Athens had what type of government

Plot on a Map Macedon. Demosthenes describes a dramatic scene, that shows clearly the function of the presidents and the chairman. Demosthenes describes what happened when news of this threat came to Athens :.

Plot on a Map Elateia. They were sitting at supper, but they instantly rose from table, cleared the booths in the marketplace of their occupants, and unfolded the hurdles, while others summoned the commanders and ordered the attendance of the trumpeter.

The commotion spread through the whole city. At daybreak on the next day the presidents summoned the Council to the Council House , and the citizens flocked to the place of assembly. Before the Council could introduce the business and prepare the agenda, the whole body of citizens had taken their places on the hill. So, in a crisis, the safety of Athens lay first in the hands of the presidents and the chairman.

It is worth noting that because there were days in the legislative year Aristot. There are further implications, if we accept the estimate of two scholars that in BCE there were approximately 22, adult male citizens—it is beyond the scope of this article to give evidence and justification for this, but the arguments are presented in Victor Ehrenberg, The Greek State , 2nd English Edition Methuen, 31, whose estimate is 20,,, and in A.

A citizen had to be 30 years old to serve as a Councilor Xen. For the sake of argument, we might assume that the average citizen would then have an active political life of 30 years, until he was During that time, there would need to be approximately 10, chairmen, each controlling the state seal and the treasuries, and presiding over the presidents of the Council for a day and a night Aristot. Since no one could serve as chairman twice Aristot. It follows, then, that approximately one half of all Athenian citizens would, at some point during their lives, have the privilege and responsibility of holding this office, arguably the closest equivalent to a Chief Executive in the Athenian democracy.

More important than any other function of the Council was its role in preparing the agenda for meetings of the Assembly , where all Athenian citizens gathered to discuss and vote on decrees. While any male citizen was invited to speak in an Assembly and all male citizens could vote, the topics for discussion and vote were limited by what amounted to a system of checks and balances between the Assembly and the Council.

Plot on a Map Euboea. In this case, an existing law required that any surplus funds in the treasury of Athens should be used for military purposes. But despite this law, Apollodorus wanted the Assembly to discuss how to spend the funds. So Apollodorus brought the matter to the Council , which voted to create a preliminary decree.

The council approved the preliminary decree. This preliminary decree allowed the Assembly to discuss how to spend the money. Demosthenes goes on to say that the Assembly voted, unanimously, to spend the money on the military Dem. So, after this lengthy procedure, the Athenian democracy did with its money precisely what an existing law required.

But the mechanism of the Council , its probouleuma, and the Assembly allowed all of the citizens to deliberate, in an orderly manner, on the extent to which the existing law was appropriate under these circumstances, a war in Euboea and around Olynthus.

Plot on a Map Citium. An inscription that survives in fairly good condition illustrates vividly the course of an actual motion through the Council , to the Assembly by means of a preliminary decree, and into the body of Athenian policy as a decree of the Athenian People. It is important to note that the text and translation given here omit any indication of how the inscription actually looked, and the extent to which modern editors have filled in missing sections; what appears here is considerably cleaned up.

It can serve to illustrate the workings of the Council , but should not be taken as indicative of the proper way to present and read an inscription. When Nikokratos was archon, in the first prytany that of the tribe Aegeis : Theophilos from the deme Phegous , one of the Proedroi, put this matter to the vote: The Council decided after Antidotos , son of Apollodoros , from the deme Sypalettos made the motion : Concerning the things that the Citians say about the foundation of the temple to Aphrodite , it has been voted by the Council that the Proedroi, the ones to be chosen by lot to serve as Proedroi at the first Assembly , should introduce the Citians and allow them to have an audience, and to share with the People the opinion of the Council , that the People , having heard from the Citians concerning the foundation of the temple, and from any other Athenian who wants to speak, decide to do whatever seems best.

