Not all anti-democrats, however, saw only democracy's weaknesses and were entirely blind to democracy's strengths. Paul Cartledge is Professor of Greek History at the University of Cambridge. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Ideals such as these would form the cornerstones of all democracies in the modern world. A marble relief showing the People of Athens being crowned by Democracy, inscribed with a law against tyranny passed by the people of Athens in 336 B.C. Persuasive speakers who seemed to offer solutions - such as Demosthenes - came to the fore but ultimately took it closer to military defeat and submission to Macedonia. The name of "democracy" became an excuse to turn on anyone regarded as an enemy of the state, even good politicians who have, as a result, almost been forgotten. In this case there was a secret ballot where voters wrote a name on a piece of broken pottery (ostrakon). But - a big 'but' - it works: that is, it delivers the goods - for the masses. Ostrakon for PericlesMark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). Eventually Archelaus realized someone was divulging his plans, but turned it to his advantage. "It is profoundly dangerous when a politician takes a step to undercut or ignore a political norm, it's extremely dangerous whenever anyone introduces violent rhetoric or actual violence into a. Archelaus was to seize Delos, then solidify Pontic control of Athens and as much of Greece as possible. The Athenian statesman Pericles defined democracy as a system which protects the interests of all the people, not just a minority. The mass involvement of all male citizens and the expectation that they should participate actively in the running of the polis is clear in this quote from Thucydides: We alone consider a citizen who does not partake in politics not only one who minds his own business but useless. Ultimately, the Romans grew exhausted, and Sulla ordered a retreat. In the late 500s to early 400s BCE, democracy developed in the city-state of Athens. The Pontic king sent his Greek mercenary, General Archelaus, into the Aegean with a fleet. Others brought up rams and entered the breach theyd made in the walls earlier. 474 Words2 Pages. Centuries later, archaeologists discovered some of these in the ruins of the Pompeion, a gathering place for the start of processions. The heart of this story is a months-long battle featuring treachery and clever siege warfare. The Romans placed a proxy on the Bithynian throne and encouraged him to raid Pontic territory. As the year 87 drew on, Mithridates sent additional troops. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the WHE Publishing Director. Rome would have to fight the Pontic king again before his final defeat and deathpurportedly by suicidein 63. Athens, meanwhile, was devastated. Read more. The city held festivals and presented nine plays each year, both comedies and tragedies. The boul or council was composed of 500 citizens who were chosen by lot and who served for one year with the limitation that they could serve no more than two non-consecutive years. In the dark early morning of March 1, 86 BC, the Romans opened an attack there, launching large catapult stones. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. S2 ep2: What did the future look like in the past? Nevertheless, democracy in a slightly altered form did eventually return to Athens and, in any case, the Athenians had already done enough in creating their political system to eventually influence subsequent civilizations two millennia later. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. The Greek emissary became an enthusiastic booster of the king and sent letters home advocating an alliance. Most of all, Pericles paid artisans to build temples read more, Ancient Greek mythology is a vast and fascinating group of legends about gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters, warriors and fools, that were an important part of everyday life in the ancient world. Hes just returned to the city-state from a mission across the Aegean Sea to Anatolia, where he forged an alliance with a great king. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. Sullas solution: rob the Greek temples of their treasures. Arriving at Delos, Archelaus quickly took the island. The group made decisions by simple majority vote. When a Roman ram breached part of the walls of Piraeus, Sulla directed fire-bearing missiles against a nearby Pontic tower, sending it up in flames like a monstrous torch. 'Certainly', says Pericles. Though Mithridates had to withdraw from territories he had conquered and pay an indemnity, he remained in power in Pontus. The collapse of Greek democracy 2,400 years ago occurred in circumstances so similar to our own it could be read as a dark and often ignored lesson from the past, a new study suggests. Although active participation was encouraged, attendance in the assembly was paid for in certain periods, which was a measure to encourage citizens who lived far away and could not afford the time off to attend. Sulla also moved north, however, and defeated Archelaus in two pitched battles in Boeotia, at Chaeronea and Orchomenos. This newfound alliance initially benefited Athens. The constitutional change, according to Thucydides, seemed the only way to win much-needed support from Persia against the old enemy Sparta and, further, it was thought that the change would not be a permanent one. After defeating the Bithynians, Mithridates drove into the Roman province of Asia. In hard practical fact there was no alternative, and no alternative to hereditary autocracy, the system laid down by Cyrus, could seriously have been contemplated. The military impact of Athenian democracy was twofold. In an effort to remain a major player in world affairs, it abandoned its ideology and values to ditch past allies while maintaining special relationships with emerging powers like Macedonia and supporting old enemies like the Persian King. Athenian democracy refers to the system of democratic government used in Athens, Greece from the 5th to 4th century BCE. The third important institution was the popular courts, or dikasteria. