How Athenian Democracy Worked

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How Athenian Democracy Worked
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Overview

• 508 BCE Worlds first democratic constitution.
• Reforms of Kleisthenes creation of ten tribes
  (phylai) all citizens enfranchised use of lot
  (possibly) introduced ostracism
•  
• 460 450 BCE Reforms under Pericles bring
  Athenian democracy to its apotheosis

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The Nature of Athenian Democracy

• All citizens, without regard to wealth or class,
  had the right to vote, hold office, sit on
  juries
• Participation limited to adult males of native
  parentage slaves, women, foreigners excluded
• Direct democracy vs representative democracy

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The Assembly (ecclesia)

• Passed all legislation by simple majority of
  those present
• Open to all citizens (40,000 50,000)
• Probably only 5 6000 took part in any one
  assembly
• Quorum of 6000 for some votes, eg. ostracism

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The Assembly (ecclesia)

• Voting by show of hands, except in the case of
  treason or an ostracism
• Four meetings of the ecclesia each prytany
  (month)
• One of the prytaneis would preside over the
  assembly while a secretary kept records

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The Pnyx

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The Pnyx
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The Pnyx

• Meetings took place in the open air on a hill
  called the Pnyx
• Citizens sat on the earth, speakers stood on a
  low platform
• Not easy for speakers to make themselves
  heardThe fourth century orator, Demosthenes,
  is said to have practised speaking over the
  crashing surf at the seashore.

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Aristophanes, The Acharnians (425 BC)
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Powers of the Assembly

• Passed all legislation
• Debated and decided on war and peace
• Annually elected the ten generals
• Annual vote on the question of ostracism
• Minimal constitutional constraints on the will of
  the assembly

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Boule (Council of 500)

• prepared legislation for consideration of
  assembly
• Oversaw collection and expenditure of public
  money
• Oversaw public works
• Supervised foreign affairs
• Supervised magistrates (office-holders)
• But council was the servant of the assembly
  assembly could vote down, change, send back or
  replace bills drafted by the council

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Boule (Council of 500)

• Fifty citizens from each tribe served annually on
  the boule (state council of 500).
• In a lifetime, citizens could only serve twice on
  the boule.
• Chosen by lot from all Athenian citizens
• Councillors were paid 1 drachma a day

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The Prytaneis

• The Athenian year consisted of ten months (called
  prytanies)
• For one month a year the fifty representatives of
  a particular tribe as a group took it in turn to
  run the Athenian government - a form of Executive
  Council for the month
• Reported daily to the council as a whole
• Foreman presided for a day had control of the
  seal of the city and the keys to the temples

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The Prytaneis

• Lived at public expense in the tholos
• Chosen by lot
• The order in which tribes would assume the
  prytaneis was decided by lot
• Foreman chosen by lot

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The kleroterion

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Election vs. Sortition
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Generals (Strategos)

• Elected by vote of the assembly
• 10 generals elected for a one year term
• Could be elected in perpetuity. Cimon and
  Pericles were elected over and over again for
  over a decade (but they were exceptions).
• Political power limited to personal ability to
  persuade fellow citizens in the assembly to
  follow their advice, no special political or
  civil authority

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Generals (Strategos)

• Even in military matters, leaders of expeditions
  were selected by vote of Athenian assembly, which
  also determined size of force and goal of
  campaign
• Before they took office, scrutinised by council
• After year of service they were audited
  euthyna
• 10 times a year, assembly voted on generals
  conduct of military affairs. Negative vote,
  generals tried. Penalised if guilty