When Nikokrates was archon, in the second Prytany that of the tribe Pandionis : Phanostratos from the deme Philaidai , one of the Proedroi, put this matter to the vote: The People decided after Lykourgos , son of Lykophron , of the deme Boutadai made the motion : Concerning the things for which the Citian merchants resolved to petition, lawfully, asking the People for the use of a plot of land on which they might build a temple of Aphrodite , it has seemed best to the People to give to the merchants of the Citians the use of a plot of land on which they might build a temple of Aphrodite , just as also the Egyptians built the temple of Isis.

On this one inscription we see the whole legislative process. In the first prytany of the year, Antidotos , a councilor, made a motion before the Council regarding this request by the Citians.

One of the Proedroi in charge of running the meeting of the Council put the matter to a vote. Then, in the second Prytany, Lykourgos , made a motion in the Assembly. The People voted on the matter, and the Citians were allowed to build their temple, just as evidently some Egyptians had been allowed to build a temple to Isis.

Decrees were passed by a vote of the Assembly , of the Council , or both. Laws came into being by a more complicated process. Laws took precedence over Decrees. Any citizen could propose a change in the laws, but could only propose the repeal of a law if he suggested another law to replace the repealed law. The process of legislation was like a trial, with advocates speaking in defense of the existing laws, and others speaking against the existing laws.

The Nomothetai would vote on changes, and any changes that passed were published on inscriptions near the statues of the Eponymous Heroes and read aloud at the next meeting of the Assembly. The Nomothetai also undertook an annual review of all existing laws, to make sure that none contradicted others, and that none were redundant.

To understand legislation under the Athenian democracy, it is necessary to understand some terms. The speaker tells his audience that, in a particular case, either the psephisma of Kannonus applies Xen. So it would seem that these two terms were more-or-less equivalent. The orator Aeschines in one of his speeches asks, rhetorically, why the laws nomoi are good, but the decrees of the Assembly psephismata are bad Aeschin. The philosopher Aristotle makes a theoretical distinction between laws and decrees, noting that in certain kinds of democracy the laws rule, but in other kinds of democracies decrees can override laws Aristot.

On the other hand, the laws could determine what sorts of decrees the Assembly could pass, such as a law that allows the Assembly to pass a decree honoring a citizen, but that limits the circumstances of such an honor Aeschin. The courts could nullify a decree, based on the laws Dem.

Some laws, however, included additional clauses that made it very difficult to change or revoke the law. One such clause is quoted at Dem. Read about the evidence Andocides Andoc. No decree, whether of the Council or Assembly , shall override a law. This establishes three important principles of Athenian legislation : in order from last to first that except under very special circumstances, the laws of Athens were to apply to all citizens equally; that the laws nomoi had more authority than the decrees psephismata of the Assembly or Council ; and finally that only the written laws were valid.

By inscribing laws, either on wood or in stone, and setting them in a public place, knowledge of the laws was made available to all citizens, rather than to a small elite. The procedures for making new laws or revising existing laws was complicated, and seems to have been intended to make the process as democratic as possible, and to prevent any hasty or poorly considered changes to the laws.

Demosthenes describes process of legislation in detail in his speech prosecuting Timocrates Dem. First of all, there is a prescribed time for legislation ; but even at the proper time a man is not permitted to propose his law just as he pleases. He is directed, in the first place, to put it in writing and post it in front of the statues of the Eponymous Heroes for everyone to see.

So these Nomothetae were ordinary citizens assigned the task of creating and revising the laws. These Nomothetae would get together and conduct legislation under three circumstances: if the Assembly called for revisions to the laws, if an individual Athenian proposed a change in the laws, and if the six Archons called the Thesmothetae see Aristot. At the first meeting of the Assembly for the year, in the month of Hekatombaion, the Athenians held votes on the whole body of laws Dem.

This is how Demosthenes describes the process:. Those who are content with the laws respecting the Council shall hold up their hands first, and then those who are not content; and in like manner in respect of general statutes. This passage tells us several things. First, it suggests that the laws of Athens were divided into several categories.