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Actor posing as Socrates Passions ran high and at one point during a crucial Assembly meeting, over which Socrates may have presided, the cry went up that it would be monstrous if the people were prevented from doing its will, even at the expense of strict legality. An early example of the Greek genius for applied critical theory was their invention of political theory Three of the seven noble conspirators are given set speeches to deliver, the first in favour of democracy (though he does not actually call it that), the second in favour of aristocracy (a nice form of oligarchy), the third - delivered by Darius, who in historical fact will succeed to the throne - in favour, naturally, of constitutional monarchy, which in practice meant autocracy. His influence and that of his best pupil Aristotle were such that it was not until the 18th century that democracy's fortunes began seriously to revive, and the form of democracy that was then implemented tentatively in the United States and, briefly, France was far from its original Athenian model. When the Romans destroyed the Macedonian Kingdom in 168, the Senate awarded Athens the Aegean island of Delos. Instead, Dr. Scott argues that this period is fundamental to understanding what really happened to Athenian democracy. The Athenian defenders, weakened by hunger, fled. Archelaus landed on the Greek coast to the north and withdrew into Thessaly, where he joined forces with Pontic reinforcements that had marched overland from Anatolia. The Pontic troops had built other lunettes inside, but the Romans attacked each wall with manic energy. Greek Bronze Ballot DisksMark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). During the 600s B.C., Athens was a small city-state. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. However, in reality, it was actually Persia who had won the war. The Thirty Tyrants ( ) is a term first used Cleisthenes (b. late 570s BCE) was an Athenian statesman who famously Ostracism was a political process used in 5th-century BCE Athens Pericles (l. 495429 BCE) was a prominent Greek statesman, orator Themistocles (c. 524 - c. 460 BCE) was an Athenian statesman and Solon (c. 640 c. 560 BCE) was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker What did democracy really mean in Athens? World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. Athenions fate is not clear. Macedonians under Philip IIfather of Alexander the Greathad defeated Athens in 338 BC and installed a garrison in the Athenian port city of Piraeus. The assembly could also vote to ostracise from Athens any citizen who had become too powerful and dangerous for the polis. The Pontic army used scythes mounted on chariots as weapons of terror, cutting swaths through the Bithynian ranks. At one point, the Romans carried a ram to the top of one of the mounds fashioned from the rubble of the Long Walls. Solon, (born c. 630 bcedied c. 560 bce), Athenian statesman, known as one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece (the others were Chilon of Sparta, Thales of Miletus, Bias of Priene, Cleobulus of Lindos, Pittacus of Mytilene, and Periander of Corinth). Although the 4th century was one of critical transition, the era has been overlooked by many ancient historians in favour of those which bookend it - the glory days of Athenian democracy in the 5th century and the supremacy of Alexander the Great from 336 to 323 BC. Second, was the metics who were foreign residents of Athens. Perhaps more significantly, however, the study suggests that the collapse of Greek democracy and of Athens in particular offer a stark warning from history which is often overlooked. Plato realized why democracy failed - even in ideal conditions, such as the direct democracy of ancient Athens. If you join your strength to me, my power shall reach the combined power of all of you. Then March 86 BC, shouts and trumpet blasts rend the night air as Roman soldiers, swords drawn, run through the city. Any citizen could speak to the assembly and vote on decisions by simply holding up their hands. According to Appian, Sulla ordered an indiscriminate massacre, not sparing women or children. Many Athenians were so distraught that they committed suicide by throwing themselves at the soldiers. Archelaus in turn built a tower that he brought up directly opposite its Roman counterpart. