristotle that has survived intact.
The Constitution of Athens was written no earlier than 328 BC and no later than 322 BC. This date range is based on internal evidence from the text. For example, in Chapter 54, Aristotle mentions the Festival of Hephaestus, which took place during the archonship of Cephisophon in 329 BC. In Chapter 62, he indicates that Athens was still sending officials to Samos, which was under Athenian control until 322 BC.
The discovery of the Aristotelian text in the 19th century was significant, as it provides valuable insights into the political system of ancient Athens. Aristotle's work is unique because it is not a part of the Corpus Aristotelicum but rather a standalone treatise on the Athenian Constitution. It is also notable as it is the only one of his extant writings that was intended for publication.
The Constitution of Athens should be distinguished from the historical constitutional and legal codes under which Athens was governed at various periods, such as the Draconian constitution (written by Draco in the 7th century BC), the Solonian constitution (implemented by Solon in the early 6th century BC), and the Areopagite constitution (before the reforms of Ephialtes in 462 BC). These codes represent the actual laws and governance of Athens at different times, while the Aristotelian Constitution is a treatise that describes and analyzes the political system.
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Other constitutions
The Constitution of Athens, also called the Athenian Constitution, is a work by Aristotle or one of his students, describing the constitution of Athens. It is preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis, published in 1891 and now housed in the British Library. The Athenian Constitution is unique because it is not a part of the Corpus Aristotelicum as preserved through medieval manuscripts. It was lost until two leaves of a papyrus codex carrying part of the text were discovered in the Fayum in 1879 and published in 1880.
Draconian Constitution
Written by Draco in the last quarter of the seventh century BC, the Draconian Constitution was the code of laws in Athens. It solidified the powers of the holders of large estates in a legislative Council of 400. The Council of 400 was selected by lot from the class of those who, according to the Code, could supply a certain level of military equipment.
Solonian Constitution
The Solonian Constitution was implemented in Athens by Solon in the early sixth century BC. Solon's exhortations proved fruitless, and Pisistratus assumed sovereignty. His administration was more like a constitutional government than the rule of a tyrant.
Areopagite Constitution
The Areopagite Constitution was the Athenian constitution before the reforms of Ephialtes in 462 BC. In early Athens, the major power of government lay in the Areopagus, a council of aristocratic elders with legislative and judicial powers.
Constitution of the Athenians (Pseudo-Xenophon)
The Constitution of the Athenians, preserved under the name of Xenophon, though not actually by him.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution of Athens, also known as the Athenian Constitution, was written by Aristotle or one of his students no earlier than 328 BC and no later than 322 BC.
The Constitution of Athens describes the political system of ancient Athens and the development of the Athenian Constitution down to 403 BC. It is the only one of 158 constitutions compiled by Aristotle to survive intact.
The original Constitution of Athens was preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis and is 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.