There were laws concerning the Council ; this presumably included laws governing the Nomothetae and the procedure for legislation itself, since it was the Council that appointed the panels of Nomothetae Dem. There were laws having to do with the nine Archons. This must have meant that the vote on the existing laws was equivalent to a vote on the proposed changes.

If the citizens liked the suggestions posted beforehand, they could vote against the existing laws, thus starting a process of legislation. If the citizens did not like the posted suggestions, they would vote in favor of the existing laws. Requiring proposed changes before the meeting would allow the Assembly to make an informed decision regarding how long the Nomothetae should take to conduct their business see also Dem.

Demosthenes says, elsewhere in his speech against Timocrates , that it was lawful for any citizen to propose changing an existing law, but only if he suggested a new law to take its place Dem. After this first meeting of the Assembly for the year, if the voting determined that the laws should be reviewed and possibly changed, there was a delay, presumably to let people consider matters.

No further action happened at the next meeting of the Assembly in that month, but at the third meeting, the Assembly decided how long the Nomothetae should spend legislating, and details of their pay Dem.

The meeting was conducted like a trial, with advocates speaking in favor of the existing laws Dem. When both parties had spoken, the Nomothetae voted by show of hands Dem. Any new laws proposed by the Nomothetae were published near the statues of the Eponymous Heroes and were also read aloud to the next meeting of the Assembly Dem.

In addition to this regularly scheduled, annual, opportunity for legislation , there were other ways of initiation the process of making changes to the laws of Athens.

Any citizen could, at any time, propose a change in the laws Dem. The Archons , specifically the Thesmothetae, were also charged with making an annual review of the existing laws and, if they found contradictory laws or redundant laws, they could arrange for a board of Nomothetae to change the laws Aeschin. In the case of an individual citizen who wanted to change the laws, he could not propose repealing a law without suggesting a new law to take its place Dem.

The Assembly would decide whether or not the proposal had sufficient merit to be brought before the Nomothetae Dem. The Council had to be involved, too, because it was the Council that set the agenda for meetings of the Assembly. So once a citizen had posted a proposal for new legislation , the Council had to put the issue on the agenda for a meeting of the Assembly ; this was done by means of a Preliminary Decree, or probouleuma Dem.

Since laws, passed by the Nomothetae, were more important than decrees of the Council or Assembly Andoc. Or, what happened when someone proposed a law in a way that violated the laws governing legislation? That doing so was illegal runs contrary to the assumption in American law that newer legislation takes precedence over older laws. First, it contradicted already existing laws Dem.

Second, the proposal had not been published by the statues of the Eponymous Heroes Dem. Third, he did not allow the Council to consider the law before referring it to the Assembly Dem. Finally, he did not follow the lawful schedule, which would have meant proposing a new law at one meeting of the Assembly , taking no action at the next meeting, and at the third meeting voting on whether or not to convene the Nomothetae Dem. Here, Demosthenes claims that Leptines arranged for the Nomothetae to pass a law without repealing any contrary laws Dem.

Demosthenes himself was once charged with improperly suggesting the emendation of a law governing the maintenance of warships Dem. Aristotle criticizes direct democracy on the grounds that in democracy decrees have more authority than laws Aristot. But this criticism does not seem to apply to the democracy of 4th century Athens. Whether or not we should see this fact as a bad thing is, of course, a matter of opinion. The Areopagus , or Hill of Ares , in Athens was the site of council that served as an important legal institution under the Athenian democracy.

This body, called the Council of the Areopagus , or simply the Areopagus , existed long before the democracy, and its powers and composition changed many times over the centuries. Originally, it was the central governing body of Athens , but under the democracy, it was primarily the court with jurisdiction over cases of homicide and certain other serious crimes.

After an Athenian had served as one of the nine archons , his conduct in office was investigated, and if he passed that investigation he became a member of the Areopagus ; tenure was for life. Read about the evidence Herodotus Hdt. Isocrates Isoc. The Areopagus Areios pagos was a hill in Athens , south of the agora , to the north-west of the Acropolis Hdt.