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 03 April 2018. Aristion didnt hold out long: He surrendered when he ran out of drinking water. In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia, or "rule by the people" (from demos, "the people," and kratos, or. One which is so bad that people ultimately cry out for a dictator. Enter your email address, confirm you're happy to receive our emails and then select 'Subscribe'. Weary of the siege and determined to seize the city by assault, he ordered his soldiers to fire an endless stream of arrows and javelins. The book, entitled From Democrats To Kings, aims to overhaul Athens' traditional image as the ancient world's "golden city", arguing that its early successes have obscured a darker history of blood-lust and mob rule. According to the writer's dramatic scenario, we are in what we would now call the year 522 BC. was part of the first Persian invasion of Greece. Now all citizens could participate in government, not just aristocrats. The boul represented the 139 districts of Attica and acted as a kind of executive committee of the assembly. Another is theory (from the Greek word meaning contemplation, itself based on the root for seeing). In the meantime, Mithridates used the respite to rebuild his strength. Out of all those people, only male citizens who were older than 18 were a part of the demos, meaning only about 40,000 people could participate in the democratic process. Under this system, all male citizens - the dmos - had equal political rights, freedom of speech, and the opportunity to participate directly in the political arena. Any citizen could speak to the assembly and vote on decisions by simply holding up their hands. The first concrete evidence for this crucial invention comes in the Histories of Herodotus, a brilliant work composed over several years, delivered orally to a variety of audiences all round the enormously extended Greek world, and published in some sense as a whole perhaps in the 420s BC. Democracy in Ancient Greece is most frequently associated with Athens where a complex system allowed for broad political participation by the free male citizens of the city-state. When Athenion returned home in the early summer of 88, citizens gave him a rapturous reception. Athens, therefore, had a direct democracy. 2.37). Most of the Greek cities there welcomed the Pontic forces, and by early 88, Mithridates was firmly in control of western Anatolia. But why should they be? Then, early in the first century BC, a political crisis engulfed Athens when its eponymous archon, or chief magistrate, refused to abide by the Athenian constitutions one-term limit. Then, in 133 B.C.E., Rome experienced its first political. It shows how an earlier generation of people responded to similar challenges and which strategies succeeded. (There were also no rules about what kinds of cases could be prosecuted or what could and could not be said at trial, and so Athenian citizens frequently used the dikasteria to punish or embarrass their enemies.). He and his allies then retreated to the Acropolis, which the Romans promptly surrounded. Sulla had logistical problems of his own. As the new Alexander, he may also have seen the conquest of Greece as a natural move. Once near his target, Sulla moved to isolate Athens from Piraeus and besiege each separately. Inside Piraeus, Archelaus countered by building towers for his siege engines. I wish to receive a weekly Cambridge research news summary by email. Any member of the demosany one of those 40,000 adult male citizenswas welcome to attend the meetings of the ekklesia, which were held 40 times per year in a hillside auditorium west of the Acropolis called the Pnyx. Over time tyrants became greedy and cruel. In this way, the 500 members of the boule dictated how the entire democracy would work. One night Sulla personally reconnoitered that stretch of wall, which was near the Dipylon Gate, the citys main entrance. Certainly, he was an oligarch, but whether he was old or not we can't say. World History Encyclopedia, 03 Apr 2018. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Neither side gained an advantage until a group of Romans who had been gathering wood returned and charged into battle. We care about our planet! Inevitably, there was some fallout, and one of the victims of the simmering personal and ideological tensions was Socrates. As below ground, so above. Appian, the historian who wrote in the second century AD, records that the Bithynians were terrified at seeing men cut in halves and still breathing, or mangled in fragments, or hanging on the scythes.. Historian Appian states that the Pontics massacred thousands of Italians there, a repeat of the slaughter in Anatolia. The Romans quickly got to work on their own tunnel, and when the diggers from both sides met, a savage fight broke out underground, the miners hacking at each other with spears and swords as well as they could in the darkness, according to Appian. His short and vehement pamphlet was produced probably in the 420s, during the first decade of the Peloponnesian War, and makes the following case: democracy is appalling, since it represents the rule of the poor, ignorant, fickle and stupid majority over the socially and intellectually superior minority, the world turned upside down. 'What? S2 ep 5: What is the future of artificial intelligence. It is understandable why Plato would despise democracy, considering that his friend and mentor, Socrates, was condemned to death by the policy makers of Athens in 399 BCE. Cleisthenes introduced democracy in Athen (500c BCE) Democracy of Athens. In addition, in times of crisis and war, this body could also take decisions without the assembly meeting. Cleisthenes changed Athenian democracy becuase he redefined what it was to be a citizen and so removed the influence of traditional clan groups. The next day, as he made his way to the Agora for a speech, a mob of admirers strained to touch his garments. Following standard Roman procedure, Sullas men made a quick assault on the walls of the port, trying to catch the defenders by surprise. I was not sent to Athens by the Romans to learn its history, but to subdue its rebels, he declared. