Describe the struggle of the demos for political power and the system of Athenian Democracy.
- Greek coloniazation (VIII – VI century B.C.)
-reasons: overpopulation, economic development
-results: flourishing trade, developing craftsmanship
-society: landowning aristocracy –> demos (peasants, merchants, artisans) –> slaves
-as a result the demos strengthened in the city states
-as another result: a temporary balance existed in society
-landowning aristocracy had the political power
-demos had the economic power (but they wer becoming stronger and stronger, and wanted to get the political power as well)
-Archons: they were the heads of the republic
-Draco (621 B.C.)
-made the first written code of laws in Greece, which were very harsh, but applied equally to everybody
-Solon (594 B.C.)
-abolished debts and debt slavery
-divided the society into four groups according to their property –> it became the basis for political rights –> even the poorest could be member of a jury
-introduced a new money- and measure system
-Tyranny: in the middle of the 6th century, certain aristocrats made use of the strengthening of the demo, and relying on them established tyrannies:
-the head of these was the tyrant:
-Pisistratus (560 – 527 B.C.):
-supported the demos by giving them land, carrying public building projects (they built canals, harbours, roads …)
-Hipparochos
-Hippias
-itinerary judges: they went around the country –> peasants didn´t have to go to the city
-tyrants were chased away, because the demos was strong enough to take the political power as well
-Cleisthenes (508 B.C.)
-reorganized the state
-divided the land into 10 phules (each had three parts –> coast, inner land, city)
-each phule sent 50 representatives to the Council of 500, which became the executive power in Athens –> it proposed and administered laws
-System of Athenian Democracy:
-executive power: Council of 500
-legislative power: Assembly (made laws, decided about war & paece, controlled officials:
-every Athenian citizen could participate in it: Athenian citizen = every free Athenian born adult male above age of 20) –> women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded
-judicial power: Jury
-members were chosen by lot
-to make sure that they prevented the return of tyrants they introduced ostracism –> they wrote the name of a person whom they suspected of tyranny on a piece of pottary, and the person who got the most vote exciled for 10 years)
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