The term Areopagus , however, often refers to the Council of the Areopagus , a governmental institution that met on that hill Aeschin. This institution was very ancient, existing long before democratic government. Its history, which recedes back into mythological pre-history, follows closely the political history of Athens , and shows the ongoing tension between democratic and anti-democratic forces see, for example, Isoc.

Lycurgus Lyc. The Council of the Areopagus functioned as a court under the democracy of 4th century Athens , and it had a very high reputation Dem. The orator Lycurgus tells his fellow Athenians that they have in the Council of the Areopagus the finest model in Greece : a court so superior to others that even the men convicted in it admit that its judgements are just Lyc. The Council of the Areopagus , as a group, and its individual members were held in high regard and considered to be worthy of respect.

Aeschines reports an incident when Autolycus , a member of the Areopagus , unwittingly made a sexual pun; when the people laughed, Pyrrandrus scolded them, asking if they were not ashamed of themselves for laughing in the presence of the Council of the Areopagus Aeschin. Aeschines is careful to defend Autolycus , as a man whose life has been good and pious, and so worthy of that body, i.

The principle function of the Areopagus , in the 4th century BCE, was to try cases of homicide. Even then the person who has sworn this tremendous oath does not gain immediate credence; and if any falsehood is brought home to him, he will carry away with him to his children and his kindred the stain of perjury—but gain nothing. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

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You cannot download interactives. Ancient Greek politics, philosophy, art and scientific achievements greatly influenced Western civilizations today. One example of their legacy is the Olympic Games. Use the videos, media, reference materials, and other resources in this collection to teach about ancient Greece, its role in modern-day democracy, and civic engagement. Learn how democracy in the United States is different from that of the ancient Greeks. The United States has a complex government system.

One important tenet of this system is democracy, in which the ultimate power rests with the people. In the case of the United States, that power is exercised indirectly, through elected representatives.

Although the U. The Greeks are often credited with pioneering a democratic government that went on to influence the structure of the United States. Read this article that describes how elements of ancient Greek democracy heavily influenced the figures that designed the United States government.

Citizenship is the status of being a citizen, belonging to a nation, and having the associated rights and responsibilities. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.

Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. The second important institution was the boule, or Council of Five Hundred. The boule was a group of men, 50 from each of ten Athenian tribes, who served on the Council for one year. Unlike the ekklesia, the boule met every day and did most of the hands-on work of governance. It supervised government workers and was in charge of things like navy ships triremes and army horses. It dealt with ambassadors and representatives from other city-states.

Its main function was to decide what matters would come before the ekklesia. In this way, the members of the boule dictated how the entire democracy would work.

Positions on the boule were chosen by lot and not by election. This was because, in theory, a random lottery was more democratic than an election: pure chance, after all, could not be influenced by things like money or popularity. The lottery system also prevented the establishment of a permanent class of civil servants who might be tempted to use the government to advance or enrich themselves.

However, historians argue that selection to the boule was not always just a matter of chance. They note that wealthy and influential people—and their relatives—served on the Council much more frequently than would be likely in a truly random lottery.

The third important institution was the popular courts, or dikasteria. Every day, more than jurors were chosen by lot from a pool of male citizens older than There were no police in Athens, so it was the demos themselves who brought court cases, argued for the prosecution and the defense and delivered verdicts and sentences by majority rule. 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.

Jurors were paid a wage for their work, so that the job could be accessible to everyone and not just the wealthy but, since the wage was less than what the average worker earned in a day, the typical juror was an elderly retiree. Since Athenians did not pay taxes, the money for these payments came from customs duties, contributions from allies and taxes levied on the metoikoi.

Around B. Modern representative democracies, in contrast to direct democracies, have citizens who vote for representatives who create and enact laws on their behalf. Canada, The United States and South Africa are all examples of modern-day representative democracies.

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