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. The Athenians: Another warning from history? In these intellectuals' view, government was an art, craft or skill, and should be entrusted only to the skilled and intelligent, who were by definition a minority. Athens in the early first century had energy and culture. The . After suitable discussion, temporary or specific decrees (psphismata) were adopted and laws (nomoi) defined. Regardless, Sulla benefited greatly. Many tried to flee, but Aristion placed guards at the gates. Then he recounted events in the east. Scorning the vanquished, he declared that he was sparing them only out of respect for their distinguished ancestors. Cleisthenes issued reforms in 508 and 507 BC that undermined the domination of the aristocratic families and connected every Athenian to the city's rule. By Professor Paul Cartledge These bronze coins bore the Pontic symbol of a star between two half-moons. After all, at the time of writing, Athens was the greatest single power in the entire Greek world By 413, however, the argument from success in favour of radical democracy was beginning to collapse, as Athens' fortunes in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta began seriously to decline. Athens remains a posterchild for democracies worldwide, but it was not a pure democracy. About the same time that the Pontic army was sweeping across the province of Asia, Athens dispatched the philosopher Athenion as an envoy to Mithridates. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. The answer lies in a dramatic tale starring the demagogue Athenion, a mindless mob, a tyrant, and a brutal Roman general. All Rights Reserved. Please read our email privacy notice for details. ', replies Alcibiades; 'even when it decrees by fiat, acting like a tyrant and riding roughshod over the views of the minority - is that still "law"?' With the Persians closing in on the Greek capitol, Athenian general read more, The story of the Trojan Warthe Bronze Age conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greecestraddles the history and mythology of ancient Greece and inspired the greatest writers of antiquity, from Homer, Herodotus and Sophocles to Virgil. In tandem with all these political institutions were the law courts (dikasteria) which were composed of 6,000 jurors and a body of chief magistrates (archai) chosen annually by lot. The majority won the day and the decision was final. Nine presidents (proedroi), elected by lot and holding the office one time only, organised the proceedings and assessed the voting. Athens, for example, committed itself to unpopular wars which ultimately brought it into direct conflict with the vastly more powerful Macedonia. At best it was mere opinion, and almost always it was ill-informed and wrong opinion. In 129 BC, after Rome established its province of Asia, in western Anatolia across the Aegean, Delos became a trade hub for goods shipped between Anatolia and Italy. That was one, class-based sort of objection to Greek-style direct democracy. Some 2,000 of Archelauss men were killed. This executive of the executive had a chairman (epistates) who was chosen by lot each day. Related Content A further variant on this view was that the masses or the mob, being ignorant and stupid for the most part, were easily swayed by specious rhetoric - so easily swayed that they were incapable of taking longer views or of sticking resolutely to one, good view once that had been adopted. democratic system failed to be effective. Suffering dearly, the Greek cities on the Anatolian coast went looking for help and found a deliverer in Mithridates VI, king of Pontus in northeastern Anatolia. Athenian democracy was short-lived Around 550BC, democracy was established in Athens, marking a clear shift from previous ruling systems. Why Greece Is Considered the Birthplace of Democracy. The generals' collective crime, so it was alleged by Theramenes (formerly one of the 400) and others with suspiciously un- or anti-democratic credentials, was to have failed to rescue several thousands of Athenian citizen survivors. Athenian Democracy. Then there was also an executive committee of the boul which consisted of one tribe of the ten which participated in the boul (i.e., 50 citizens, known as prytaneis) elected on a rotation basis, so each tribe composed the executive once each year. Athenian democracy refers to the system of democratic government used in Athens, Greece from the 5th to 4th century BCE. Chronological order of government in ancient Athens. (Only about 5,000 men attended each session of the Assembly; the rest were serving in the army or navy or working to support their families.). Athens declared the Delos harbor duty-free, and the island prospered as a major trading center. The island had many Roman and Italian residents and relied heavily on the Roman trade. Sulla had siege engines built on the spot, cutting down the groves of trees in the Athenian suburb of the Academy, where Plato had taught some three centuries earlier. The Greek idea of democracy was different from present-day democracy because, in Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government. The second important institution was the boule, or Council of Five Hundred. They are also, however, reminders of the human capacity for disagreement, read more, An ambiguous, controversial concept, Jacksonian Democracy in the strictest sense refers simply to the ascendancy of Andrew Jackson and the Democratic party after 1828. A mass slaughter followed. The University of Cambridge will use your email address to send you our weekly research news email. Around 460 B.C., under the rule of the general Pericles (generals were among the only public officials who were elected, not appointed) Athenian democracy began to evolve into something that we would call an aristocracy: the rule of what Herodotus called the one man, the best. Though democratic ideals and processes did not survive in ancient Greece, they have been influencing politicians and governments ever since.